integrating 3d physical and digital modeling into 3d …

INTEGRATING 3D PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL MODELING INTO 3D FORM

CREATION IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN EDUCATION

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

OF

MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

MEHTAP ÖZTÜRK ŞENGÜL

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR

THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

IN

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

SEPTEMBER 2016

Approval of the thesis:

INTEGRATING 3D PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL MODELING INTO 3D

FORM CREATION IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN EDUCATION

submitted by MEHTAP ÖZTÜRK ġENGÜL in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Department of Industrial

Design, Middle East Technical University by,

Prof Dr G l in Dur l Ünver

Dean, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Prof Dr G l y H sdoğ n

Head of Department, Industrial Design


Supervisor, Department of Industrial Design, METU

Examining Committee Members:

Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatma Korkut

Department of Industrial Design, METU



Assoc Prof Dr Ç ğl Doğ n


Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Emre Berkman

Department of Industrial Design, TOBB-ETU

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Akbulut

Department of Industrial Design, Gazi University

Date: 09.09.2016

iv

I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and

presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare

that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced

all material and results that are not original to this work.

N me, L st n me: Meht p Özt rk Şeng l

Signature . . . …:--- ---… … …………

v

ABSTRACT

INTEGRATING 3D PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL MODELING

INTO 3D FORM CREATION IN INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

EDUCATION

Özt rk Şeng l, Mehtap

Ph. D, Department of Industrial Design

Supervisor: Prof Dr G l y H sdoğ n

September 2016, 301 pages

Digital design media have entered in the design field in the course of the last couple

of decades and have rapidly changed the way of practicing in design related

professions. As part of this change, digital modeling has taken its place among the

basic skills that an industrial designer is expected to have.

As a cognitive activity, modeling plays very significant roles in the form creation

related skill acquisition processes in design education. Therefore an urgent need for

new approaches for the integration of 3D physical and digital modeling into

industrial design education has emerged with the entrance of digital modeling to the

field. However, formulation of such an approach cannot be achieved without a sound

understanding of the existing role and position of 3D physical and digital modeling

in the students‘ skill cquisition processes

This thesis investigates the existing role and position of 3D physical and digital

modeling in the skill acquisition processes of industrial design students with special

emphasis on their mutual dependency, complementarity and conditioning by

employing Actor Network Theory. The field study of the thesis is conducted in the

Department of Industrial Design at METU and involves twelve interviews containing

narratives of the most satisfying form development process of the student and twelve

interviews with the studio instructors.

vi

The n rr tives of the students‘ form development processes re n lyzed s the

translation processes of the studio actor networks. The findings of the study reveal

the complexities of the relationships between the actors in the skill acquisition

processes by highlighting the active roles of physical and digital modeling both in

2D and 3D.

The findings also showed how the students, physical and digital modeling work

together by complementing each other during these processes. Drawing upon these

findings which point to these complementary relationships, a new frame model for

the integration of 3D physical and digital modeling in industrial design education is

proposed in the thesis.

Keywords: 3D digital modeling, 3D physical modeling, knowledge and skill

acquisition in industrial design education, 3D form creation, Actor Network Theory

vii

ÖZ

3 BOYUTLU FĠZĠKSEL VE DĠJĠTAL MODELLEMENĠN

ENDÜSTRĠ ÜRÜNLERĠ TASARIMI EĞĠTĠMĠNDE 3 BOYUTLU

FORM YARATMAYA ENTEGRASYONU

Özt rk Şeng l, Meht p

Doktora, End stri Ür nleri T s rımı Böl m

D nışm n: Prof Dr G l y H sdoğ n

Eyl l 2016, 301 sayfa

Dijit l t s rım medy l rı son yıll rd t s rım l nın girmiş ve t s rım ile ilişkili

mesleklerde uygul m içimlerini hızl değiştirmiştir Bu değişimin ir p rç sı

ol r k dijit l modelleme end striyel t s rımcının s hip olm sı eklenen temel

eceriler r sınd yerini lmıştır

Bilişsel ir ktivite ol r k modelleme t s rım eğitiminde form y r tm ile ilgili

ecerilerin k z nım s reçlerinde önemli roller oyn m kt dır Bu nedenle, dijit l

modellemenin l n girişi ile irlikte ç oyutlu fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin

end striyel t s rım eğitimine entegr syonu için yeni y kl şıml rın gerekliliği ort y

çıkmıştır Anc k, ç oyutlu fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin öğrencilerin eceri

geliştirme s reçlerindeki mevcut rollerini ve pozisyonl rını nl m d n u t r ir

y kl şım form le edilmesi gerçekleştirilemez.

Bu tez ktör- ğ y kl şımını kull n r k, ç oyutlu fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin

end striyel t s rım öğrencilerin eceri geliştirme s reçlerindeki mevcut rol ve

konuml rını k rşılıklı ğımlılıkl rı, koşull ndırm l rı ve t m ml yıcılıkl rın özel

ir vurgu y p r k r ştırm kt dır Al n r ştırm sı ODTÜ End stri Ür nleri

T s rımı Böl m nde y pılmıştır ve öğrencilerin en t tmin edici form geliştirme

s reçlerinin nl tıl rını d k ps y n on iki öğrenci gör şmesi ve on iki st dyo

y r t c s gör şmesi içermektedir

viii

Öğrencilerin form geliştirme s reçlerinin nl tıl rı st dyo ktör ğl rının

dön şt rme s reçleri ol r k n liz edilmiştir Ç lışm ulgul rı eceri geliştirme

s reçlerinde ktörler r sınd ki ilişkilerin k rm şıklığını hem iki hem ç oyutlu

fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin ktif rollerine de dikk t çekerek ort y çık rmıştır

Bulgul r yrıc öğrencilerin, fiziksel modellemenin ve dijit l modellemenin

ir irlerini t m ml y r k t s rım s reçlerinde n sıl iş irliği y ptıkl rını d

göstermiştir Bu t m ml yıcı ilişkilerden yol çık r k tezde, ç oyutlu fiziksel ve

dijit l modellemenin end striyel t s rım eğitimine entegr syonu için yeni ir çerçeve

model de önerilmiştir

An ht r kelimeler: 3B dijit l modelleme, 3B fiziksel modelleme, end striyel t s rım

eğitiminde ilgi ve eceri k z nımı, 3B form oluşturm , Aktör Ağ Kur mı

ix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This thesis would not be possible without support of many people. First of all, I

would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Prof Dr G l y

H sdoğ n for her unf iling guid nce, p tience nd encour gement t ll st ges of the

thesis.

I would like to thank to the Thesis Supervising Committee members, Assist. Prof.

Dr. Fatma Korkut and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali Emre Berkman, for their guidance and

advices. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to other members of the

Ex mining Committee, Assoc Prof Dr Ç ğl Doğ n nd Assoc Prof Dr Dilek

Akbulut for their valuable feedbacks.

I am also thankful to Professor Chris Pickvance for his valuable comments and

suggestions. I am also grateful to number of students and instructors who answered

my questions earnestly during the interviews.

I would like to th nk to the Dep rtment secret ries T l y Yıldız nd E ru

Pehliv nlıoğlu for their friendly attitude, help and support.

Finally, as always, my greatest debt and thanks go to two people who provided

continuing support nd inspir tion To my d ughter Bersi nd hus nd T rık, th nk

you for your love, support and solidarity.

x

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. v

ÖZ ............................................................................................................................... vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................ ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................. x

LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... xiv

LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. xvii

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Problem statement ....................................................................................... 1

1.2 The aim of the dissertation and research questions ..................................... 5

2 REPRESENTATIONS IN DESIGN PROCESS .................................................. 9

2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 9

2.2 Representing ideas ..................................................................................... 10

2.3 Communication and visualization tools in design process (Representing

ideas in design process) ...................................................................................... 11

2.4 Modeling Practice ..................................................................................... 16

2.4.1 What is a model? ................................................................................ 16

2.4.2 The position of modeling as a representational skill in design .......... 20

2.4.3 3D models and 3D form development ............................................... 23

2.4.4 Developments in 3D modeling techniques ......................................... 24

3 3D MODELING PRACTICE IN DESIGN EDUCATION ................................ 27

xi

3.1 Design education as a skill acquisition process ........................................ 27

3.2 Physical modeling in design education ..................................................... 36

3.3 Digital modeling and rapid prototyping technologies in design process .. 38

3.4 Approaches on modeling in design education .......................................... 42

3.5 Research studies on modeling practice in design and design education ... 44

4 BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH STUDY ............................................. 51

4.1 Theoretical framework for the research study .......................................... 51

4.1.1 Knowledge and skill development in design education ..................... 51

4.2 L tour‘s Actor-Network Theory and Industrial design studio in industrial

design education ................................................................................................. 53

5 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 61

5.1 Qualitative Research ................................................................................. 65

5.1.1 Interview process ............................................................................... 65

5.2 Data Analysis ............................................................................................ 69

5.2.1 Analysis of the interviews .................................................................. 69

6 THE FINDINGS ................................................................................................. 75

6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 75

6.2 Translation processes in the industrial design studio actor-networks ....... 76

6.2.1 The Department as an actor in the studio studies ............................... 84

6.3 Translation processes in the first year basic design studio studies ........... 87

6.3.1 Problematisation moment in the first year basic design studio .......... 87

6.3.2 Interessement moment in the first year basic design studio study ..... 99

6.3.3 Enrolment in the first year basic design studio study ...................... 102

6.3.4 Mobilization in the narrated basic design studio study .................... 104

xii

6.4 Translation processes in the second year studio studies ......................... 109

6.4.1 Problematisation moment in the second year studio ........................ 110

6.4.2 Interessement moment in the second year studio studies ................. 120

6.4.3 Enrolment in the second year studio studies .................................... 126

6.4.4 Mobilization in the second year studio studies ................................ 132

6.5 Translation processes in the third year studio studies ............................. 139

6.5.1 Problematization moment in the third year studio ........................... 140

6.5.2 Interessement moment in the third year studio studies .................... 153

6.5.3 Enrolment moment in the third year studio studies .......................... 166

6.5.4 Mobilization moment in the third year studio studies ...................... 170

6.6 Translation processes in the fourth year studio studies ........................... 178

6.6.1 Problematization moment in the fourth year studio studies ............. 181

6.6.2 Interessement moment in the fourth year studio studies .................. 194

6.6.3 Enrolment moment in the fourth year studio studies ....................... 201

6.6.4 Mobilization moment in the fourth year studio studies .................... 209

7 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 219

7.1 What skills and abilities do industrial design students need to create and

develop 3D forms in their studio studies? ........................................................ 225

