Can Creativity be illogical ?

I was recently sent by Yahoo! to attend the stakeholders meeting for structuring a new course for National Institute of Design. All the bigwigs were present there from the industry. Some one in the open session made a statement that “…engineers are less creative because they are more logical...”. This implies that designers are creative because they don’t think logically. I have strong disagreement with this myth. How can something which is USEFUL & USABLE be illogical?

Creativity is an out come of knowledge. It’s a different ‘point of view’ of looking at problems. But we can’t call it illogical. To make sense the users uses ‘logic’. The logic of the ‘design’ should be in line with that of the user. If both logics don’t match the communicability of design is compromised. So the design is built on logic but what solution that it presents can create a ‘surprise’ in user. Presenting a solution which doesn’t use a ‘Standard and Expected’ logic is what we know as ‘creative solution’. Creative solution can be ‘consistently’ created by one’s ability to understand users, by using some logic which creates a surprise and accurately solving a problem. But definitely creativity in design is not illogical. Every element (or pixel) has a reason to be there – either for communication or experience.

On the contrary ‘ART’ can be illogical because art is about ‘expression’ and ‘feeling’ more than communication. Expression itself is communication in Art but not in design; because design is meant for others unlike art.

Another point that I would like to mention is that there was a lot of emphasis to add “Design Processes” to the course. It seems that there is mindset which thinks that creativity comes by following a Process. Does following UCD ensure a creative solution?? Creative solution comes from individuals or a groups’ understanding (of problems, user, business etc… broadly ‘the complete environment’) and their ability ‘explore’ different points of views.

Creativity comes from knowledge (about user, problem, art, drama,….any thing and everything under the sun or beyond). Design uses logic of anything that can be used and understood (by others) to make sense to others. It’s convergence. It’s the highest forms of logic; but logic ‘without boundaries’. Not only can Design use existing logic but also can ‘create’ new ones by convergence.

Creativity doesn’t come from an alien planet its here amongst us – one just needs to see it. Creative people have an eye to see it unlike the rest who ignore it.