Creativity in the Digital World

In a world where architectural designers are increasingly required to translate architectural ideas into building data and design within a database, there are concerns about how creativity can thrive. This chapter reflects on this conundrum and on the role of the architectural designer in a digital world. It explores creativity in the context of a digital project, with specific attention to the nature and value of analogue methods in maintaining and communicating creative ideas in a data-heavy project. The notion of digital creative authorship is raised, questioning the status of starchitects in an industry increasingly embraced by the shared authorship of digital models, issues of intellectual property and blurring professional roles in 21st century project teams. This chapter also considers the challenges to creative thinking presented by remote working and will offer guidance for maintaining creativity without the social rewards and motivational tools offered by the office or studio environment.