7.2 Existing roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in the

studio studies .................................................................................................... 228

7.3 Existing inclinations of the students for the employment of 3D physical

and digital modeling in their design processes and the factors affecting these

inclinations ....................................................................................................... 234

xiii

7.4 Employing 3D physical and digital modeling to contribute to the

development of form creation related skills of the students in industrial design

education .......................................................................................................... 236

7.5 Analyzing studio studies through Actor Network Theory lenses ........... 241

7.6 Limitations and suggestions for further studies ...................................... 242

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 245

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................... 259

A. STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN TURKISH ............................ 259

B. STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH ............................ 263

C. INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN TURKISH ..................... 267

D. INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH ..................... 269

E. IMPORTANCE AND CROSS-TABULATION TABLES FROM THE

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE DISSERTATION .............................. 271

F. BRIEF AND DOCUMENTS OF STUDENTS SE3‘S AND SD3‘S COFFEE

MAKER STUDIO PROJECTS .................................................................. 279

G. BRIEF OF STUDENT SB4‘S PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT PROJECT

.................................................................................................................... 285

H. BRIEF OF STUDENT SC4‘S GRADUATION PROJECT ...................... 287

İ. BRIEF OF STUDENT SF4‘S BACKHOE LOADER WORKSTATION

PROJECT .................................................................................................... 295

J. ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THE NUMBERED QUOTATIONS

REFERRED IN CHAPTER 7 ..................................................................... 297

CURRICULUM VITAE .......................................................................................... 301

xiv

LIST OF TABLES

Table 5.1 Conducted interviews ................................................................................. 66

Table 5.2 An example of coding and refinement for an interview comment ............. 73

Table 6.1 The most satisfying form narrative from the first year studio ................... 87

Table 6.2 Design education related nodes and themes for the first year basic design

studio .......................................................................................................................... 89

Table 6.3 The criteria the students are expected to meet and the required

representations for the narrated first year basic design studio study .......................... 90

T le 6 4 The reflections of the instructors‘ te ching interests on the set of criteri

and required representations for the first year basic design studio ............................ 91

Table 6.5 Opinions of the first year basic design studio instructors on 3D physical

modeling in Industrial Design Education ................................................................... 92

Table 6.6 Opinions of the first year basic design studio instructors on 3D digital

modeling in Industrial Design Education ................................................................... 95

Table 6.7 The identified roles and positions of the representational media in basic

design studio ............................................................................................................... 98

Table 6.8 Established connections with the representational media and their roles in

the basic design studio project ................................................................................. 100

Table 6.9 Emphasized aspects of the form development process of the narrated basic

design studio study ................................................................................................... 102

Table 6.10 The modeling tool on which the most important evaluation regarding the

narrated basic design studio project is made ............................................................ 103

Table 6.11 Opinions of SA3 on 3D physical modeling ........................................... 105

Table 6.12 Opinions of SA3 on 3D digital modeling .............................................. 106

Table 6.13 Summary of mobilization moment of the basic design studio study ..... 108

Table 6.14 The most satisfying form narratives from the second year studio ......... 109

Table 6.15 Design education related nodes and themes for the second year studio 112


representations for the second year studio studies ................................................... 113

xv


and required representations for the second year studio studies .............................. 114

Table 6.18 Opinions of the second year studio instructors on 3D physical modeling

in Industrial Design Education ................................................................................. 115

Table 6.19 Opinions of the second year studio instructors on 3D digital modeling in

Industrial Design Education ..................................................................................... 116

Table 6.20 Mentioned representational tools and their functions in the second year

narratives .................................................................................................................. 121

Table 6.21 Emphasized aspects of the form development processes for the second

year studio studies .................................................................................................... 126

Table 6.22 The modeling tools on which the most important evaluations regarding

the narrated second year studio projects are made ................................................... 128

Table 6.23 Opinions of students narrated their second year studio studies on 3D

physical modeling .................................................................................................... 133

Table 6.24 Opinions of the students narrated their second year studio studies on 3D

digital modeling ....................................................................................................... 135

Table 6.25 Summary of mobilization moment in the narrated second year studio

studies ....................................................................................................................... 138

Table 6.26 The most satisfying form narratives from the third year studio ............. 139

Table 6.27 Design education related nodes and themes for the third year studio .... 142


representations for the third year studio studies ....................................................... 143

Table 6 29 The reflections of the instructors‘ te ching interests on the set of criteri

and required presentations for the narrated third year studio studies ....................... 144

Table 6.30 Opinions of the third year studio instructors on 3D physical modeling in


Table 6.31 Opinions of the third year studio instructors on 3D digital modeling in


Table 6.32 Mentioned representational tools and their functions in the third year

narratives .................................................................................................................. 154

Table 6.33 Emphasized aspects of the form development processes in the third year

studio studies ............................................................................................................ 166

xvi

Table 6.34 The modeling tools on which the most critical evaluations and judgments

were made in the narrated third year studio studies ................................................. 168

Table 6.35 Summary of enrollment moment in the third year studio studies .......... 170

Table 6.36 Opinions of students narrated their third year studio studies on 3D


Table 6.37 Opinions of students narrated their third year studio studies on 3D digital

modeling ................................................................................................................... 174

Table 6.38 Summary of mobilization moment in the third year studio studies ....... 178

Table 6.39 The most satisfying form narratives from the fourth year studio ........... 179

Table 6.40 Design education related nodes and themes for the fourth year studio .. 183

Table 6.41 The criteria and required representations for the narrated fourth year

studio projects .......................................................................................................... 184


and required presentations for the narrated fourth year studio studies .................... 185

T le 6 43 Interviewed fourth ye r studio instructors‘ opinions on 3D physic l

modeling ................................................................................................................... 187

T le 6 44 Interviewed fourth ye r studio instructors‘ opinions on 3D digit l

modeling ................................................................................................................... 190

Table 6.45 Mentioned representational media and their functions in the fourth year

studio narratives ....................................................................................................... 195

Table 6.46 The most emphasized aspects of the form development processes in the

fourth year studio studies ......................................................................................... 202


were made in the narrated fourth year studio studies ............................................... 205

Table 6.48 Opinions of students narrated their fourth year studio studies on 3D


Table 6.49 Opinions of the students narrated their fourth year studio studies on 3D

digital modeling ........................................................................................................ 213

Table 6.50 Summary of mobilization moment in the fourth year studio studies ..... 217

xvii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 Research questions ..................................................................................... 7

Figure 2.1 The elements of decision making (Pohl, 2006) ........................................ 14

Figure 2.2 Cognitive and concrete model .................................................................. 17

Figure 2.3 Taxonomy of design tools in three generic stages of design (Self, Dalke

and Evans, 2009; ) ...................................................................................................... 22

Figure 3.1 Industrial design education ....................................................................... 28

Figure 3.2 Typology of design knowledge (Thoring and Mueller, 2012) ................. 30

Figure 3.3 Diagram of the organization of the Bauhaus. (Translated from Walter

Gropius‘ (1923) di gr m (t ken from www.theartstory.com at 25-10-2011) ........... 31

Figure 3.4 The models, environments and worlds (Cerovsek et al., 2010; 6) ........... 43

Figure 3.5 Prioritized need statements for digital industrial design tools (Sener-

Pedgley, 2007) ........................................................................................................... 47

Figure 5.1 Sub research questions .............................................................................. 62

Figure 5.2 The Research Process ............................................................................... 63

Figure 5.3 The Analysis Process ................................................................................ 69

Figure 5.4 A screenshot from coding process in NVivo ............................................ 71

Figure 5.5 Matrix query groups ................................................................................. 72

Figure 6 1 Student SA4‘s iron project ..................................................................... 129

Figure 6 2 Student SE4‘s iron project ...................................................................... 130

Figure 6 3 Student SD3‘s prelimin ry nd fin l jury models .................................. 155

Figure 6 4 Student SF3‘s outdoor lighting project ................................................... 156

Figure 6.5 3D Digital model of a cube and drawing of its unfolded format ............ 160

Figure 6.6 3D Digital model of a coffee cup and drawing of its layers ................... 161

Figure 6.7 Preliminary jury model of student SE3 .................................................. 162

Figure 6.8 Final jury model of student SE3 ............................................................. 163

Figure 6 9 Student SC4‘s exc v tor ......................................................................... 204

Figure 6 10 Student SA4‘s h nd-held massager ...................................................... 206

Figure 6 11 Student SB4‘s pl yground equipment project ...................................... 207

Figure 6 12 Student SF4‘s ckhoe lo der workst tion........................................... 208

xviii

Figure 7.1 Translation processes of the development of 3D physical and digital

modeling skills in the studio studies ........................................................................ 223

Figure 7.2 Intended and actualized roles of 3D physical modeling ......................... 231

Figure 7.3 Intended and actualized roles of 3D physical modeling ......................... 233

Figure 7.4 Complementary instructions and exercises in 3D physical and digital

modeling in industrial design education ................................................................... 240

1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Problem statement

One of the defining properties of a professional field is the tools and equipment it

employs in its professional practices. Once upon a time when there was no such

independent field as industrial design, de facto designer was the person who took the

responsibility of producing the things which s/he designed (Heidegger, 1977; Cross,

1994). In that period, both the design and production processes took place with

limited tools and equipment.

