Two students from the school of engineering in Jönköping has during the spring semester of 2018 performed a bachelor thesis. The thesis was performed in cooperation with Greenworks Tools in Jönköping. The purpose of this thesis is to establish an understanding of the technical aspects of a hedge trimmer and the product development process. During this thesis, the students will generate and evaluate different concepts for a new gearing system. The study investigates if it is possible to rotate the motor in one of Greenworks hedge trimmers 90±15°along the cutting direction, without deteriorating the hedge trimmer´s performance or ergonomical propperties. The main limitation for the thesis is that exclusively the motor gear and the connection to the gearbox can be changed. To answere the thesis problem different kinds of methods and tools were used. A few of the implemented methods used during the thesis are product development process, QFD and Pugh’s matrix, to verify the concepts Cad simulations and calculations were established. The result of the study shows that it is possible to rotate the motor without detoriating the hedge trimmers preformance with respect to the given information. The thesis study generates a basis for further development and for future products.

This study is performed as a final thesis project at School of engineering, Jönköping University in collaboration with the Professional electric department at Husqvarna. The purpose of the study was to develop a concept proposal that improves the performance of a battery-powered handheld product by developing a new component. By evaluating and analyzing the existing product and by discussions with the Husqvarna supervisors, a construction criteria list was created with the requirements to be met. A literature study was conducted to gather information, which gave a broader basis for further work. To find a potential solution, a conceptual study was conducted in the form of a brainstorming process. This process resulted in a couple of concepts which were evaluated and screened by the methods "Go / No-Go" and "Pugh's matrix". After evaluation and by simpler tests, a concept was elaborated further and developed into a final prototype.

This thesis presents two distinct, but linked, studies. Study 1 contrasted interactive [group] brainstorming against its nominal [individual] counterpart. Previous research has pointed to the productivity advantages of nominal brainstorming in terms of idea production rate [ideation], leading theorists to predict 'the end of interactive brainstorming'. Yet interactive brainstorming has remained the most popular means of ideation within organizations. Central to this research is the thesis that previous studies (a) failed to follow the instructions of the concept originator, Osborn (1953) and (b) used samples and conditions that were not representative of the organizations using brainstorming. Using a total of 10 groups sourced from a UK construction company, participants were asked to brainstorm ideas to improve organizational safety performance. Data produced indicated an equal average number of ideas generated, 30 for interactive, 30.2 for nominal, and an equal number of themes generated, 6.6 for interactive, 6.6 for nominal. Along with ideas and themes, post session group cohesion and process satisfaction levels were measured. Results indicated significantly higher levels of cohesion (t (73.75)=2.35, P<.05) and satisfaction (t (71.07)=4.74, P<.001) for the interactive condition over its nominal counterpart. Implications for research in this area are discussed.Study 2 consisted of two strands of research. The utility of interactive brainstorming, demonstrated in Study 1, highlighted its potential as a means of improving participation in safety. This formed the first area of research. The second area of research concerned the design and analysis of a working model in which Leader Member Exchange (LMX) and safety climate were identified as antecedents, compliance and participation as components and self report near miss/accident involvement as outcomes of safety performance. This model, and the potential utility of brainstorming as a means of improving participation, was tested using a longitudinal methodology. Study participants, sourced from the Refuse Collections division of a UK Local Authority, were asked to complete a questionnaire. LMX was measured using Graen and Uhl-Bien's (1995) LMX-7 scale, safety climate using Glendon and Litherland's (2001) questionnaire whilst measures of compliance and participant were sourced from Neal and Griffin (2006). This produced 101 respondents. Following this, brainstorming sessions were conducted with employees to produce safety improvement ideas. Questionnaires were redistributed seven months later and produced 104 respondents. Results indicated no improvement in participation over the period allocated, however, the measures of antecedents, components and outcomes of safety performance produced a number of significant findings. LMX was found to exhibit a direct relationship with accident involvement, however, analysis revealed the fluctuating mediating roles of compliance and participation in this relationship. Safety climate was found to moderate the relationship between LMX, compliance and participation. Although high levels of safety climate corresponded to higher levels of compliance and participation, LMX was seen to improve compliance and participation only in low climate environments, with this relationship reverse in positive safety climates. This finding is contrary to similar research in this area and the implications for future theory are discussed.

