A first sketch of Computer Aided Ideation : Exploring CAD tools as externalization media in design ideation

Even though Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools have changed the way designers work in most parts of the design process, designers still mostly use pen-and-paper sketching when generating design ideas. Previous studies exploring the use of CAD tools for design ideation have concluded that the tools available at the time did not support reflective conversation, serendipitous interpretation and creativity, making them unsuited for design ideation. However, many of these studies used tools now considered obsolete, implying that the conclusions might no longer be valid. With the variety and capabilities of current CAD tools, there is an opportunity for a new exploration of CAD tools in design ideation. The aim of this licentiate thesis was to explore the use of CAD tools as externalization media in design ideation, what effect this has on the ideation process and how CAD tools might support design ideation. To this end, the thesis explored the use of CAD tools in design ideation in four studies. The first study consisted of a literature review on the strengths and weaknesses of sketches and CAD tools and a focus group discussion with three design experts. The second study compared master theses to explore how design representations used in the design process affect the breadth of design space exploration. The third study was a case study with two cases featuring the use of game engines and Virtual Reality for automotive lighting design and the fourth study compared the workflow in VR-sketching and pen-and- paper sketching. The results of the studies in this thesis suggest that the notion that CAD tools are not useful for design ideation is no longer true. Based on expert evaluations and case studies, this thesis concludes that there are several opportunities for the use of CAD tools in design ideation. This is certainly true in design fields where it is difficult to make sketches. The potential strengths of using CAD tools for design ideation includes the ability to design in full scale and the ability to perform instantaneous transform operations, such as scaling and deforming. However, the ability to instantly undo in CAD tools has been identified as both a potential strength and potential a weakness for design ideation. While being able to rapidly undo mistakes could be beneficial to the ideation process, achieving a faster workflow with less time redoing and more time working on creating, this might also result in fewer opportunities for reinterpretation. The conclusions in this thesis provide arguments for the use of CAD tools in design ideation, which could lead to new ways of generating, working with and thinking about design ideas. The findings also act as a stepping stone for further studies in the area of Computer Aided Ideation

Ah, I see what you didn't mean

It is often claimed that Computer Aided Design ( CAD) tools are unsuitable for design ideation as they are said to not support serendipitous interpretation, playfulness and creativity. However, this notion is based on anecdotal evidence and research that was done using CAD tools now considered obsolete. This study therefore aims to provide insights on the use of currently available CAD tools for design ideation. This was done by having three experts evaluate the use of pen- and- paper sketches and four different CAD tools for design ideation and discuss the results. The results from this study suggest that CAD tools have the potential to support serendipity and provide an environment for creativity and playfulness. There are several opportunities for the use of CAD tools in design ideation. This is certainly true in design fields where it is notoriously hard to make sketches, such as in lighting design

In search of lost materiality; the case for physical modelling in Industrial Design Engineering education

Over the recent years, Industrial Design Engineering students at Linköping University have frequently been observed to go directly from sketches into CAD, without making simple sketch models for evaluation in the early stages of their design process. This workflow gives them less information in their decision-making process and they lose the materiality of physical models, which is an aspect that many designers and researchers consider crucial for the development of form. This discussion paper explores whether this is an increasing trend and if so how it affects the breadth of design space exploration. In total, 25 master theses, covering a period of nine years, on Design and Product Development from Linköping University have been analysed. The design representations used and the diversity of the ideas across the product development process were visualized in graphs. This mapping supports our preliminary observation that the use of physical models is declining and suggests this decline correlates to a narrower exploration of the design space

In search of lost materiality; the case for physical modelling in Industrial Design Engineering education

Over the recent years, Industrial Design Engineering students at Linköping University have frequently been observed to go directly from sketches into CAD, without making simple sketch models for evaluation in the early stages of their design process. This workflow gives them less information in their decision-making process and they lose the materiality of physical models, which is an aspect that many designers and researchers consider crucial for the development of form. This discussion paper explores whether this is an increasing trend and if so how it affects the breadth of design space exploration. In total, 25 master theses, covering a period of nine years, on Design and Product Development from Linköping University have been analysed. The design representations used and the diversity of the ideas across the product development process were visualized in graphs. This mapping supports our preliminary observation that the use of physical models is declining and suggests this decline correlates to a narrower exploration of the design space