The emergence of design as a professional field has altered the way of practicing

design as well as the tools that designers use in the course of their professional

activities. Today, in modern (post) industrial societies, design practice is based on

the determination of the required possible specifications of a non-existent product

(Lawson, 2006). Consequently, the most important equipment that designers need is

the techniques and tools allowing them to communicate the ideas relevant to the

specifications of the designed object/system in the best way.

Changes taking place in the field of industrial design are ongoing processes. In the

last couple of decades, cultural and technological changes have immensely affected

the material culture of modern world and consequently all professional fields.

Parallel to these changes, the scope, boundaries and definitions of most of the

professions have been undergoing some form of change.

Industrial design is one of these affected professions thanks to its sensitivity to both

technological advances and cultural dynamics. In recent years, as a result of these

2

dynamics, continual changes have been experienced in distinct realms regarding the

production field from the definition of product to the ways of industrial production.

Today, as a consequence of these changes, development processes of services,

systems, experiences etc.1 have been included within the scope of industrial design

practice.

In line with the changes in the field, industrial design education has also been

changing and evolving towards developing new programs to facilitate the

development of new skills based on new areas in design practice such as strategic

planning, sustainable design, interaction design and user centered design. Besides

these new areas and their emerging effects on the field, in the course of the last

couple of decades, digital design tools such as CAD (Computer Aided Design),

CAID (Computer Aided Industrial Design), CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing)

systems etc. have rapidly entered in the design field and changed the way of

practicing in design related professions. Skills regarding the digital design tools have

taken their place among the basic skills required by an industrial designer.

It is obvious that digital design tools contribute to the design process immensely. For

instance digital modeling has the capacity to enrich the design processes by

improving the representational skills of industrial designers and their ways of

processing information. However, as observed throughout the history of technology,

all technological advances have two contradictory faces. While they enhance human

abilities and sensitivities, they are also seen as a threat to human sensitivities and

culture (Mumford, 1967). Technology and its effects on the human capabilities are

the most attractive areas for the social scientists. The effects of technology are not

limited to its substitutive role for human capabilities, technology also has the

potential to modify the human capacities (Mumford, 1934; Dant, 2004).

The perception of a person channeled via her/his bodily sensations is affected by the

direct impact of the objects and technologies (Dant, 2004). Within this perspective it

1 The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) has renewed the definition of

industrial design. "Industrial design is a strategic problem-solving process applicable to products,

systems, services and experiences, which results in innovation, business success and a better quality

of life." http://www.icsid.org/about/about/articles31.html

http://www.icsid.org/about/about/articles31.html

3

can be assumed that design tools have direct impacts on the capabilities and

capacities of an industrial designer and her/his perception and way of thinking. At

that point, the significance of the influences of design tools on industrial design

education has been recognized by those working in the field. However, although

several studies have focused on the effects of digital design media on design

practice, until recently there has been little interest in their effects on design

education in general and on form creation related skill acquisition processes in

particular.

Although these new technologies and tools redefine the role of the designers, their

ways of practicing and education processes, there are still certain basic traditional

skills which the design profession still values and employs in its practices such as

sketching and 3D physical modeling. If we consider the design field as a 3D system

in which all parts work together from designer and design tools to education and

professional practices, mutual dependencies and conditioning between traditional

(physical) and digital design tools, skills and their effects on the field can be seen

clearly.

In such a context, the distinct natures of digital and traditional design tools and the

potential conflicts between them become an important issue. In professional

industrial design field and industrial design education, these conflicting tools, skills

and perceptions of design practice have critical effects on each other. While each one

can be a supportive knowledge and experience for the other, they have the potential

to at times turn into obstacles for the other.

In such a complex situation, it can be assumed that the integration of digital design

tools into industrial design education requires more than providing technological

equipment and adding certain courses and exercises to the educational programs.

Foremost, such an integration attempt should be tried without disregarding the

mutual dependencies and conditioning between physical and digital design tools and

regarding skills.

In so far as, industrial design students are concerned, they seem to set out to develop

their professional skills and build their body of knowledge in the process of their

4

professional education. Knowledge regarding the three-dimensional ―design world‖

(Schön, 1992; 11) and 3D form development skills are deemed to be among the basic

professional industrial design related skills. In order to embody an imagined form of

a product, an industrial designer needs these skills, since as mentioned by Sutton and

Williams (2007), the capacity of mental manipulation of a 3D form and the

appreciation of the relationships between the components of this form and its

environment are directly related to skills in 3D form development.

At that point the mutual dependency between the representational skills and 3D form

creation skills should also be mentioned. Representations are cognitive artifacts

evolved in an interactive process in which their producers are also evolved

reflectively (Schön, 1991; Visser, 2006) The f ct out the reflective evolution of

representations and their producers adds another dimension to the role of 3D

physical and digital modeling in the skill development processes of the students

beyond their representational capacities and effects on creative process. While the

students are equipped with 3D physical and digital modeling skills as the elements of

language of design, 3D physical and digital modeling and the relevant media act also

as the mediators for the skill acquisition processes.

Studio studies are at the core in industrial design education, as in such an

environment, the students develop their design related knowledge, skills and

attitudes by developing products2 in interactive processes. It is now an ever

increasingly acknowledged fact that 3D models in the studio studies immensely

contribute to the development of industri l design students‘ 3D form cre tion rel ted

skills. To equip industrial design students with the skills for more effective and

enriched 3D form development stages in design processes, three important factors

have been identified; (a) the competencies of the students on both 3D physical and

digital modeling tools, (b) the positions and roles of these tools in the studio studies

and (c) attitudes of the actors towards 3D physical and digital modeling in the studio

studies.

2 ‗develop design rel ted skills y developing products‘ is inspired from Dewey‘s (1938) ―le rning y

doing‖ concept s expl ined in Ch pter 2

5

Besides these critical factors, there has also been increasing concern about the

conflicts between these tools and the skills that should be taken into account for

developing new strategies aimed to contribute to the development of industrial

design students‘ 3D form creation related skills by employing 3D physical and

digital modeling.

The starting point of the dissertation is the potential conflicts resulted from

perceiving and manipulating 3D forms through digital modeling media in digital

environments on the basis of the skills and abilities acquired mainly through

traditional tools and techniques.

Tackling this issue is a thorny task as it requires a sound framework to create new

str tegies to contri ute to the development of the students‘ sic 3D form

development skills by employing both digital and physical modeling. However such

a task cannot be achieved without a sound understanding of the existing role and

position of 3D physical (traditional) and digital (computerized) modeling in the skill

acquisition processes of the students regarding the 3D form development phases of

the design processes.

1.2 The aim of the dissertation and research questions

This thesis takes this challenging tasks and aims to first investigate the existing role

and position of physical and digital 3D modeling in the skill acquisition processes of

industrial design students by problematizing mutual dependency and conditioning

between them, and then to propose a novel approach towards the integration of 3D

physical and digital modeling in industrial design education.

In line with these declared aims the following main question guides and structures

the dissertation.

6

A satisfactory and convincing answer to this vital question could be provided by

breaking down the main question into a set of sub-questions. These will be examined

through a detailed analysis of the current literature and the field study conducted in

the Department of Industrial Design at METU3 by applying interview and narrative

inquiry techniques.

The following question is tackled through a detailed analysis of the current literature

regarding design education in general and industrial design education in particular as

demonstrated in Figure 1.1.

What skills and abilities do industrial design students need to create and

develop 3D forms in the early phases of design process in their studio

studies?

Additionally, the following questions are mainly dealt with through the field study

by (1) revealing the evidence about the employment of the 3D physical and digital

modeling and (2) examining the factors shaping the position of 3D physical and

digital modeling in the 3D form development phases in the early stages of design

processes in industrial design education.

What are the existing roles and positions of physical and digital 3D modeling

in the studio studies?

What are existing inclinations of the students regarding the employment of

3D physical and digital modeling in the 3D form development phases of

design processes?

3 METU is chosen for basically one particular reason. As will be shown below, the field research

should go beyond formal interviews with students and instructors as the information collected from

the interviews are not deep enough provide the research with satisfactory knowledge of the issue in

hand. Such a strategy should be supplemented by the information acquired by observations. This

requires the researcher to get involved in the studio practices of the students. As the researcher herself

works in the department, it is much easier for her to take part in the studio works of the students.

How can 3D physical and digital modeling be employed more effectively

and efficiently to contribute to the development of form creation related

skills of the students in the studio studies in industrial design education?

7

What factors affect these inclinations?

Figure 1.1 Research questions

9

CHAPTER 2

REPRESENTATIONS IN DESIGN PROCESS

2.1 Introduction

Cultural and technological changes have affected all professional fields in the last

couple of decades immensely. Parallel to these changes, scope, boundaries and even

the definitions of most professions have been undergoing some form of change.

Industrial design is one of the most affected professions because of its sensitivity to

both technology and culture.

While the field of industrial design is changing, industrial design education is also

evolving to develop new programs for the development of new skills based on new

areas in design practice such as strategic planning, sustainable design, interaction

design, user-centered design, computer-aided design etc. Although these new skills

and new technologies redefine the role of designers and their education processes, it

should be taken into account that there are some more durable basic skills which the

design profession is still based on.

One of the persistent and commonly shared themes in the design literature is the

creative side of the design practice based on the ideas and imagination of the

designer. However, being creative is not sufficient to become a designer, as the

designer is expected to ― ring together str ct constructs such s inform tion,

knowledge, skills and sensitivities within a working context‖ in order to resh pe

materials (Morrison and Twyford, 1996). Along the same lines, Goldschmidt (1999)

emphasizes the critical role of planning activity in design practice. According to him,

to plan for creating a non-existent artifact involves a process of building its

representations in order to enable communication and examination of the ideas. This

10

insight requires us to turn to the representations as visualization and communication

tools in design.

