"What are the user needs in a technology-based solution to address creative block?"
Understanding Creative Block
Uncovering the hidden patterns behind creative block and generating actionable design requirements
Introduction
Creative block is everywhere, yet nowhere in technology. How do we study something so personal and invisible?
The Problem
Creative block, as defined by the Interaction Design Foundation, is a period of limited creativity and productivity. Creative specialists and hobbyists need additional skills to navigate various thoughts and ideas throughout their creative block. Even famous artists encounter lulls of inspiration.
"In recovering from our creative blocks, it is necessary to go gently and slowly... These are baby steps. Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves"— Julia Cameron, 2001
Although creative blocks may seem like barriers to success, they can be necessary in creative projects. Most designers and artists naturally experience highs and lows throughout their careers. However, little research exists on effective solutions. In a content-saturated world, creatives may benefit from reliable technology tools to support their creativity and ingenuity.
Existing Solutions
In the current market, few technological tools exist to help artists and designers curb creative block. Furthermore, existing tools are not exclusively designed for creative blocks.
Indirectly addresses creative blocks, it provides a space for artists, designers, and hobbyists to organize images found on their websites into mood boards. While this may help with creative blocks, this solution lacks focus. Furthermore, Pinterest is now pivoting away from image gathering towards selling items.
Headspace
A paid service that helps users overcome various mental health scenarios. They offer stress relief services and provide articles about creative blocks. However, they do not offer concrete solutions or efforts focused on creative blocks.
Our Approach
Our study investigates current pathways of artists and designers during creative block to understand their motivations and mental models. We explore user needs in a technology-based solution that helps artists, designers, and hobbyists address creative blocks.
We began with scenario-based observation of creative block, then conducted interviews for further investigation. This report discusses our methods, findings, and design implications for a technology-based solution.
Research Methods
To understand something as personal as creative block, we needed to both observe and listen—watching real behavior and hearing authentic stories.
Scenario-Based Observations
Participants
We recruited 8 participants (ages 22-57) using the CDM participant pool, friends, and family—individuals with previous creative block experiences.
Data Collection Method
We conducted our scenario-based observations remotely via Zoom calls, using the screen sharing feature to view each participant's screen during the scenario.
What We Actually Did
After receiving verbal consent, we asked participants to share their creative experiences. We then presented a general project scenario with creative block and tasked participants with showing their process to overcome this block via Zoom screen-sharing.
In the second half, we asked follow-up questions about their experience with the scenario and in-depth questions about feelings, previous experiences, and other creative block strategies. We concluded with demographic questions. Sessions lasted approximately 30 minutes.
Data Analysis Method
We organized findings through affinity diagramming and created sequential task analysis for visualizing themes and relationships among identified variables.
Affinity Diagram
Observation Study - Key Patterns & Behaviors
Grouped insights from 8 scenario-based observational studies
Sequential Task Analysis
Process mapping and behavioral patterns
In-Depth Interviews
Participants
We recruited 8 participants (ages 24-32) using the CDM participant pool and friends—individuals with previous creative block experiences.
Data Collection Method
We conducted our interview remotely via Zoom calls. During the recruitment process, we screened participants who experienced creative block.
What We Actually Did
First, we received verbal consent. We asked participants about their creative experience with recent projects, work and hobby activities, and inspiration sources. We then explored their preparation before creative tasks, digital or physical tools used, relaxation methods, and personal creative block experiences.
We concluded by asking participants to describe potential features of a technology-based solution for overcoming creative block. Demographic information was collected at the end: gender identity, age, occupation, education level and field, and years of creative experience. Each interview lasted approximately 45 minutes.
Data Analysis Method
Each team member applied descriptive codes to interview scripts using Atlas.ti. We combined findings into an affinity diagram and created a codebook for unified coding. From these findings, we created a persona spectrum, personas, scenarios, experience map, and priority matrix.
Interview Affinity Diagram
Comprehensive analysis of 8 in-depth interviews
Using Tools
Planning/Taking a Break during Creative Block
Think about Creative Block
Creative Activities as a Hobby
Features to Overcome Creative Block
Creative Block Defined
Preparation
Frequency of Creative Block
Creative Activities for Work
Family/Industry Experience Effect on Creative Block
Process in Creative Block
Sources of Inspiration
Digital Tools
Equipment
Physical Tools
Thematic analysis revealing patterns in creative processes, tools, and blocking factors from interview data
Persona Spectrum
Distribution of participant characteristics across key dimensions
Age
Preferred Tools
Creative Experience in Years
Struggling Stage of the Creative Process
Deciding to Take a Break
Confidence Level During Block
Frequency of Creative Block
Each colored dot represents one of our 8 interview participants
User Personas
While every creative professional's experience is unique, our analysis revealed two primary patterns in how people approach creative work and manage blocks. These personas guided our design recommendations.
