THE PRODUCTIVE PAUSE
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Design Statement
This project aims to provoke the idea of sustained attention and conscious thought towards the task at hand – the phenomenon that hinders creative breakthroughs from occurring. Instead, creative practitioners in Singapore should stop perceiving breaks in attention or activity as signs of unproductivity - but instead, as alternative methods to stimulating novel insights through the Incubation stage of the creative process, as proposed by Graham Wallas.
​This clipboard holds the research findings and discussions of the four studies conducted as well as providing the theoretical content.
Below is the set-up that depicts Study 1, the Preparation phase of the creative process. It depicts a creative practitioner who is overly focused on the task at hand and eventually encounters a creative block. The publication ‘The Anatomy of Doing’ explains the items featured in the set-up and how it facilitates the act of doing – to activate conscious thoughts towards the creative brief.
A video is being played at the set-up. It explains the set-up by showing a person who is working on a creative brief. The video is played in reverse as it slowly reveals what happened at the start and end of the process. The set-up is a copy of the setting in the clip.
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The second phase of the creative process is the Incubation stage. In this study, viewers are prompted to write down thoughts that are going through their mind when they are taking a break. This is an exampled of incubation in session. The wall is pinned up with examples of thoughts that goes through people’s mind. A poster is hung on one side of the panel with a clock ticking in the middle. The purpose of this poster is to demonstrate the mundane activities that can be performed in 24 hours. It also suggests that time spent idling is productive time spent as the creative ideas will come to your mind during periods of incubation.
Since the research uncovered that creativity has no definite explanation, it is crucial to understand the various conceptions that ‘creativity’ have been defined by luminaries over the years. From these historical information, it can be concluded that these conceptions are not illogically derived, but are informed from the broader properties of the society. Many factors contribute to how creativity is conceived, from economic factors to social factors. Yet, the best way to understand creativity is through science.
Anecdotal accounts of moments of insights in history are shown through sheets of transparencies which the viewer has to place over the light box to view. These moments of insight is associated with the term 'Eureka' or 'AHA!' moments. Dating back to the 3rd Century B.C., these accounts capture some of the most important creative insights in history. The anecdotes are segmented according to the four phases of the creative process: Preparation > Incubation > Illumination > Verification.

The design concept was inspired by the fMRI scans that were used during the research process conducted by neuroscientists that brought forth the insight on how the idle brain is active during moments of inactivity.
The purpose of this outcome is to demonstrate the theoretical concept which explains that while the brain is idling, it is proven to activate the Default Mode Network – a region in the brain supports creativity. Hence, the brain is never truly idle, in fact, it is crucial to periods of Incubation where ideas are generated through unconscious processes.

Tablets that give off effervescence when dropped into the tank are labelled as "Mind Wandering". This goes to show that mind wandering is the inactivity that occurs to facilitate the generation of insights. The tank is made up of vegetable oil so that when the pill dissolves in the tank, it will produce a bubbling effect – a visual representation of the mental activity. 
Below is the case study video that showcases the gist of the project: its issue, challenges and current situation and proposed design statement.