2.2 Representing ideas

For communication one needs representations in different forms such as pictures,

drawings, formulas, symbols, gestures, and words. Different representations are

required for different purposes, modalities, media and level of abstractions (Grignon,

2000; Goldschmidt and Potter, 2004). More complicated expressions need some

extra supporting representations such as mathematical formulas, symbols, and both

abstract and concrete models.

From the cognitive science perspective, Visser (2006) considers representations as

cognitive artifacts evolved in an interactive process. His argument is based on the

reflective evolution of representations and their producers. He identifies seven main

functions of representations;

To keep track of ideas, inferences made, and results and conclusions

achieved.

To advance understanding and interpretation, and possibly “see” things

differently.

To reach “new” ideas based on “new” interpretations of the

representations.

To derive implications from results already obtained and presented in the

representation

To think about situations that [one is] not in or that may not yet exist,”

“to reason about situations that one is unable to experience directly.”

And to “rely on a kind of “hypothetical reality” that anchors [one’s]

reasoning”

To organize one’s continuing work

To communicate one’s results or conclusions – be they final or

intermediate- to other people.(Visser, 2006;121 )

Representations may vary depending on the audiences, stakeholders, the resources

and the purposes which they are used for (Grignon, 2000, 1988; Goldschmidt and

Potter, 2004). The most common representations may be listed as follows:

11

Concrete representations - Abstract representations

Precise and detailed representations - Rough and quick representations

Scaled representations - Life size representations

Three dimensional representations - Two dimensional representations

Conventional representations - Free form representations

Full and detailed representations - partial representations

2.3 Communication and visualization tools in design process

(Representing ideas in design process)

In his study on representation and reasoning in design, Gero points to a specific

relationship between the understanding of the external visual world and the visual

ideas of an individual. He draws our attention to the shapes and their main role in the

composition of our extern l visu l worlds According to him, ―we underst nd nd

inter ct with the world… l rgely through our visu l sense‖ (Gero, 1999; 315) In this

context, visualization of the ideas in the design process is a must for representing

them for evaluation. Accordingly, visualizing, testing and modifying can be

identified as central and iterative activities in the design process (Cross, 1990).

Through these central activities, a large body of scientific and technological

knowledge is processed and introduced during the design process.

In recent ye rs, p r llel to Cross‘s perspective, there h s een a large volume of

studies focusing on the role of visual representations in design from different

perspectives, such as cognitive science, sociology etc. as well as the design field

itself. In one of these studies that focuses on design as a “reflective conversation

with the materials of a design situation”, Schön (1992) defines designing on the

basis of ―seeing, moving, seeing‖ ctivities From his point of view, the designer

develops some visual, tactile or other kinds of representations of the specifications of

design idea, sees what has been done and uses this information for further

representations The term ‗seeing‘ encompasses 'recognize', 'detect', 'discover',

'appreciate' and innumerous variants of seeing. Moving means developing the

12

representation according to the information gathered by seeing, hence, seeing affects

the designer‘s move towards the new solutions. There is an emphasis on the role of

the judgments in ‗seeing, moving, seeing‘ in Schön‘s study Designers m ke

judgments during the design process based on their body of knowledge, values,

systems of beliefs, habitus etc. In this iterative and reflective process, the designer

herself /himself is lso ch nged s well s designed o ject/system (Schön, 1991)

At the beginning of the design process, as the representations are ambiguous, then

designer tends to eliminate these ambiguities, yet each move creates new ambiguities

and the designer continuously tries to eliminate them till a clear representation is

obtained. This process and its final product (the final representation) are affected by

this reflective conversation between the designer and the representation (Schön,

1991).

In another major study, Design Representation, Goldschmidt (2004) state that

―design is to represent, nd in no c se is there design without represent tion‖

(p.203). According to him, the ultimate goal of a designer is to develop ―s tisfying

represent tion‖ of designed o ject or system (Goldschmidt, 2004; 203).

During the design process, the designer uses different kinds of representations such

as report, sketches, drawings, 3d models, and electronic data. Some of them may be

abstract and some of them may be material representations. The designer transforms

information from abstract to material representations, from verbal to visual

representations, from two-dimensional to three-dimensional representation or vice

versa (Visser, 2006). During these transformations, designer can recognize more

easily the conflicting parts or gaps, make judgments and develop new solutions.

From a different discipline, cognitive psychology, Visser (2006) distinguishes design

and the production of the designed artefact product in her study in a similar way with

Goldschmidt‘s rgument She considers design s cognitive activity and the

representation as a cognitive ability that a designer employs during the design

process. In her own words, ―Designers are not producing the artefact product, but

its specification” (2006; 115). This approach to representations in the design process

is based on the suggestion that a designer only produce the specification of an

13

artefact product not itself. Specification activity in design process is described as the

construction of the representations.

In line with this reasoning, Visser describes three main phases of the specification

activity in design process: generating, transforming and evaluating. These phases

involves various iterations until the precise and detailed representation of the

designed product/system is achieved. Before reaching the final design representation

designer uses intermedi te represent tions As in Schön‘s study, Visser lso

highlights the differences between intermediate and final representations. The degree

of abstraction, specification and completeness differs for each one. She demonstrates

this as the process of transforming the representations. However, this transformation

is not limited within the types of representations, it may also occur in two directions;

vertical transformation from one idea to a brand new idea and the lateral (horizontal)

transformation from one idea to its refined version. (Goel, 1995; Visser, 2006; Self,

et al., 2009)

Representations are commonly considered as the main part of design processes and

designers employ them for different aims in different phases of this process. In the

relevant literature, the following four main functions of representations during

design process have appeared prominent.

Communicating ideas to the others

Since design is directly related to non-existent things, as mentioned above, designers

need communication tools and some form of media in order to represent their ideas.

These tools or media are expected to provide the designers with an opportunity to

visualize their ideas and imaginations in order to gather feedbacks and evaluations

for their designs from the other relevant actors and audiences. During a design

process, numerous decisions are made by the actors and representations and

visualization have significant roles in decision making. As demonstrated in Figure

2.1, Pohl (2006) considers representation and visualization as two of six functional

elements of decision making.

14

Figure 2.1 The elements of decision making (Pohl, 2006)

Through the representations and visuals, the proposals or current states of the

evolving solutions are transmitted to the decision makers during the design process

(Pohl, 2006) and it is partly for this reason that the design practitioners are mostly

appreciated by decision makers for their visualization skills. Therefore, although the

main emphasis is often on the form of the proposed object, the success of a design

proposal largely depends on the preferred representation type and quality of the

representations as well as the quality of the designed product / system, and the

effects of visual representations on the decisions of the actors in design process are

described s ―rhetoric l effects‖ (Crilly, et l, 2009)

As the inner dialogue of designer

Representing means making things visible. However this visibility is not only for the

other actors of design process but also for the designers themselves (Visser, 2006).

Besides communicating design related information to others, the designer uses

representations and visuals to evaluate her/his own ideas before introducing them to

the other actors in design process. Like other actors in design process, designer also

makes decisions through inner dialogs for evaluating her/his ideas and solutions. In

15

this respect, 2D and 3D sketch modeling play vital roles in initiating and developing

design ideas (Verstijnen et al, 1998a; 520) In th t c se, designers iter tive ‗seeing

moving seeing‘ (Schön, 1992) ctivity m y also be considered as an inner dialog.

As a supporting tool for the mental imagery in design process

It is an obvious fact that the human capacity for internal representation / mental

imagery has limits. For this reason we need external representations as a supporting

tool for our cognitive abilities in design process. As mentioned by many scholars,

our mental imagery needs external supports for complex design tasks.

Representations have very important roles in compensating for our limited capacity

for inner representation (mental imagery) (Goldschmidt and Porter, 2004). The

human brain uses stored knowledge for solving immediate problems, however, for

the solutions for ―im gined future o ject‖ we need supporting resources for

―perceiving, cting nd communic ting‖ (Fish, 2004, 154)

Testing proposed solutions

Design problems are considered as ill-defined/ill-structured problems by Simon

(1984), and one of the expected contributions of designers is to create possible

solutions for those ill-defined problems (Visser, 2006; Simon, 1984). During the

design process, designer redefines ill-defined problem continuously; this means that

each definition opens up new paths for new solutions. It is hard to test design

solutions for definite criteria. In such a complex situation, words are not adequate to

represent solutions for testing; designer needs different representations, which

support the testing process of the solution, such as 2D drawings, illustrations and 3D

models.

16

2.4 Modeling Practice

Most scholars working on design practice mention modeling and its role in design

process in their studies. Eissen (1990) emphasizes modeling as an activity depicting

form in order to communicate design intent. In line with this reasoning we can

consider models as external representations of ideas which are formulated and

manipulated in the mind and modeling s the ―l ngu ge of designing‖ (Archer,

1992). Before focusing on models and modeling practice in design education, it will

be useful to survey the literature on models in different fields. Hence, in this chapter,

the term model, its role in different disciplines, in design and especially in industrial

design is reviewed.

2.4.1 What is a model?

In this section, we will review the literature on the term model and its role in general

and in industrial design. To understand what a model is, firstly, the term model

should be considered on the basis of its functions in language; as a noun, as an

adjective and as a verb. Model, as a noun, is a representation; as an adjective, it

means ide l or perfect inst nce, s in model hus nd; ‗ s ver to model

ssoci ted with to demonstr te, to reve l or to show wh t thing is like‘ (He ly and

Healy, 2008, p 125) In ro der sense, ‗model is defined s kind of represent tion

of something‘ (Brown nd M rtin, 1977; Mitchell, 1993) Although models nd their

roles differ according to the fields, any description of a model and its role in a field

originates from its power to represent. There is a special relationship between model

and the reality/system/object which a model represent. This relationship can be

determined y ‗simil rity nd isomorphism‘; the constructions, m nipul tions nd

analysis of models and the knowledge gathered from these analyses depend on the

similarity or isomorphism between the model and the represented

system/object/reality (Knuuttila and Boon, 2009).

