digital industrial design curriculium

Development of a Curriculum for the Study of Digital Industrial Design (DID)

Noor Al-DoyEnrolled 1st Oct 2007

Supervisor:Dr. Mark Evans

Research Aim:

Investigate how digital design tools can be employed during all stages of industrial design

practice leading to the definition of a DID method and curriculum for undergraduate

study

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Research Questions:

Can existing digital tools be integrated to form a totally DID method that can be implemented now?

How should the existing and emerging digital tools be integrated to form a total DID method that can be implemented within the next 5-10 years?

How should the teaching and learning of the digital industrial design method be integrated into a new digital industrial design curriculum?

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Summary of Achievements:• Review of

industrial design practice and tools

• Review of emerging technologies

• Classifications of analogue and digital tools

• Review of industrial design education• Chances for more digital use

• Study with industrial design graduates

• Daft DID methodology

• Case studies (reflective designing)

Phase 1: Literature Review

Phase 2: Development of a DID Methodology

Pro

gre

ss

to D

ate

3

Survey of Graduating Industrial/product design students:

Aims: Identify the methods of design

modelling used Discover how easy it is for

students to use digital tools and the extent to which they are employed

Highlight the areas of the industrial/product design process that can be improved in the curriculum of the course

Receive feedback on the potential to employ completely digital techniques to design a product

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Survey of Graduating Industrial/product design students:

Research Method: Dropping off

questionnaire.

Scope: 104 industrial/product

design students graduating in 2008 and exhibiting at New Designers Exhibition.

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FindingsDesign Methods Used:

Conventional Digital Sketches Sketches

Sketch models Sketch models

Appearance models Appearance models

Renderings Renderings

Control drawings Control drawings

Testing Testing

Prototypes Prototypes

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FindingsDigital Design Tools Usage:

Digital Design Tool % Feelings

2D computer visualization software

60%

3D solid modelling CAD software 54%

3D surface modelling CAD software

34%

Digitizing tablets 28% ?

Haptic feedback devices 88% ?

Virtually reality 88% ?

Digital testing analysis 46% ?

Computer numerical control machining

44%

Rapid prototyping 53%

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Average Digital Methods Usage:

Concept Generation

Preliminary Refinement

Further Refinement & Final Concept Selection

Specification

41.8%

48.4%

68.6%

75.4%

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Thoughts on Employing Digital Techniques:

Majority of students do not believe that they will be able to achieve the same outcome from their projects if the entire process was done using digital tools.

Majority of students do not believe that digital technologies have the potential to replace conventional workshops and the hands-on experience.

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Thoughts on Employing Digital Techniques:

Majority of students disagree that their design practice will improve if they used a completely digital process.

Majority of students disagree that it would be appropriate to have a totally digital industrial/product design course.

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FindingsReasons behind the Negative Feelings:

Reasons:Hands-on model making is important

Lack of sketch work (free hand sketching skill)

Reduces free and creative thinking

Design process to become too impersonal

Limitation of design skills

It is important to feel the product in its true form and texture

Cost

It is quicker to use a pen/pencil to generate ideas

Becoming static behind a computer screen is not a good thing

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Viable Digital Industrial Design (DID) Methodology:

Digitizing Tablet without a Built in

Display

Digitizing Tablet with an Interactive Pen

Display

2D Visualization Software

2D CADHaptic Modelling3D Scanning (Existing Product)

CNC (2D)

Rapid Prototyping CNC (2D & 3D) Virtual Prototyping Virtual Reality

End End End End

3D Mouse 2D MousePen Input Device

3D CAD (Surface & Solid)

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Display


Display



CNC (2D)


End End End End



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Pen Input Device

Digitizing Tablet

without a Built in Display

.

Digitizing Tablet with

an Interactive Pen Display

3D Mouse 2D Mouse

2D Visualization

Software

14



Display


Display



CNC (2D)


End End End End



15



Display


Display



CNC (2D)


End End End End



16


2D Visualizati

on Software

3D Scanning (Existing

Product)

3D CAD (Surface &

Solid)

Haptic Modelling 2D CAD

CNC (2D)

17



Display


Display



CNC (2D)


End End End End



18



Display


Display



CNC (2D)


End End End End



19


End End End End

3D CAD (Surface &

Solid)

Rapid Prototyping

CNC (2D & 3D)

Virtual Prototypin

g

Virtual Reality

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Future Plan:

• Practitioner’s feedback

• Appraisal of DID methodology

• Case studies (reflective designing)

• Revised DID Methodology

Phase 3: Appraisal of the DID Methodology

Phase 2: Development of a DID Methodology

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Thank you

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digital industrial design curriculium

Technology

digital process

digital technologies

design course

digital techniquesto

d mouseinteractive

d rapid prototypingcnc

d mouse2d mouse

emerging digital tools