In search of lost materiality; the case for physical modelling in Industrial Design Engineering education

Over the recent years, Industrial Design Engineering students at Linköping University have frequently been observed to go directly from sketches into CAD, without making simple sketch models for evaluation in the early stages of their design process. This workflow gives them less information in their decision-making process and they lose the materiality of physical models, which is an aspect that many designers and researchers consider crucial for the development of form. This discussion paper explores whether this is an increasing trend and if so how it affects the breadth of design space exploration. In total, 25 master theses, covering a period of nine years, on Design and Product Development from Linköping University have been analysed. The design representations used and the diversity of the ideas across the product development process were visualized in graphs. This mapping supports our preliminary observation that the use of physical models is declining and suggests this decline correlates to a narrower exploration of the design space

Aqwary Triton : The design and development of a modular dive computer

Denna masteruppsats beskriver utvecklingen av ett koncept på en modulär dykdator med tillhörande trådlös sändare. Arbetet har utförts för Aqwary AB i samarbete med Prodelox AB. Målet med arbetet var att skapa utseendemodeller av dykdatorn och sändaren och resultatet kommer att fungera som grund för Aqwarys nästa generations dykdator. Arbetet har följt en process baserad på Ulrich och Eppingers produktutvecklingsprocess. De data som legat till grund för utvecklingsarbetet har tagits fram genom kvalitativa användarundersökningar och simuleringar. Vid utvecklingen av konceptet användes brainstorming för generering av idéer, skisser och skissmodeller för utvärdering, samt fokusgrupp och urvalsmatris för koncepturval. Resultatet är Aqwary Triton en dykdator som, genom att placeras i olika skal, kan användas som handledsburen, handhållen eller som konsolenhet. För att interagera med dykdatorn används knappar som är integrerade i skalenThis Master Thesis describes the development of a modular dive computer and a wireless tank pressure transmitter. The project was a cooperation between the client Aqwary AB and Prodelox AB. The goal was to create appearance models of the modular dive computer and the wireless tank pressure transmitter, which can be used as the foundation for the development of Aqwarys' next generation of dive computers. The process used in this thesis is based on the product developement process by Ulrich and Eppinger. Data was gathered from both written sources and qualitative user studies. During the development process sketches and models of different fidelity have been used to generate and evaluate ideas. The result is Aqwary Triton, a dive computer that can be used as a wrist mounted, handheld or consol mounted unit by placing it in different cases

Sketching Immersive Information Spaces : Lessons learned from experiments in '\u98sketching for and through virtual reality'

This paper presents the lessons learned from a design workshop exploring methods for early exploration of immersive information spaces, such as Virtual Reality (VR). The methods explored cover design situations both designing for VR, and designing through VR, in varying degrees of fidelity. The workshops shared the common factor of attempting to enable a feedback loop between sketching activities and the more didactic and time consuming prototyping processes. From our analysis, we found that to achieve true â\u80\u98sketchinessâ\u80\u99 in an immersive VR settings, tool proficiency naturally becomes a decisive factor, since a lot of new techniques needs to be learned and gained experience with. Furthermore, it is evident that the mental shift, from flat to 360 degree design, was challenging, but also the enabler of new creative constraints from which the designer can explore the boundaries of the design space. We conclude by arguing for the development of more formalized patterns, materials and tools to not just enable immersive sketching, but also enable grasping the immersive design space itself by motivating the explorations and happy accidents when â\u80\u98doodlingâ\u80\u99 in the immersive space

Shedding Light on Game Engines and Virtual Reality for Design Ideation

While pen-and-paper sketches is generally considered the best tool for design ideation, there are certain areas of design where the ideas being generated do not easily lend themselves to sketching. This study reports on two cases that explores the use of game engines in combination with Virtual Reality (VR) to visualize lighting in the automotive industry. In the first case, the exterior lights of a car were visualized using Unreal Engine 4 and evaluated using research through design and expert interviews. In the second case, Unreal Engine VR Editor was used to explore ideation and concept development of interior lighting in long haulage trucks. The insights from the cases suggest that game engines and VR can be used to quickly develop and display ideas, concepts and scenarios in the early phases of the lighting design process. These strengths suggest that game engines and VR also have the potential to support design ideation for other types of design