At this stage, before explaining the term model further, the difference between

simulation and model should be mentioned in order to prevent any misconception.

17

Simul tion is defined y Archer (1992) s ‗the techniques of uilding logic l models

which copy or imitate the functional behavior of the system modeled‘ Simul tions

are realistic models which are needed to make predictions about the ultimate

performance of a design in a modeled usage environment, with a modeled user

(H sdoğ n, 1993).

Models are classified in different ways in the literature, at the most basic level; they

could be classified into two basic categories, ‗cognitive models‘ nd ‗concrete

models‘ as externalized forms of cognitive models.

Figure 2.2 Cognitive and concrete model

Cognitive models are imagined ideas in the mind; the ability to evaluate them, to

make judgments, to transform them into alternative configurations by using mental

represent tions is ‗cognitive modeling‘ (Archer nd Ro erts, 1992; Welch, 1997;

Davies and Elmer, 2001). Externalized forms of cognitive models are concrete

models; in the most common way concrete models are categorized into three types

in the literature, (a) iconic, (b) symbolic and (c) analogue (Archer, 1992; Davies and

Elmer, 2001; Smith, 2001)

18

Iconic models represent physical structures such as a product, a building, a

landscape etc. Sketches, three-dimensional architectural models, model of a kettle

etc. are examples of iconic models (Archer, 1992; Smith, 2001). Archer defines

iconic models as the most reliable ones.

Symbolic models represent intangible factors by using abstract codes such as

mathematical models. (Archer, 1992; Davies and Elmer, 2001; Smith, 2001)

Analogue models represent existing or proposed reality through diagrams and

algorithms such as electrical circuit diagrams. (Archer, 1992; Davies and Elmer,

2001; Smith, 2001)

Although, all models have been used for a same purpose, for representing, their role

in different domains such as natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, etc. varies

based on the domain specific contexts. For a social scientist a model is an instrument

which can mediate between the theory and the world (Morgan and Morrison, 1999;

Frigg and Hartman, 2006). We can acquire knowledge through models whether they

re ‗phenomenologic l models‘ or ‗models of d t ‘ Scale models, idealized,

analogical and phenomenological models are listed by Frigg and Hartman (2006)

under the ‗models of phenomen ‘ title On the other h nd, they define ‗models of

d t ‘ s corrected, rectified, regimented and at least partially idealized version of the

raw data.

In another study, focusing on scientific representations, models are given three main

functions. In this study, Baker (2000) suggests that needed predictions should be

extracted from a model;

Firstly, models should give us knowledge about the potential possibilities

and risks regarding to the represented reality.

Secondly, through a model, the knowledge which cannot be acquired

because of the complexity of the reality should be easily recognized and

understood. Thus, according to him, a model should also be an elaborated

or refined representation of the represented theory.

19

Thirdly a model should take into account some features and characteristics

of the represented reality and ignore others in order to render the examined

parts of the represented reality more workable.

From software engineering field, in which models are used commonly, Bézivin nd

Ger é (2001) define model s ‗ simplific tion of system‘. They identify the two

most important characteristics of models in a similar way to B ker‘s three import nt

functions of a model. The first characteristic is that a model should have ‗the

capacity to answer the questions about the system which it represents‘. The second

characteristic is ‗the usefulness of a model‘, the usefulness of a model, which could

be achieved by the simplification of the model; it should be simpler than the actual

system, many details of the represented system should be abstracted out and only

necessary details should be implemented on it (Bezivin and Gerbe, 2001). Although

Knuuttila and Boon (2009) analyze models on the basis of their construction

processes, they also mention two characteristics of models. According to them, a

model should be constructed to provide external support for our thinking process. In

the construction process of a model, its information space should be narrowed by

localizing only the most important features of represented reality so that the

information can be turned into a manipulable and workable form.

As observed in the studies from different disciplines mentioned above, there are four

prominent common characteristics of models. These characteristics are summarized

y H sdoğ n (1993) s follows

A model is a 'representation' of something

The representation is based upon some selected aspects of the

phenomenon

The representation 'reduces' the attributes of the phenomenon

The representation is 'systematically related' to the phenomenon on

the basis of some 'purpose'

In addition to these characteristics which might be considered as a summary of the

ppro ches to the models which mentioned ove, H sdoğ n (1993) also lists the

criteria by which models can be judged or compared: Validity, Utility, Reliability,

20

Fidelity, Comprehensiveness, Flexibility, Communicativeness, Ease of use, and

Effectiveness.

After this short review on models in general, the following section will focus on

models in design and especially in the industrial design field.

2.4.2 The position of modeling as a representational skill in design

Although the transformation of industrial design profession has changed its modes of

action, its scope and required competencies for professional life, industrial design is

still based on to merge ideas and feelings with concrete materials (Hannah, 2002).

The merger of the essential concepts with material embodiment of the designed

o ject determines n o ject‘s ttri utes such s its utility, comfort, s fety, esthetics

etc. (Norman, 2004; Crilly, et al., 2004; Desmet and Hekkert, 2007).

Designers are expected to create, evaluate and communicate the proposed attributes

of non-existing products, buildings, systems, etc.. Models are fast and economic

representational tools for the creation, evaluation and communication of these

attributes (Archer, 1992; Paynter et al., 2002). The design process starts in the

designer‘s mind; she/he im ges ide s, ev lu tes them, m kes judgments nd

transforms them by employing mental modeling (Archer and Roberts, 1992; Welch,

1997; Davies and Elmer, 2001). However, designer needs to externalize them for

three main reasons.

Firstly, sometimes to conduct design process totally in the mind is impossible

because of the complexity of the design processes and the limited mental capacity of

human beings. In order to keep track of the ideas before they fades or are covered by

new ideas, and to organize them to facilitate investigations, to see them from a

different perspective, etc. designer needs to externalize her/his mental models of the

design solutions (Goldschmidt and Potter, 2004; Fish, 2004). To investigate and see

mental models from a different perspective enables unexpected discoveries which

are a very important impetus for creativity (Holm, 2006)

21

Secondly, in most cases, verbal representations are not sufficient to communicate

ideas/ mental models of design solutions to the other actors of the design process for

instance decision makers, production team and users (Archer, 1992; Goldschmidt

and Potter, 2004; Visser, 2006). As mentioned in the previous chapters, to introduce

design solutions by different representational tools makes them more

comprehensible for the other actors in the design process, especially for the actors

out of the professional design field.

Thirdly, the cost of testing, evaluating and making judgments of the design solutions

on a real product, building, system, etc.is very high in most cases and take a very

long time, therefore employing models simplified and abstracted from unnecessary

details for testing and evaluation process may be more economical in terms of both

cost and time (Evans, 1992; Page, 2000).

In the numerous studies on design process, models are classified according to

numerous different criteria such as the functions which they support, phases of

design process, the audiences to which they are introduced etc. Evans and Wormald

(1993) classify these visualization tools based on their functions in different phases

of design process in the following way:

• 2D sketches for the rapid generation of ideas

• 3D sketch models for a more detailed manipulation of form

• 2D renderings to present the proposal(s) to a client

• 3D block model(s) as an exact representation of the proposal

• 3D prototypes to define internal detail and undertake performance testing

Self, Dalke and Evans (2009) classify representational tools based on the three

generic stages of design process; concept design, development design and detail

design. Their classification demonstrated in Figure 3.1 is abstracted from the studies

of numerous researchers in design field such as Cross, Pipes, Ulrich, Goel, etc.

22

Figure 2.3 Taxonomy of design tools in three generic stages of design (Self, Dalke

and Evans, 2009; )

In the early stages of design process, sketching is the most easy and quick way of

externalization of the flowing ideas. Freehand sketches allow reflective conversation

between the designer and her/his ideas (Goel, 1995) and their ambiguity and density

make unexpected discoveries possible (Holm, 2006). However, employing 3D quick

models besides 2D sketches in the early stages of design process has considerable

advantages. It could prevent inconsistencies hardly noticeable on 2D representations,

make the possibilities more visible (Evans, 1992), reveal relationships between full

and empty spaces and between surfaces of a form, and allow on to feel its volume

and geometry.

Designer needs more realistic models in the advanced phases of design process

because there are more refined details which should be evaluated and communicated.

In the later phases of design process, the most common modeling tools can be listed

as follows; block models and 3D digital models and realistic images for presenting

the appearance of the proposed object, partial models for the evaluation of details,

working models for the evaluation of mechanism and functions, detailed technical

drawings and prototypes for usability tests, market researches and production

(Evans, 1992; Goldschmidt, 2004; Dorta, et al., 2008).

23

As seen in Ev ns‘ nd Worm ld‘s list nd Figure 3 1 , lthough two dimension l

models have an important role in the early phases of design process, whether they

are physical or digital, 3D models appear as the most significant representational

tools for the manipulation of a 3D form throughout the design process.

2.4.3 3D models and 3D form development

Although there are limited studies focusing on the real effects of 3D visualization on

design process and presentation, they are considered as one of the most powerful

communication tool between the actors (Liem, 2004) because, as Lawson (2004)

shows in his seminal work, How Designers Think, designing an object, system,

building or a region is to create three dimensional forms and spaces. To create 3D

forms, the designer needs 3D design knowledge.

2D drawings and sketching have limitations for advanced phases of product

development process. In order to represent a complex 3D form on paper, one should

be an expert in both 2D drawing and sketching. However, there are significant

differences etween the ―perception of physic l 3D o ject‖ nd the perception of

―2D represent tion of th t o ject‖ 3D models nd m quettes llow the designer to

explore design possibilities and strengthen mental images (Kimbell et al., 1996;

Paynter et al., 2002).