Taylor
"Creative block is a natural yet degrading part of my process."
28 years old
UX Designer (transitioned from writing career)
Chicago, IL
Male (he/him)
28 years of creative experience (whole life)
Bio
Taylor is a 28-year-old designer who recently transitioned from a writing career. His former career as a writer gives him a more emotional lens on the world around him. So, when he faces a creative block, Taylor wallows and feels less confident in his work. However, once he is out of a block, he regains his confidence. Taylor needs to be reminded of previous inspirations, like his favorite movie, to move past his emotional creative block and feel more inspired to complete his work. He is also a perfectionist, which makes him experience creative blocks more frequently than his coworkers.
Preferred Tools
Interests
Needs and expectations
Influences
Motivations
Goals
Pain points
Sara
"It's the worst feeling when a creative block is near a deadline."
24 years old
UX Designer/HCI Graduate Student
Chicago, IL
Female (she/her)
15 years of creative experience
Bio
Sara is a 24-year-old UX designer with about 15 years of creative experience. Her first career experience is in UX design, so she is fairly new to the field. She struggles with imposter syndrome, and has a hard time with feeling confident in her ideas when she experiences creative block. Sara prioritizes accessible design, so she relies on her friends and colleagues in the industry to help her with ideation. She wants to feel more confident in her ideas and balance her emotions and physical needs during a creative block, while efficiently creating designs in order to perform well at her job.
Preferred Tools
Interests
Needs and expectations
Influences
Motivations
Goals
Pain points
User Scenarios
Real-world usage scenarios showing how our personas would interact with creative block solutions.
Sara
"It's the worst feeling when a creative block is near a deadline."
Problem
Experiences creative blocks during ideation and under deadline pressure. Struggles with imposter syndrome and confidence in her ideas.
Solution
Uses a creative assistant app to overcome blocks through structured guidance and inspiration discovery.
User Journey
Recognizes Creative Block
Feels stuck during UX project ideation phase, pressure from upcoming deadlines causing anxiety.
Discovers Creative Assistant
Downloads app that promises to help with creative blocks through guided exercises.
Selects Medium & Goals
Chooses UX design medium, describes project with keywords and phrases for context.
Explores Minimalism Style
Gets matched with 'Minimalism' approach, learns about style, history, and relevant designers.
Gains Confidence
Links inspiration to her project context, feels more confident about design direction.
Outcome
Sara feels empowered with clear direction and inspiration. The structured approach helps her overcome blocks faster and builds confidence in her creative decisions.
Taylor
"Creative block is a natural yet degrading part of my process."
Problem
Experiences frequent creative blocks that disrupt workflow. Seeks structured creative routines and activities to maintain momentum.
Solution
Uses creative routine features to establish sustainable creative practices and manage blocks proactively.
User Journey
Feeling Stuck & Tired
Recognizes creative block symptoms, feels drained and unable to generate fresh ideas.
Tries Creative Routine
Explores app's 'My Creative Routine' feature for structured creative activities.
Lists Interests & Goals
Inputs creative mediums, pop culture interests, and time commitment preferences.
Gets Creative Activity
Receives personalized suggestion: 'Write a Godfather scene set in space' with time estimate.
Starts 10-Minute Session
Begins creative exercise with built-in timer and break reminders for sustainable practice.
Outcome
Taylor develops a sustainable creative routine that prevents severe blocks. The structured approach helps maintain creative momentum and reduces the degrading feeling of being stuck.
Experience Maps
Detailed journey maps showing how Sara and Taylor experience creative blocks and interact with potential solutions.
Sara's Creative Block Journey
Taylor's Creative Block Journey
Five Key Insights
The data revealed five critical patterns that challenged our assumptions about creative block and pointed toward solution opportunities.
Through affinity diagramming and thematic analysis, five key insights emerged that would shape our design recommendations. Each insight revealed not just what people do when blocked, but why their current strategies work or fail.
Preparation
Participants actively prepared their environment and created routines to mitigate creative blocks. Physical space decluttering and organizing essential tools were critical initial steps.
Design Implication:
Technology should prompt users to create personalized pre-task routines and environment setup guides.
Digital vs Physical
Digital creators emphasized reliability and convenience of digital platforms, while physical artists preferred tangible, organic experiences. Tool effectiveness varied by personal preferences and project type.