This thesis deals with the analysis of assembly lines and improve of individual assembly processes to achieve the minimum number of discordant products . It consists of four parts - the first part of this labour deals with general information about the methods of quality control , which are beeing designed to improve actively used . The second part is devoted to the analysis of assembly lines in the company with regard to the financial value of discordant products that are on the line depreciated. Based on the results of determining the most critical line, which is then subjected to a thorough investigation. The third section focuses on selected critical line, you can find here a detailed analysis of discordant products and here is beeing established the root, that causes defects . Based on the information is beeing designed improvement and its application to the assembly line. The fourth section deals with a brief summary of all applicable suggestions for improvement and evaluation of their effectiveness.

This thesis explores the potential of AI generated images as a means to enhance the design, sketching and brainstorming processes in architecture. The study addresses the challenges faced by architects in generating innovative ideas and overcoming cognitive biases during their sketching phase. By examining the integration of the AI inpainting tool, Dall-E 2 developed by OpenAI, into the architectural sketching process, the study explores the possibilities as well as the challenges with such an integration. To do so, a qualitative approach utilizing a case study methodology was employed, conducting a focus group consisting of five architects. The participants were given the task of creating a skyscraper using the inpainting tool individually and to iterate over the sketches in three iterations. Between each iteration, group discussions were held to discuss their experiences and thoughts on the tool itself and the images generated. The data collected from the focus group was transcribed and analyzed using theoretical thematic analysis. The analysis produced four key themes, including human-computer interaction, tool improvement points, evaluation of the inpainting tool, and evaluation of generated images. The results reveal that even though the participants encountered challenges with the inpainting tool’s interaction and output, they still found value in its application to their process. The findings of this study suggest that AI inpainting effectively can be integrated into the early stages of sketching, providing architects with rapid editing capabilities and alternative design options that align with the characteristics of brainstorming.

I det här examensarbetet försöker jag visa hur man kan använda forskning kringgruppkreativitet för att analysera samarbetet i grupper som löser geometriska problem.Gruppdeltagarna är gymnasieelever i årskurs 2 och 3 på en skola i södra Sverige.Vetenskapen om gruppkreativitet har uppstått till stor del från studier av brainstorming.Brainstorming syftar till att öka kreativiteten i en grupp genom att låta dem ta fram idéertillsammans enligt vissa regler. Fyra grupper har filmats och analyserats och jag harfunnit att det överlag verkar finns en positiv inställning till matematisk problemlösning igrupp. Grupperna har haft problem med passiviseringar, blockeringar och starka ledare. / In this diploma work I try to show how research in group creativity can be used to analyze the cooperation in groups solving geometrical problems. The participants are students in upper secondary school in curriculum 2 and 3 at a school in southern Sweden. The science of group creativity has emerged largely from studies in brainstorming. Brainstorming aims to enhance the creativity in a group by applying certain rules. Four groups have been filmed and analyzed and I have found that there is generally a positive attitude towards problem solving in a group. The groups have had dificulties with passive behaviour, blockings and strong leadership.

The current study examines the effects of idea generation technique (IGT), perceived organizational support (POS), associative problem-solving style (APS), bisociative problem-solving style (BPS), need for cognition (NFC) and satisfaction with idea generation (SJG) on idea generation in a team context. Previous brainstorming research has shown that more ideas are generated when a nominal group IGT is employed, when compared to an interactive IGT. However, the innovation literature suggests the opposite - that more ideas will be generated in an interactive context. To address this theoretical discrepancy, a strong inference approach was used to test competing hypotheses. Results suggest the interactive IGT is optimal for facilitating idea generation. Past research suggests that POS is positively related to idea generation. While the current study predicted this relationship, results indicated that there is a negative relationship between the two. Based on the literature, it was hypothesized that APS would be negatively related to idea generation, while BPS would have a positive affect on idea generation. Results partially supported this pattern in that the role of APS was supported while the effect of BPS was not significant. Past research has found that NFC is positively related to idea generation. This finding was not supported in the current study. NFC literature also suggests that NFC will have a positive effect on satisfaction with idea generation, as idea generation is a cognitive activity. Current results do not support this prediction. The current study also predicted that APS, BPS and NFC would indirectly affect idea generation through POS. Current results partially support this prediction as APS had a negative indirect effect on idea generation through POS. Past research suggests that SIG is significantly related to idea generation and that SIG will be greater for the interactive IGT, when compared to its nominal counterpart Current findings only support this latter prediction as idea generators reported being more satisfied with the interactive IGT than with the nominal IGT. Current results indicate that SIG is not related to idea generation. Possible explanations for current results, implications for past research, caveats for application and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Ph. D.

