Comparing graphic actions between remote and proximal design teams

This paper outlines the conduct and findings of a research project which compared the sketching activity and sketched output of pairs of design students collaborating face-to-face with other pairs linked by computer mediated tools. The paper proposes that attention to the nature and dispersion of 'graphic acts' can lead to a better understanding of the exploitation of sketching between remotely located design participants. Sketch Graphic Acts (SGAs) are used to illuminate the phenomenon of shared sketches and the importance of 'thumbnail' sketches - which were commonly exploited in laboratory studies of face-to face collaborative working but which were significantly impoverished in studies of computer mediated, remote collaborative working

Toward semantic model generation from sketch and multi-touch interactions

Designers usually start their design process by exploring and evolving their ideas rapidly through sketching since this helps them to make numerous attempts at creating, practicing, simulating, and representing ideas. Creativity inherent in solving the ill-defined problems (Eastman, 1969) often emerges when designers explore potential solutions while sketching in the design process (Schön, 1992). When using computer programs such as CAD or Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools, designers often preplan the tasks prior to executing commands instead of engaging in the process of designing. Researchers argue that these programs force designers to focus on how to use a tool (i.e. how to execute series of commands) rather than how to explore a design, and thus hinder creativity in the early stages of the design process (Goel, 1995; Dorta, 2007). Since recent design and documentation works have been computer-generated using BIM software, transitions between ideas in sketches and those in digital CAD systems have become necessary. By employing sketch interactions, we argue that a computer system can provide a rapid, flexible, and iterative method to create 3D models with sufficient data for facilitating smooth transitions between designers’ early sketches and BIM programs. This dissertation begins by describing the modern design workflows and discussing the necessary data to be exchanged in the early stage of design. It then briefly introduces the modern cognitive theories, including embodiment (Varela, Rosch, & Thompson, 1992), situated action (Suchman, 1986), and distributed cognition (Hutchins, 1995). It continues by identifying problems in current CAD programs used in the early stage of the design process, using these theories as lenses. After reviewing modern attempts, including sketch tools and design automation tools, we describe the design and implementation of a sketch and multi-touch program, SolidSketch, to facilitate and augment our abilities to work on ill-defined problems in the early stage of design. SolidSketch is a parametric modeling program that enables users to construct 3D parametric models rapidly through sketch and multi-touch interactions. It combines the benefits of traditional design tools, such as physical models and pencil sketches (i.e. rapid, low-cost, and flexible methods), with the computational power offered by digital modeling tools, such as CAD. To close the gap between modern BIM and traditional sketch tools, the models created with SolidSketch can be read by other BIM programs. We then evaluate the programs with comparisons to the commercial CAD programs and other sketch programs. We also report a case study in which participants used the system for their design explorations. Finally, we conclude with the potential impacts of this new technology and the next steps for ultimately bringing greater computational power to the early stages of design.Ph.D

Use of SketchBook Pro with Tablet PC (TabSketch™) as a design thinking tool in the teaching and learning of design and technology

This paper shares the preliminary findings from the first two phases of an exploratory study on the potential of Tab-Sketch™ as i) a design-thinking tool for design and technology (D&T) teachers and pupils in secondary schools; ii) a teaching and learning tool for D&T teachers; and iii) a platform to document design-thinking in the form of digital design journal. Tab-Sketch is an acronym derived from Tablet PC and SketchBook Pro, a computer software. The study, which is naturalistic in approach, was initiated in Nov 2004 and has evolved into three phases. Phases 1 and 2 were completed. Phase 3 has commenced in Aug 2006 and will end in Dec 2007. The insights and experiences gained from the first two phases include: • the concept of ‘growing ideas’ conveniently and dynamically; • the potential of the software for quick sketches and editing via features like layer and the range of rendering tools available; • Tab-Sketch as a tool for the teacher-designer to dialogue with self and to practise rapid visualisation; • capturing design conversations graphically and digitally between teacher and pupil; and • ease in manipulating images and ideating presentation drawings. These preliminary findings have shaped Phase 3 of the study which is still on-going

UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX SKETCH RECOGNITION STRATEGIES FOR INTELLIGENT SKETCH-BASED DESIGN TOOLS

peer reviewedDespite recent advances in multi-modal AI tools (e.g., tools leveraging text-to-image models), there is a significant gap in the ability of such systems to be incorporated into complex design and engineering work. This gap is further exacerbated in contexts where sketch-based inputs are desirable due to the difficulty in recognizing freehand sketches or interpreting underlying human intent. To better surface requirements for emerging sketch-based AI systems for complex design context, we consider a case study involving architectural design; this is a domain for which, to our knowledge, there have been no architectural sketch-based AI tools that recognize freely produced plans or perspectives for downstream applications, including generating inspirational images. Using a Wizard of Oz experimental paradigm, we substitute the “tool” with human agents and conduct a lab-based study in which professional architects complete a design brief using this “tool”. Results demonstrate that human agents not only rely on visible sketch elements (i.e., lines) and architectural drawing codes, but also on their memory of previous lines and their knowledge of the design brief to comprehend perceived lines. In addition to gradually developing an understanding of the designed artifact, human agents also construct an understanding of the designer's intentions. These activities are crucial for the agent to obtain a functional model of the designed object, beyond a purely topological and geometric perception model. Insights about this human workflow bring new potential techniques of sketch recognition for design tasks, informing the inclusion of new resources and software within AI tools

Why CAD tools benefit from a sketching language

Despite the fact that Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools are used during the early design stages to aid external representation with the generation of 3-dimensional (3D) models, paperbased freehand sketching is still the most intuitive method used amongst practicing designers due to its efficiency in externalising conceptual design solutions. Sketch recognition systems are therefore being developed with the aim to bridge the gap between freehand sketching and CAD tools. However, given the intrinsic ambiguity and incompleteness of freehand sketches, it is almost impossible to achieve the complete automatic generation of a 3D model from any hand-made sketch. Thus, one of the key research tasks in the development of sketch recognition systems concerns the exploration of sketching methods which are able to handle the trade-off between the preservation of manual sketching freedom and the ease of computer recognition. Based on this approach and as a step towards integrating 'paper-based' freehand sketching with CAD tools, this paper discloses the development and evaluation of two preliminary 'sketching languages' that support the generation of a virtual component model for further processing by computational product development tools. Furthermore this paper reports the findings of a survey which reveal that future CAD tools benefit from a sketching language

Paper-based Mixed Reality Sketch Augmentation as a Conceptual Design Support Tool

This undergraduate student paper explores usage of mixed reality techniques as support tools for conceptual design. A proof-of-concept was developed to illustrate this principle. Using this as an example, a small group of designers was interviewed to determine their views on the use of this technology. These interviews are the main contribution of this paper. Several interesting applications were determined, suggesting possible usage in a wide range of domains. Paper-based sketching, mixed reality and sketch augmentation techniques complement each other, and the combination results in a highly intuitive interface