Design Implication:
Solutions must accommodate both digital and physical creative preferences with flexible interaction models.
Relaxation
Breaks and relaxation techniques (meditation, walking, nature) were crucial for mental resets. However, participants struggled with guilt and shame during blocks.
Design Implication:
Integrate mental health checks and normalize breaks with supportive, non-judgmental prompts.
Creative Block
Participants desired solutions that offer new perspectives, alleviate personal biases, and encourage alternative thinking patterns. Confidence often dropped significantly during blocks.
Design Implication:
Provide tools for gaining novel perspectives and breaking out of mental patterns while building confidence.
Inspiration
Inspiration sources ranged widely—friends, digital tools, nature, AI, spirituality. The key was that inspiration needed to be personally meaningful and trusted.
Design Implication:
Offer highly personalized, meaningful inspiration sources that users can trust and relate to.
Design Implications & Priority Features
Our research pointed toward a technology solution that doesn't fight creative block—it works with it.
Rather than trying to eliminate creative block (which may be impossible and counterproductive), our research suggests designing tools that support creators through the natural ebb and flow of creative work. Here's what that looks like.
Routine Development
Help users create and maintain personalized pre-task routines that set them up for creative success, reducing the friction of getting started.
Self-Care Integration
Normalize breaks and mental health awareness with gentle check-ins and supportive messaging that reduces guilt around creative struggles.
Novel Perspectives
Provide tools and prompts that help creators step outside their usual thinking patterns and approach problems from fresh angles.
Priority Features Matrix
We evaluated proposed features across three dimensions. Color intensity communicates priority at a glance—green for clear wins, amber for contextual consideration, and neutral for exploratory or supporting elements.
Priority
User value & urgency
Impact
Effect on creative flow
Feasibility
Effort & complexity
Provide Inspiration for Ideation and Execution Phase
Priority
HighImpact
HighFeasibility
MediumPersonalization
Priority
HighImpact
HighFeasibility
LowCreate a Routine
Priority
LowImpact
MediumFeasibility
HighRemove Thinking Constraints
Priority
HighImpact
MediumFeasibility
LowTimer
Priority
MediumImpact
MediumFeasibility
MediumProvide Hierarchical Analysis of Project
Priority
MediumImpact
LowFeasibility
LowSelf Care Checklist
Priority
MediumImpact
MediumFeasibility
MediumPeer Advice
Priority
MediumImpact
MediumFeasibility
LowCreative Activity Recommendation System
Priority
MediumImpact
HighFeasibility
HighCross Platform Seamless Experience
Priority
LowImpact
MediumFeasibility
High| No. | Features | Feature Category | Priority | Impact | Feasibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provide Inspiration for Ideation and Execution Phase | Block | High | High | Medium |
| 2 | Personalization | Inspiration | High | High | Low |
| 3 | Create a Routine | Preparation/Relaxation | Low | Medium | High |
| 4 | Remove Thinking Constraints | Block/Process | High | Medium | Low |
| 5 | Timer | Process/Relaxation | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| 6 | Provide Hierarchical Analysis of Project | Process | Medium | Low | Low |
| 7 | Self Care Checklist | Block/Process | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| 8 | Peer Advice | Block/Process | Medium | Medium | Low |
| 9 | Creative Activity Recommendation System | Process | Medium | High | High |
| 10 | Cross Platform Seamless Experience | Preparation/Process | Low | Medium | High |
Immediate Wins
Inspiration support and personalization rank high in impact; routine building offers a stabilizing foundation.
Strategic Investments
Creative recommendation system scores high on impact but needs validation for sustained engagement.
Longer-Term Enhancements
Cross-platform continuity and hierarchical analysis add depth once core value is established.
Next Steps & Impact
This research opened doors to deeper questions about creativity, technology, and human-centered design.
Our study provided a foundation for understanding creative block, but also revealed the need for broader research and prototype testing. The implications extend beyond individual tools to how we design technology that supports human creativity.
Future Research Directions
- Expand research with diverse demographics and creative occupations
- Conduct prototype testing to validate usability and effectiveness
- Investigate cultural differences in creative block experiences
- Study long-term effectiveness of creative block interventions
Research Impact
- First comprehensive study of creative block technology needs
- Design framework for creativity-supporting technology
- Evidence-based approach to creative tool design
- Foundation for future HCI creativity research
Key Contributions to HCI Field
Methodological
Mixed-methods approach for studying invisible creative processes
Theoretical
Framework for understanding individual differences in creative block
Practical
Design implications for creativity-supporting technology