This study considers the ability of the audit team to configurally process information, that is, to piece together information cues held by individual team members and recognize the underlying pattern in the information. It also examines how the hierarchical structure of the audit team impacts the team's ability to process information and affects the quality of decisions made by the team. The study also considers the ability of a specific audit procedure, the fraud brainstorming session required by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 99, to overcome barriers to communication and improve team judgments in subsequent tasks. I recruited 57 dyads (114 professional auditors) from public accounting firms to complete an experimental instrument, and employed a 2x2 between-groups ANOVA, manipulating team structure (peer versus hierarchical teams) and the level of the counterfactual prime (team brainstorming session versus individual strategic prompting). I find evidence of a relationship between team structure and judgment quality, but interestingly it is in the opposite direction predicted. Research from other domains suggests differences in status within the hierarchical team may hinder communication and lead to process losses. However, I find the opposite to be true in the accounting domain. When auditors are paired in hierarchical dyads, the senior auditor assumes a leadership role, taking greater interest in the content of his/her teammate's workpapers, asking more questions, and motivating the staff auditor to volunteer a greater amount of information, which results in a higher quality judgment. Thus, this study provides initial evidence that the hierarchical nature of the audit team does not lead to the process losses documented in other domains as the assumption of a leadership role by the senior auditor allows the team to overcome any challenges inherent in the hierarchical structure. This study also considers the ability of the SAS 99 fraud brainstorming session, serving as a counterfactual prime, to lead to improved decisions later in the audit process. As predicted, the brainstorming session conducted during the planning stage of the audit increases the amount and quality of communication during the testing phase and leads to better judgments. These results are of importance for accounting firms as they determine which audit team members are required to participate in the brainstorming session. While a novice auditor may not make significant contributions to the planning decisions made during the brainstorming session, my study finds there are benefits from staff auditors participating in the brainstorming session, over and above what they are able to contribute to the session itself. Participation of staff auditors in the brainstorming session strengthens communication and enhances team-level cognition in subsequent tasks, improving the ability of the audit team to detect fraud throughout the course of the audit. These findings may be relevant for other forms of teamwork, including management teams, audit committees, and interdepartmental taskforces. / Ph. D.

