A survey on personal computer applications in industrial design process

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Industrial Design, Izmir, 1999Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 157-162)Text in English, Abstract: Turkish and Englishxii, 194 leavesIn this thesis, computer aided design systems are studied from the industrial designer's point of view. The study includes industrial design processes, computer aided design systems and the integration aspects.The technical issues are priorly studied, including current hardware and software technologies. The pure technical concepts are tried to be supported with real-world examples and graphics. Several important design software are examined, whether by personal practice or by literature research, depending on the availability of the software.Finally, the thesis include a case study, a 17" LCD computer monitor designed with a set of graphic programs including two-dimensional and three-dimensional packages.Keywords: Computers, industrial design methods, design software, computer aided design

A survey and evaluation of microbased computer aided design systems for design education and practice in Scotland primarily in the area of product design: their application, problems and potential solutions

The initial premise of the research centred around the relatively new adoption by the Product Design sector of Computer Aided Design technology. Problems were expected to occur in applying the hardware and understanding the terminology of the software by this sector which prides itself In its artisan skills. The aim of the work was to determine the extent of the adoption of Computer Aided Design and to clarify the problem areas. The research determined, by study of more experienced but similar Computer Aided Design users, that the expected problems Were not insurmountable and were being overcome by the constant improvements of computer hardware and software. However, the problems that were pinpointed actually involved the human issues encountered In working with a Computer Aided Design system and involved issues such as the management skills required, working conditions and understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of Computer Aided Design. The research focused on what had to be considered and what should be known about Computer Aided Design so that it could be effectively used in Product Design. The research was undertaken to establish general solutions to the introduction of Computer Aided Design into companies. These solutions are intended to provide a guide to potential and current users on how to improve the effectiveness of the use of Computer Aided Design systems in Product Design. The research has identified the themes and topics that should be covered in training staff on the use and potential of Computer Aided Design systems

ASSESSING PRODUCT CONFIGURATOR CAPABILITIES FOR SUCCESSFUL MASS CUSTOMIZATION

Mass customization is becoming a competitive strategy for companies offering individualized products. Product configurators provide a platform for companies to do interactive product configuration which is essential for mass customization. Companies need to realize the degree of customization appreciated by the customers and the extent of customization that can be offered competitively. This research is an effort to develop an approach to ascertain the product configurator requirements to achieve mass customization. The frameworks developed for this research are validated with a case study

A study to identify selected factors affecting the implementation of computer-aided design and drafting in industrial technology baccalaureate programs

The purpose of the study was to identify and analyze selected factors affecting the present status of Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) and those factors which were needed to reach a desired level of CADD implementation in Industrial Technology Baccalaureate Programs (ITBPs) in the United States. The intent of this study was to identify and analyze selected factors which facilitate the implementation of CADD in ITBPs within the United States. One hundred and sixty-four ITBPs institutions from the 1992 National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) Directory were used for participation in this study. A questionnaire identifying both current and ideal status was constructed and validated through the pilot-test. The instruments were distributed, collected, and the data analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. A frequency distribution was used for all variables. A mean rank was computed for the selected factors which inhibited the implementation or continuation of CADD in ITBPs. Selected Findings and Conclusions were: (1) A majority of respondents (91%) reported that they offered one or more CADD courses in their departments; (2) The majority of respondents (52%) indicated that for the current status, CADD was required of all majors in their departments. At the perceived ideal level, an overwhelming majority of respondents (92%) believe that CADD should be required for all majors in their departments; (3) a combination of separate CADD courses and CADD integrated into all design and drafting courses was recommended regarding CADD instruction by a majority of the respondents (67%); (4) Funding was the most inhibiting factor in the implementation or continuation of CADD in ITBPs, receiving the highest mean (4.34 on a 5-point scale). Based on the information collected in the survey, selected Recommendations were: (1) Industrial Technology Programs should hire more faculty who have expertise in the area of CADD in order to facilitate the implementation of CADD in their departments. (2) Vendor workshops and in-house training programs should be provided to faculty who need assistance to enhance their CADD knowledge so as to facilitate the implementation of CADD in their departments. (3) All industrial technology instructors should be encouraged to integrate CADD into their design and drafting programs. (4) Industrial technology instructors should be encouraged to develop their own instructional materials to suit their particular curriculum needs

