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The use of external stimuli as inspiration sources in design: preferences and forms of use from the perception of Portuguese designers

Designers resort to external stimuli as sources of inspiration in the creation process, using images, texts, or other media as triggers for generating new ideas. Although there are several studies on this subject, there are still few conclusions about how these stimuli work in the creation process. In this sense, this article aims to verify what types of stimuli designers prefer, at what moments of the project they usually use, and how they can contribute to the creation process. To this end, professionals from nine Portuguese design studios were interviewed, totaling 17 design professionals, most of them with significant experience in the area. The results confirmed some aspects of the theory, such as the preference for visual stimuli, and brought others, such as three-dimensional representations. In addition, other relevant aspects were found, such as the importance of inspiration sources in the communication process between the team and the client and the constant search for references in the construction of the individual repertory.