As mentioned in the previous section, attributes of an object related to both tangible

and intangible properties can be associated with the elements of emotional design;

utility, comfort, safety and aesthetics. The appearance of a product provides

numerous clues about the elements of emotional design which it bears (Crilly, et al.,

2004; Norman, 2004, Desmet and Hekkert, 2007). However to test them and their

effects on the emotions of a user on a 2D drawing may not give sufficient feedback

to the designer. At that point, 3D models, whether rough or detailed, can be

considered as one of the most convenient representational tools for creating,

evaluating and developing the tangible and partially intangible properties of a

24

product, its appearance and its interaction with a user (Sauer and Sonderegger,

2009).

By drawing upon the recent literature on design, Liddament (1993) identifies the

following roles of the 3D models.

• Obtain ideas about the finished appearance of a design

• See how the design might be improved

• Develop or refine the design

• Show possible faults in the design

• Study possible prototypes

• Test mechanisms, circuits, or other parts

• Represent features such as scale, proportion etc.

• Check features such as weight, feel etc. (92)

2.4.4 Developments in 3D modeling techniques

Although there have been very few studies on it, the history of model making shows

that the model making techniques have developed parallel to the production

techniques in h ndcr fts Brunelleschi‘s Dome for Florence C thedr l is known s

one of the first model produced in the 15th

century. However, first important

appearance of models started at the beginning of the 18th century (Baker, 2004). In

her book on modeling practice in architectural design, Moon (2005) provides a short

history of modeling practice in design field. Until the 1930s, hand tools and some

basic cutting and pressing equipment were used for model making. In 1939, the first

known model-making workshop with industrial equipment was opened in USA

(Moon, 2005). However, these tools were not convenient to produce miniaturized

parts of the models. In order to produce miniaturized models, the model workshops

needed miniaturized tools and equipment. In the 1970s, smaller tools and equipment

ec me v il le for model m king workshops At the end of the 1970‘s, first

computerized production techniques such as CNC (Computer Numeric Control)

milling and laser cutting emerged and they suited to the model making process. CNC

machining in model making made it possible to produce smaller and complicated

25

models, even if the cost of the computerized equipment was very high for model

making companies.

In recent years, rapid developments in computer technologies have affected all

professional fields. Especially in the last three decades, significant changes in

visualization techniques have been experienced in design field parallel to the

developments in computer technologies.

At least for the last two decades, in addition to 2D drawings, it has been possible to

produce 3D digital models and 2D realistic images from these 3D models via

rendering applications. In the last decade, along with the introduction of middle

range inexpensive CAD applications, CAD has been turned into one of the basic

communication tools in design field (Feirer, 2002).

CAD applications have many advantages for designers, some of which are

mentioned by the researchers such as Paynter et al. (2002), Feirer (2002) and Unver

(2006) are listed below;

Experimenting with form in a risk free environment

Producing photo realistic representations of artifacts

Facilities such as transforming, copying, scaling, rotating and keeping history

of actions

Preparing and communicating quickly design proposals

Not needing physical storage

Not needing hands-on skills

Not consuming time and money compared to the traditional modeling

techniques

In spite of its advantages, digital design was criticized because of its virtuality until

90‘s In these criticisms, the lack of the physical feedback that allows an evaluation

of the designed o ject‘s physic l properties such s weight nd texture w s emerged

as the most significant problem of digital design.

According to Ramduny-Ellis et al. (2010), although digital modeling techniques are

used extensively in design processes in recent years, objects are experienced mostly

26

with their physicality and materials. At that point, with the development of rapid

prototyping techniques, compensation of the lack of physicality of digital design has

been partially achieved.

After the 1990s, with the widespread use of rapid prototyping technologies, digital

modeling techniques have been valued for their ability to produce physical models.

The problems resulting from the lack of physicality have been partially solved by

development of rapid prototyping techniques.

In recent years, CAD and rapid prototyping techniques have been turned into

common practices in new product development process in industry. Unver (2006)

suggest that parallel to the extensive usage of these techniques in industry,

integration of CAD and rapid prototyping techniques into the design education

becomes a necessity in order to equip candidate designers with newly emerged

design tools for their professional life.

27

CHAPTER 3

3D MODELING PRACTICE IN DESIGN EDUCATION

3.1 Design education as a skill acquisition process

As several studies on design education have suggested, the most effective way of

training in the reflective practices such as architecture and industrial design is

‗le rning y doing‘ (Dewey, 1938; Schön, 1991; L ckney, 1999; Oxm n, 2004) The

―Le rning y doing‖ ppro ch has been appeared from the beginning of the 20th

century as the central idea of the progressivist perspective in education.

From Dewey‘s perspective, as mentioned by Adamson (2007; 79), ―experience‖ is

one of the key concepts for ―le rning y doing‖. He defines 'experience' as a

"moment of interaction with objects and processes".

Lawson (2006) supports this approach for design education by stating ―it seems

almost impossible to learn design without actually doing it‖ In the common

approach to design education, design students are equipped with scientific and

domain specific knowledge with supporting courses and learning to use this

knowledge for their design problems in the studio studies (Figure 4.1).

28

Figure 3.1 Industrial design education

Simil r to Schön‘s (1991) term ―knowing in ction‖, knowing has been defined with

reference to its action relevant nature by Barab, Hay and Yamagata (2001). Their

approaches imply that knowledge and cognition should be evaluated by taking into

account the dynamic relations among the changing (learning) environments and

changing individuals. Throughout these dynamic relations among individual learners

and their environments, learners can develop their potential to act in a certain fashion

(Barab, Hay and Yamagata, 2001). In design education, studio environment is the

place where the formulation of design related knowledge construction is actualized

and the potential to act in design (product development) process is developed.

Although, as argued by Kolko (2000) and Lawson (2006), the design studio tradition

is criticized for its weakness such as paying attention to the end products of the

students rather than to the process, and needs some changes for adaptation of newly

emerging areas in industrial design such as sustainable design and interaction design,

it is still a fact that the most convenient conditions for learning by doing in design

education can be provided by studio studies (Schön, 1991; L ckney, 1999;Broadfoot

and Bennett, 2003). Gathering formal knowledge related to design domain is not

sufficient to become a designer, a design student should learn to analyze and reframe

the problem, to develop new strategies for action, etc. (Schön, 1991). These are the

29

skills which a designer needs to act in a design process. Cross (1990) defines the

most important skills which design education should develop in design students as

―core ilities‖, these re:

Resolve ill-defined problems

Adopt solution-focusing strategies

Employ abductive/productive/appositional thinking

Use non-verbal graphic/spatial modeling media

However, developments of these skills are mostly based on the construction of the

t cit knowledge, in Schön‘s (1991) term, sed on ―knowing in ction‖, which c n

be acquired only by doing, exercising and observing the practicing professionals.

McCullough (1996) define skill by emphasizing its acquisition process as in the

following quotation from his book, Abstracting Craft.

Skill also differs from talent, and from conceptual grasp, even if it may

reflect them. Talent seems native, and concepts come from schooling, but

skill is learned by doing. It is acquired by demonstration and sharpened by

practice. Although it comes from habitual activity, it is not purely

mechanical. (McCullough, 1996; 3)

In another significant study on the creation of the knowledge in design education,

Thoring and Mueller (2012) define four knowledge levels built up on each other as

demonstrated in their typology of design knowledge in Figure 4.2. The transitions

between these levels enable the development of the knowledge.

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Figure 3.2 Typology of design knowledge (Thoring and Mueller, 2012)

Thoring and Mueller, building on Schön‘s nd Cross‘ perspective, place tacit

knowledge that also contains representational skills on the second level which other

refined knowledge will be built up on. On this level, tacit knowledge is acquired

mainly through learning by doing and observing professionals as in studio studies in

design education.

The first instances of studio based learning by doing were seen in the guild system of

the Middle Ages. Then it was adapted in design education by the Ecole des Beaux

Arts at the beginning of the 19th century (Reimer and Douglas, 2003; Broadfoot and

Bennett, 2003). As mentioned by Lackney (1999) studio studies were conducted by

masters (professors or guest master designers) in the Ecole. The representations of

projects were judged by a jury, however, without students.

Following Ecole des Beaux Arts, numerous design schools in both Europe and US

adopted studio-based learning by doing. Although the studio studies had different

31

characteristics in each school especially in Bauhaus, its basic form was based on

experimenting, in other words, learning by doing was not changed (Lackney, 1999;

Reimer and Douglas, 2003; Broadfoot and Bennett, 2003). The goal of Bauhaus was

the unification of all training in art and design. In Bauhaus ideal, to educate a

designer/artist was to equip her/him with the knowledge and mastery of the physical

laws such as statistics, acoustics etc. (Gropius, 1923). This unified training was

sed on ―le rning y doing‖ nd the intellectu l educ tion nd the m nu l training

was implemented in a parallel way. The main emphasis in the education process was

on both conceptualization and visualization, and representations had an important

place in the curriculum as demonstrated in Figure 4.3.

Figure 3.3 Diagram of the organization of the Bauhaus. (Translated from Walter

Gropius‘ (1923) di gr m (t ken from www.theartstory.com at 25-10-2011)

Today, as mentioned above, studio studies are the main part of the educational

process in most design schools Studio studies re sed on Dewey‘s ‗le rning y

doing‘ concept, students le rn to design y designing Besides ‗le rning y doing‘,

another important strategy in studio studies in design education is the direct

relationship between instructors and students. Through this relationship, instructors

(experienced designers) guide students to understand how they can reframe the

http://www.theartstory.com/

32

problem, find and represent solutions, make judgments etc. based on the their

experiences (Cennamo, et al., 2011).

This is ctu lly kind of reflective process etween students nd instructors (Schön,

1992) Instructors‘ experiences, judgments nd ppro ches to the pro lems h ve

important effects on the construction process of the design world of a design student.