Ma thèse s'inscrit dans le domaine de l'ingénierie de l'interaction homme-machine. Elle traite de la conception d'interfaces hommes machine (IHM). La créativité n'y est souvent considérée que de manière marginale. Pourtant l'effervescence technologique et la diversité résultante des contextes d'usage appellent à de plus en plus de créativité. Ma thèse soutient le principe que l'innovation passe par l'application de processus créatifs. Dès lors, le défi est de savoir explorer largement et efficacement l'espace de conception dès les phases amont du processus. Il convient donc d'intégrer et d'enseigner la créativité dans les processus de conception d'IHM, en particulier pour les concepteurs débutants.Ce positionnement sur le sujet provient d'une double approche : d'une part théorique, avec un état de l'art explorant les dimensions de la créativité et les outils informatiques de support à la créativité ; d'autre part empirique, avec quatre mises en pratique de la créativité dans des domaines de conception différents comme l'architecture, la conception de produit et la conception de systèmes interactifs. Je construis ma contribution sur les principes suivants : (1) la créativité n'est pas réservée à une élite, mais peut être travaillée et renforcée par des outils informatiques ; (2) ces outils doivent soutenir la motivation, la recherche d'inspiration, l'exploration en largeur, et les connaissances relatives au domaine et aux processus de conception. Selon une démarche réflexive, j'applique ces mêmes principes dans ma thèse. Je propose une exploration en largeur du support à la créativité via cinq contributions logicielles complémentaires : Maestro et Bank pour la capitalisation des connaissances ; WebGallery, BrianStorming et Magellan pour l'inspiration et l'exploration de l'espace de conception. Plus précisément, Maestro traite de la capitalisation des processus de conception tandis que BANK assure la structuration et la capitalisation des connaissances en IHM via un graphe de modèles. WebGallery est une galerie de sites web pour inspirer les concepteurs : je conduis une expérimentation sur la perception humaine du style d'un site web. BrianStorming est un assistant au brainstorming : il fournit des suggestions pendant une séance de brainstorming électronique. Magellan est un environnement interactif à base d'algorithmes génétiques qui génèrent et transforment automatiquement des IHM pour un problème de conception donné. Par ce positionnement et ces contributions logicielles, l'ordinateur change de statut : de simple outil, il devient un concepteur assistant, partenaire du processus de créativité. / My PhD thesis contributes to the engineering of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). It deals with the design of User Interfaces (UI). I claim that creative processes should be better considered, and supported by tools especially for novice designers. The challenge is to speed up the exploration of the design space at the early stages of the process. This claim is grounded in both a theoretical state of the art in creativity and creativity support tools, and in practice of the topic with four hands-on experiences of creativity in different areas of design such as architecture, product design and UI design. I build my contribution on the following principles: (1) creativity is not reserved for the elite, but can be tailored and fostered by software tools; (2) the tools must leverage motivation, inspiration, wide exploration, and knowledge in UI and design processes. Through a reflective process, I apply these principles to my thesis. I explore a wide range of creativity support tools through five complementary software contributions: Maestro and Bank for supporting knowledge capitalization; WebGallery, BrianStorming and Magellan for fostering inspiration and exploration of the design space. Maestro addresses the capitalization of design processes whilst BANK gathers knowledge in HCI as a graph of models. WebGallery is a gallery of websites to inspire designers: I report an experiment on human perception of websites styles. BrianStorming is a brainstorming assistant: it provides suggestions in a electronic brainstorming session. Magellan is an interactive environment based on genetic algorithms that automatically generate and transform UIs for a given design problem. This changes the role of the computer: from a simple tool, it becomes a designer's partner in the creative process.

Corporations spend a great deal of time and money trying to facilitate innovation in their employees. The act of introducing something new, a product or a service that is viable and innovative is often increased by enhancing or nurturing creativity.This experimental study investigated the effect of group verbally interactive brainstorming (social interaction) on creativity, not by comparing the number of ideas generated on a simple task in a brainstorming session, but by assessing creativity in the final product of a complex heuristic task. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of group interactive brainstorming to individual brainstorming on individual creativity assessed in the final product.The hypothesis which was tested in this study was that participation in group verbally interactive brainstorming prior to developing a design solution would not facilitate creativity in the final product more than individual brainstorming. Indeed, it was hypothesized that individuals brainstorming in teams.Participants were 36 interior design students in a FIDER accredited program at Virginia Tech. The Multidimensional Stimulus Fluency Measure (MSFM) was administered before beginning the experiment in order to determine individual differences in creativity. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a treatment group than participated in group verbally interactive brainstorming prior to developing a product individually, or a control group that participated in an individual brainstorming session. All subjects then created a design project individually that was assessed for creativity by judges who were recruited from professional interior design organizations. Creativity was measures using the Consensual Assessment for Interior Design Creativity (Barnard, 1992). A post session questionnaire also was used to measure attitudes and perceptions of the subjects about the creative process.Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences when creativity scores were compared between two brainstorming groups. That is, projects developed by interior design students did not differ significantly in creativity systematically between the two brainstorming techniques. When scores on the two dependent variables of secondary interest (novelty and appropriateness) were compared between groups they also did not differ significantly.Responses to post-session questionnaires indicated that although students found it more difficult to generate ideas in a group, they still believed they would generate more ideas and preferred to generate ideas in a group rather than alone. However, when developing a project students preferred to work independently.This study supports past research which suggests that group verbally interactive brainstorming does not enhance creativity. In this study, interactive brainstorming neither enhanced nor constrained creativity in the final product. The creativity scores were higher for those in the individual brainstorming condition, although not significantly so. This study also supports findings which indicate that people still believe they will generate more ideas in a group and that they prefer to generate ideas as a group. / Ph. D.