This paper reports on the design of three novel products: a hand saw, electrical plug and bicycle wheel. Each case study draws on interviews with the designers and analysis of their prototypes. The focus is on how the product ideas originated, how and why they changed and why those changes weren't made earlier. In emphasising the nature of creative work throughout long and complex projects, three themes are emphasised: (1) creative challenges and creative blocks can result from earlier breakthroughs (which makes them difficult to overcome); (2) multiple design spaces co-evolve at different levels of detail (not just simple problem- and solution-spaces); (3) those developing new ideas need to recognise and accept those ideas (not just generate and develop them).

本文报告了三种新颖产品的设计：手锯，电插头和自行车车轮。每个案例研究都基于对设计师的访谈和对原型的分析。重点在于产品创意的起源，如何以及为什么改变以及为什么这些改变没有更早进行。在强调整个长期而复杂的项目中创造性工作的本质时，强调了三个主题：（1）早期的突破会导致创造性的挑战和创造性的阻碍（这使其难以克服）；（2）多个设计空间在不同的细节级别上共同发展（不仅仅是简单的问题空间和解决方案空间）；（3）那些发展新思想的人需要认识并接受这些思想（而不仅仅是产生和发展它们）。