The Creative Systems Framework analyses creativity as search space, traversal strategy, and evaluation — with bricolage externalising traversal into the computer

Wiggins’ Creative Systems Framework (CSF) models any creative act as three components: a conceptual search space (where to look), a traversal strategy (how to move through it), and evaluation (how to judge what is found). McLean maps bricolage programming onto the CSF: the search space is the programmer’s current artistic concept; the traversal strategy is encoding part of that concept as an algorithm; evaluation is the perceptual reaction to the interpreted output. The novel claim is that live coding externalises part of the traversal strategy into the computer — the interpreter performs work the programmer cannot fully evaluate in their head, an instance of the extended-mind hypothesis. Transformational creativity, in this frame, is the agent pushing beyond the current search space’s boundaries (aberration), not merely searching within it.

Examples

Bricolage loop mapped to CSF: concept (search space) → encode as algorithm + interpret (traversal, part externalised to the computer) → perceive output and react (evaluation). Aberration: an unexpected ‘hairy’ render that pushes the artist to redefine the concept itself (transformational, not exploratory, creativity).

Assessment

Label the three CSF components on a diagram of a bricolage live-coding loop, and identify which component McLean argues is externalised into the interpreter. Distinguish exploratory creativity (search within the space) from transformational creativity (aberration beyond it) with a live-coding example.