Assessing the impact of computer use on landscape architecture professional practice: efficiency, effectiveness, and design creativity

Landscape architects claim that computers are efficient and effective presentation tools. However, to date, no one has evaluated the impact of computer use on the nature and quality of design in a practice setting. To further explore this issue, a trial was conducted with landscape architecture students in which they worked in conventional, mixed and digital media. Results indicated that although computer use was efficient in some tasks, the nature of the design process did not yield itself effectively yet to complete computerization. In addition, to assess the impact of computer use more broadly on office practice today, a survey was conducted of over 100 Chapter Executive Members of the American Society of Landscape Architects in the United States of America.Survey results indicated that computer use has permeated all areas of landscape architecture practice, and that it has genuinely improved drawing quality and capability. However, it has not significantly impacted the artistic or creative aspects. Few respondents believed the computer can improve these facets of the profession or that traditional practice methods will be totally replaced by the computer.The results suggest that academic and professional sectors of landscape architecture must help educate existing professionals to fully grasp the benefits of current and emerging computer technologies and to prepare the future professionals for an increasingly digital practice

Mental space as a computational metaphor for architectural design.

Despite the development of computational technology and AI over the past 40 years, it is the case that the application of computers for architectural uesign, especially in the early design stage, still remains in its infancy. This thesis searches for a solution, from a theoretical framework, for the computation of design, which is different from the problem-solving paradigm often adopted. Firstly, the thesis accounts for designing as a phenomenon of design thinking-action. That is, the two activities - doing the thinking and design action - usually occur and develop simultaneously, and are characterised as a creative activity and a visual thinking process. Secondly, in order to account for the mental mechanism occurring in design thinking-action, this thesis describes the designer's mind as with a metaphor derived from current theories in image processing research in cognitive science; the ideas of mental space. In the thesis, mental space is defined as a conscious system, which has its structure and functions that can transfer external events into inner symbolic representations (design thinking) and simultaneously visualise these internal representations during the external process (design action). Thirdly, based on these theoretical assumptions, I propose a mental space computational model, which is a design computational environment to attempt to mimic the mental operations and processes in the architect's mental space. It focuses on design activities rather than design cognition; the usefulness of computers for design rather than the computability of design; and design tools rather than memorybased intelligent systems. Throughout this thesis, I try to avoid the dualistic arguments which classify architectural design as either artistic or scientific, so that I can provide an inclusive theoretical foundation in explaining design phenomena for general design studies as well as for CAAD (Computer-Aided Architectural Design)

Human Factors of Integrating Speech and Manual Input Devices: The Case of Computer Aided Design

The thesis investigates integrating the use of speech input and manual input devices in human-computer systems. The domain of computer aided design (CAD) is used as a case study. A methodology for empirical evaluation of CAD systems is presented. The methodology is based on a framework that describes the input/output processes presumed to underlie performance in design activities, using behaviour protocols and performance indices as data. For modelling system behaviour, a framework derived from the Blackboard architecture of design is described. The framework employs knowledge sources to represent different behaviour types recruited during CAD performance. Variability in user behaviour throughout the investigation is explained with reference to the model. The problems that expert CAD users experience in using manual input devices are first documented in an observational study conducted at their workplace. This demonstrates that the unitary use of manual input resulted in non-optimal behaviour. Possible solutions to these problems, using speech input for some command and data entry tasks, are explored in three experiments. In each experiment, a comparative analysis of alternative systems is made using data obtained from naive and novice users. In Experiment 1, the use of speech as a unitary solution to the problems of manual input was also found to result in non-optimal behaviour and performance. The solution explored in Experiment 2 was to allocate some commands and alphanumeric data to each input device, using the frequency of use principle. This approach, however, entailed the additional problem of remembering which device to use. Experiment 3 evaluated the separate allocation of commands to speech input and numeric plus graphical data to manual input. Additionally, performance aids and feedback facilities were provided to users. This clear-cut assignment of device to task characteristics and the use of such aids led to an enhancement in speech performance, in addition to improving behaviour. The findings from this research are used to develop guidelines for an integrated CAD system involving speech and manual input. The guidelines, which are intended for use by end users, CAD implementors and system designers, were validated in the workplace by the latter. Lastly, the thesis contextualises the research within an ergonomics framework, mapping the research development from problem specification to application and synthesis. Problems with the investigation are also discussed, and suggestions made as to how these might be resolved