Design world is descri ed y Schön (1991, 1992 ) s world in which designer

constructs and reconstructs objects and relationships with which she/he deals with

according to her/his own way of reframing problems, making judgments, developing

solutions, etc.

The first step in studio studies in design education is to give students an intentionally

― t le st in p rt, ill-defined, uncert in or incoherent pro lem‖ (Bro dfoot nd

Bennett, 2003; 3). Students start their studio studies by analyzing and reframing the

given ill-defined problem and continue to develop their design solutions in their

design worlds according to the changing situations such as inconsistency between

the design solution and new situations, between the visual and verbal

representations, reframed problems, etc. (Schön, 1991; Visser, 2006) This

continuous development and evolution of design solutions in studio studies is

actually another formulation of Schön‘s (1992) ―seeing, moving, seeing‖ ctivities

which continuously iterate during the design process. Learning to develop and

evaluate design solutions by doing/experimenting depends on the three main

characteristics of design.

Design is a cognitive practice sed on designer‘s knowing in ction, it is

kind of tacit knowledge which cannot be entirely formulated and described in

words (Schön, 1991; W tz, 2001)

Design is a process and should be learned as a whole. The cognitive abilities

and competencies can be developed through a design process by

experimenting the effects of these cognitive abilities and competencies on

e ch other nd on the design solutions (Schön, 1991; W tz, 2001)

Design process is based on the developments of the representations of

designed object/system.

33

The representational tools used during the design process such as drawings, models

etc. comprise ―l ngu ge of design‖ (Archer, 1992) In the e rly ph ses of design,

representations allow one to see the problem from a different perspective and

provide se for refr ming it In the dv nced ph ses, s st ted y Schön (1991),

each new solution creates new problems to solve. In this situation designer should

reframe newly emerging problems in order to arrive at the most convenient solution.

The str tegy of ‗looking from different perspective‘ is still v lid for the dv nced

phases of design process; however it should be supported by different forms of

representation. The externalization of design problem and solutions with different

representational tools creates new possibilities for seeing new aspects of the problem

and serendipities for the solutions. (Lawson, 2006; Horowitz and Danilowitz, 2009)

In the previous section, Goldschmidt‘s (2004) ppro ch on design is captured by her

own words, ―design is to represent‖ Schön‘s nd Visser‘s ppro ches to the

representations in design process support her statement by implying that design is

the evolution of the represent tions According to Schön, m iguous nd

incompetent representations are developed by seeing, moving, seeing action. This is

a reflective action between designer and representations of her/his design solutions.

In a similar way, Visser assumes that design process is the transformation process of

the representations from intermediary representations that have uncertain

specifications to the final ones, which have certain specifications.

The mentioned critical positions of representations and representational media in

design make it a technology-mediated practice. All representational media whether

physical or digital are among the technologies for design practice. Accordingly,

design practice occurs through the interaction between the designer and technologies

for design practice.

Departing from the regarding literature, it is possible to conclude that the main

objective of design education is to equip design students with the knowledge and

skills for professional lives. Hence, the development of the representational skills

that a designer employs to deal with the design solutions has an important place in

design education.

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If the role of learning by doing and modeling in design education in the literature are

reconsidered, it can be concluded that, students also learn to design by learning;

To represent their design solutions by modeling for testing its specifications

To m ke decisions y m king inner convers tions with their designs‘ models

(Schön, 1992; Verstijnen et al, 1998; Visser, 2006)

To determine gaps and inconsistencies between the different forms of models

(Goldschmidt, 2004; Visser, 2006)

To develop their designs by transforming uncertain specifications on the

models of their designs into cert in nd concrete specific tions (Schön, 1991;

Visser, 2006; Lawson, 2006)

To represent their design solutions in a convincing way to the decision

makers (jury members) through models in different forms (Archer, 1992;

Goldschmidt and Potter, 2004; Visser, 2006)

To narrow the working space in order to understand more easily the hidden

problems on their designs through abstracted and refined models (Evans,

1992; Page, 2000)

To catch serendipity moments in design process through different form of

representation such as drawings, illustrations and models (Lawson, 2006;

Horowitz and Danilowitz, 2009)

However, while the representational tools are evaluated and adopted commonly

based on their exploratory capacities on the recognition of the inconsistencies and

possible new solutions, their effects on the educational processes, the students‘

cognitive developments and their design approaches are analyzed in the limited

number of the studies.

Eastman, (2001) in his important study on representations and design cognition,

states that learning new specialized representations is the foundation for advanced

learning in design field. A new representation is learned through repeated practices,

35

a design student firstly learns to read a new representation, starts to interpret,

manipulate and evaluate it automatically. According to him, design expertise

emerges at the point where design student can map the knowledge with the

representations.

The significant relationship between the design education and the developments of

the representational skills is also emphasized by Oxman (1999). She considers the

acquisition of the cognitive ability to manipulate the representations of design

knowledge as one of the elements of design learning. As mentioned by her in a

recent study, organizational structure of the knowledge provides convenient ground

for the cognitive ability to manipulate different knowledge and competencies in

design (Oxman, 2004). This is actually cognitive process of design thinking. In that

case, according to her the construction of the knowledge and the development of

cognitive abilities in design are among the most important contents of learning by

doing in studio studies.

In both academic and professional design field there are some conflicting approaches

to the representational media and their roles in design education. While certain

studies focus on the advantages of traditional representational techniques and media

such as 2d freehand sketching, 3D physical modeling, etc., others analyze the

computer aided design (CAD) tools and their positive effects on the skill

development process of design student.

However, according to Crilly et.al (2009) each representational technique has

limitations and encourages the user to use certain types of form treatment; in other

words, they h ve ―deterministic effects‖ on the design process. These effects are the

constraints and advantages of any kind of modeling media. Being familiar with the

possibilities and practicalities of any media can be possible only by understanding

these constraints and advantages (McCullough, 200, 1996), in other words,

underst nding their ―deterministic effects‖. At that point, it can be assumed that

being competent in any modeling media entails being familiar with their mentioned

possibilities and practicalities.

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3.2 Physical modeling in design education

In his book, Allen (2008) starts one of the sections entitled ‗H nd‘ with a quotation

from Yan Yuan (17th

c.), a well known philosopher from the late imperial period of

China,

―The h nd must seize thing efore one knows it perfectly‖ (Y n Yu n, 17th

c.;

Allen, 2008; 14)

One of the me nings of the term ―to see‖ is lso ‗to underst nd‘ From Allen‘s point

of view, we can see through our hands. They are sensory devices and we use them as

an instrument for communication. He suggests five procedures for manual

exploration: lateral motion and contour following; pressure; static contact;

unsupported holding, and enclosing (2008; 15). We discover structural and surface

properties of a physical object and manipulate it through these procedures. Allen

supports his rgument y suggesting th t ‗there is lmost no skill th t doesn‘t

com ine‘ h nd nd eye (2008; 16)

Shapes, in art and design, are created and evaluated based on visual, kinesthetic and

tactile feedback (Bordegoni and Cugini, 2005). Tactile feedback is mostly acquired

by manual exploration. In design process, manual exploration of the shape provides

clues about its features and improves the three-dimensional mental representation of

it.

Designer‘s eng gement with form nd the link etween her/his ody nd it (Dort ,

2005) has significant effects on the creation process of the aesthetics and functional

properties of this form. The engagement of designer with a form requires visual,

kinesthetic and tactile involvement.

Along the same lines, according to Schön (2006), design process relies not only on

the designer‘s mind ut lso on her/his ody nd senses ‗Knowing in ction‘,

designer‘s most import nt competency, include sensory, odily knowing‘ Bodily

knowing involves the reflective conversation between a designer and the emerging

model during the form cre tion process (Schön, 1991; Şener-Pedgley, 2007).

37

Designers shape forms by their physical efforts as well as by their cognitive efforts.

During this physical interaction, the designer gathers different knowledge and

employs them in the future design processes as well as the following phases of the

current process (Bucolo, 2008).

To handle certain materials and to control 3D forms by hands and stereoscopic

vision during the design process is mentioned by Dorta (2005) as the significant

competencies of a designer which design education should enable design student to

acquire. Dorta also suggests that developing forms, their details and textures;

evaluating them, making judgments and changing their qualities according to the

judgments directly on an editable 3D physical model improve the creative work.

However, he highlights that in the early phases of the design process, 3D physical

models should be ambiguous and inaccurate in order to facilitate unexpected

discoveries and exploration of geometry as in sketching (Dorta, 2005). In contrast,

exploring geometries in existing CAD softw re requires precise definition of forms‘

geometry and to focus on commands rather than flow of ideas. Actually, the

advantages of studying rough physical sketch models in the early phases of design

processes which cannot be provided by computer aided modeling software are

mentioned frequently in the studies on digital modeling as well as on the physical

modeling (Dachille, et al., 1999; Cheshire, et.al, 2001; Dorta, 2005).

In the later design stages, the designer needs refined 3D physical models in order to

experiment and represent the texture of a surface, details on a form, physical

interaction between the potential user and the proposed product etc. Examining the

approaching angle of a hand to a handle or leverage, evaluating spatial relationships

of an object (Hornecker, 2007), testing the feel of touch to a silicon surface require

3D physical models. Nevertheless, in spite of their contribution to the design

processes, in studies on digital modeling, refined 3D physical models for the later

stages of design process are criticized based on their expensive, time consuming and

labor intensive production.

The significance of physical models in industrial design education is not limited to

their representational qualities and effects on creative process; they also provide

38

knowledge during their construction process. Physical laws (Hornecker, 2007),

development of concepts nd principles, nd m teri ls‘ reflexes c n e understood

during the model construction process (Knuuttila and Boon, 2009). Although

materials, as stated by Ramduny-Ellis et al. (2004), have limits and may constrain

designers during the model making process, these constraints can turn into

inspirations for form creation. Therefore working with various materials can enhance

the model making experience, feedbacks and creativity through their characteristics

(Hornecker, 2007).

