*A Model of Technological Imagination and Creativity: Cognitive Task Analysis DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.110020*

The purpose of this study is to propose a model of creative processes in each CDIO phase of technological innovation that incorporates Wallas's four stages of creative processes [6]. Conceptual combination theory of imagination was used to account for what happened during the incubation stage that later brought about the breakthrough ideas at the illumination stage [7]. This model of imagination and creativity in technological innovation will later be shown to be analogous to Klahr and Simon's [8] theory on the cognitive process in scientific discovery in which domain knowledge, simple heuristics, and pattern recognition are three cognitive tasks indispensable for making scientific breakthroughs.

Specifically, we propose that in order to achieve something creative, Wallas's four stages of creative problem-solving processes (i.e., preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification) will occur during each CDIO phase. The conceptual combination theory of imagination is a simple heuristic to generate imaginative and innovative ideas during the incubation stage, which then dawn on the individuals at the illumination stage. As shown in **Table 1**, this model of technological imagination and creativity can provide a handy framework for analyzing the cognitive tasks required


*1 C, conceptualization, D, design, I, implementation, O, operation. 2 Prp., preparation, In., incubation, Il., illumination, Vrf., verification.*

#### **Table 1.**

*A model of creative processes in technological innovation.*

in every stage at a given CDIO phase and also for designing educational programs and procedures to facilitate engineering imagination and creativity.
