ImagineD: a vision for cognitive driven creative design

CAD systems are well suited to later design phases, but do not effec-tively support the early ambiguous, iterative, and creative stages of de-sign. CAD is continually evolving, but only incrementally and by adapting to established design processes. We present a radically new vision for creative design – ImagineD – based on advances in HCI technology. In this vision, the designer is symbiotically connected to supporting computer systems via brain-computer and gesture recogni-tion interfaces, and the design process is directly driven by the design-er’s cognition (via neural signals) and natural behaviour (via intuitive gestures). Realising this vision requires advances in scientific models of cognition, neural activity, and gesture interaction in creative design. The paper presents the work and visions of the University of Strath-clyde, covering earlier CAD work before presenting ongoing empirical and theoretical research in the above areas by the ImagineD team. We conclude with key challenges.