Fostering Feedback Seeking Behavior in Novice Designers

Feedback is a staple of the design process, but little is known about why designers delay or refuse feedback collection. To fill this knowledge gap, my dissertation identifies triggers and deterrents to feedback seeking behaviors. Based on our findings, I propose and test two interventions to promote feedback seeking behavior: 1) helping designers plan when they seek feedback to increase commitment and 2) generating feedback templates based on design stage to reduce the effort of feedback seeking. We envision a future where creativity support and educational tools use our interventions to encourage designers to seek feedback earlier, more frequently, learn faster, and eventually create better designs.