Computational support for designing began in the early 1960s, and has had a
considerable influence. Only recently has there been the possibility of pr
oviding computational support for innovative and creative designing. This p
aper presents a number of computational models of creative designing; inclu
ding combination, transformation, analogy, emergence, and first principles
as a representative set. It describes them within a uniform framework and i
ndicates the potential of having such models on technological change in a s
ociety where designers are the change agents of the physical world. (C) 200
0 Elsevier Science Inc.