Aspects and attitudes of creative thinking: cognitive and neuroaesthetic perspectives in design practice

Abstract

This paper examines creativity as both a personality trait and a cognitive process, with a focus on its manifestation in art and design. It introduces the Cognition–Apperception–Limn (CAL) framework, which describes the mental–manual transformation of perception into material form. Drawing on the theories of Guilford, Alexander, Csíkszentmihályi, and Ramachandran, the study situates creative thinking at the intersection of divergent cognition, design methodology, and neuroaesthetic mechanisms. Guilford’s model of divergent thinking—fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration—frames creativity as a multidimensional and adaptive skill. From a neuroaesthetic perspective, the paper examines how perceptual and emotional responses influence artistic experience. Two complementary modes of creative cognition—top-down (knowledge-driven) and bottom-up (datadriven)— interact to produce both continuous engagement (Flow) and moments of sudden insight (Aha effect). Manual sketching supports these states by allowing spontaneous ideation, while digital tools often constrain them. Integrating cognitive and experiential dimensions, the paper argues that creativity emerges from the dynamic interplay between perception, cognition, and manual expression, offering valuable insights for contemporary design education and interdisciplinary research. Understanding this process enriches both design pedagogy and interdisciplinary research in art, science, and technology, highlighting the evolving relationship between human creativity, cognitive mechanisms, and the aesthetic mind.