3.3 Digital modeling and rapid prototyping technologies in design

process

Technological advances have two faces. While they enhance human abilities, they

are also threats to human sensitivities and culture (Mumford, 1967). Technology and

its effect on human capabilities are the most attractive areas to study for the social

scientists. The effects of technology are not limited within the substitutive capacity

for human capabilities, technology also has a potential to modify the capacities of

human (Mumford, 1934; Dant, 2004). The perceptions of a person channeled via

her/his bodily sensations are affected by the direct impact of the objects and

technologies (Dant, 2004).

Virtual reality environments and applications have had a significant place in

industrial design field because of the constant developments in CAD software and

digital modeling tools through which the usability of the applications and the quality

of outputs are continuously improved (Sutton, et al., 2007). CAD and digital

modeling tools have changed design process in the industrial design field and the

design culture in gener l (Oxm n, 2006; Şener-Pedgley et al., Aldoy and Evans

2011). As a result, the competencies for an industrial designer and hence the scope

of industrial design education have changed (Yang, et al., 2005).

The transformation of the representations is mentioned as one of the most significant

parts of design process in a large volume of the studies on design (Cross, 1990;

39

Schön, 1992; Goldschmidt, 2004; L wson, 2006; Visser, 2006) Throughout the

history of design, parallel to the developments in representational tools such as

discoveries of laws of perspective, paper and photography, there have been great

changes in both design field and design culture ( Frohburg and Petzold, 2004; Moon,

2005). However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the most dramatic

changes have been experienced with the entrance of CAD and digital modeling tools

in design field. Effects of CAD and digital modeling tools on design field are not

limited to the representation techniques; they have also changed the way designers

act (Lawson, 2006).

Several studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of CAD and digital

modeling tools on design process and the way designers act. Although numerous

effects of CAD and digital modeling have been argued in these studies, the most

significant contributions of CAD and digital modeling tools to design process and

the designer appear to be as follows:

They make possible the realization of the highly sophisticated forms in most

of the design related realms such as industrial design, architecture, interior

design, etc. CAD and digital modeling tools and their applications have made

possible the mathematical description of the forms for their construction

processes (Lawson, 2004).

They enhance the representational skills of designers and allow them to

produce high quality representations without requiring hands-on skills

(Tweed, 1998; Must ‘ m l, 2008)

They enable the production of several realistic alternative representations

from only one model (Bilda and Demirkan, 2003; Evans et al, 2005;

Bordegoni, et al., 2006), and hence reduce the time, material and labor

needed for preparing the representations (Evans et al., 2005; Aldoy and

Evans 2011). It is the economical contribution of the digital modeling to the

design process, however, in some cases in which the consequences of a

design failure would be severe such as injury or death, the cost of physical

model would not be compared with the value of the acquired information

from it. (Mitchell, 2008)

40

They make it possible to evaluate appearances and surface related visual

qualities of forms on realistic digital images without producing tangible

representations.

They enable the incremental modification of the existing forms in digital

environment without producing them physically. (Bilda and Demirkan, 2003,

Evans et al, 2005; Mitchell, 2008)

They eliminate scale and proportion problems in the representations. It is

possible to study details as if on a full scale representation (Paynter, et al,

2002; Breen, et al, 2003; Dorta, 2008)

They need only virtual space for the storage of the representations;

consequently they make representations more mobile. A large number of

representations can be stored only in a CD or an external memory.

They make it possible to compensate design failures and to change

inconsistent parts without rebuilding the representations by undo, erase,

scale, copy and paste commands in a risk free environment. (Dorta, 2008)

CAD and digital modeling tools are used not only for representation but also

for analyzing design solutions (Frohberg and Petzold, 2006, p8)

Heidegger (1929, 2001), in Being and Time, asserts that technology can extend

human capacities and abilities, but he emphasizes on that the possibilities are also

restricted by the opportunities and limits of the technology (Dant, 2004). Although

CAD and digital modeling tools facilitate and provide significant opportunities for

design process, forms are created, manipulated, perceived, and evaluated through a

2D screen, a keyboard and a mouse during the digital modeling (Breen, 2001).

Eventually, to learn to manipulate 3D forms through 2D interfaces might be highly

problematic especially for design students who endeavor to develop their cognitive

abilities regarding third dimension as well as representational skills.

The relationship between the organizational structures of knowledge and the

cognitive abilities to manipulate different knowledge and competencies are

mentioned in the section on Design Education. During the skill development process

of design students which could be considered as the construction process of the

knowledge reg rding three dimension l design world (Schön, 1991; Bucolo, 2008),

41

to develop 3D forms without any physical interaction with them may cause

inconsistencies in the perception and understanding of the real three dimensional

world.

Usage of CAD and digital modeling in the studio studies during the design education

may be turned into an obstacle to the development of the ability of physical

interactivity of the design students, in other words the ability to explore and evaluate

physical aspects of the forms such as physical user product interaction (McLundie,

2001; Smyth, 2002; C mp ell et l , 2003; Smyth, 2007; Şener-Pedgley, 2010).

Additionally, CAD and digital modeling requires focusing on to operate CAD

software and the determination of the mathematical descriptions of the forms rather

than following the ideas and the elements of the form which determine its functional,

aesthetics and ergonomics values (Dorta, 2005; Zuo and Malonebeach, 2010).

Although the scale-free digital environments of 3D digital modeling software enable

to focus on the details by zooming, they also cause the lack of overview (Breen, et

al., 2003) that has an important role in the form creation processes. The unity of the

form, its relation with its environment, the relationships between its surfaces, full

and empty spaces etc. can be perceived through the overview of the form (Hannah,

2002). There is also a relationship between the overview and sense of scale. Hence,

learning to develop forms in a scale-free environment without overview has

significant effects on the structure of the tacit knowledge of design students.

Today modeling environments of most of the existing digital modeling software are

isolated from the physical, social and cultural context for which the design solutions

are developed. Hillis (2002) points out the potential influences of these isolated

environments by emphasizing the possibility that products, buildings and systems

will ‗look like they h d f llen from computer screen‘ (34)

Until recently, to create, manipulate and evaluate 3D forms and produce realistic

representations through digital modeling software has required visual immersion into

the virtual environments of this software. As a result, a series of questions has

emerged regarding the negative effects of the loss of physicality in design.

Accordingly, recent studies on CAD and digital modeling tend to intensively focus

42

on the needs for tangible interfaces for digital modeling (Breen, 2001; Giraudo and

Bordegoni, 2005; Sutton, et al., 2007).

3.4 Approaches on modeling in design education

Although they have had an important place in both professional design field and

design education, the arguments against CAD and rapid prototyping techniques

persist. While, a good number of researchers such as Lennigs et al. (2000), Gibson,

Kvan and Ming (2002) question whether it is convenient to use them in all phases of

design/new product development process, others, such as Charlesworty (2007),

Robertson and Radcliffe (2008) and Must ‘ m l et l (2009), problematizes CAD

and rapid prototyping techniques on the basis of their effects on creative behaviors

and performance of designer in both industry and design education.

However, rather than focusing on negative effects or inadequate performances of

both the traditional and digital modeling, to focus on their advantages and

opportunities look more productive and have adopted in a number of studies (Dorta,

2005; Ramduny-Ellis et al., 2010; Aldoy and Evans, 2011). In recent years

alternative approaches to CAD and digital modeling and their roles in both the

professional design field and design education have emerged. The most significant

approaches may be classified under three he dings; ‗digit l modeling intensive

design educ tion‘, ‗physic l modeling intensive design educ tion‘ nd ‗mixed

modeling intensive design educ tion‘

In digital modeling intensive approaches, it is claimed that, although physicality is

considered as an important aspect in the form creation in design process, newly

developed Human Computer Interaction tools such as haptic devices and virtual

reality environments have the potential to be substitute for physical interaction with

the objects in design process (Şener-Pedgley, 2007; Evans, 2004; Aldoy and Evans,

2009)

43

Physical modeling intensive approach emphasizes the importance of physical

interaction with the representations during the design process. It is suggested that a

design student should learn to create, manipulate and evaluate design solutions or

forms based on the conversation with the physical representations of their designs.

Using physical representational tools enhance the creativity of design students and

provide full sensory experience for decision making in design. CAD and digital

modeling tools are considered as contributing applications useful in producing

realistic final representations (Welch, 1998; Charlesworth, 2007; Pable, 2006).

Mixed modeling intensive design education approach has adopted the incorporation

of both physical and digital modeling tools in design education. Each

representational technique has weak and strong features according to the certain

conditions, problems, phases of design process and designers (Okeil, 2010). It is

considered that the incorporation of physical and digital representational tools may

provide richness to the design process and balance the stress between the digital and

physical skills in both professional design field and design education. (Dorta, 2005;

Ramduny-Ellis et al., 2010; Aldoy and Evans, 2011)

Figure 3.4 The models, environments and worlds (Cerovsek et al., 2010; 6)

44

As demonstrated in Figure 4.4, to connect different environments and worlds in

different models can be possible through mixed models (Cerovsek et al., 2010). Such

a sophisticated approach provides a base for multidirectional skills which enable the

designer to cope with the increasing complexity of design practice. Design students

should develop their design skills and abilities based on reflective conversations with

both physical and digital representational tools. In such an understanding, a design

student is expected to learn mental modeling to conduct inner conversation with the

designed object/system in her/his mind and then to be able to represent externally

her/his mental models. To experience multi-faceted conversations with different

representational tools in different environments and worlds may provide richness of

design skills and abilities for a design student. (Lindquist, 2009; McLundie, 2001).

As mentioned in the previous sections of the study, design solutions are developed

throughout the transformations of the representations from mental to external, from

2D to 3D, from rough to precise and detailed, etc. (Visser, 2006). The transformation

of physical models into digital models or vice versa brings a different perspective for

designer. Eventually; they should be considered as complementary tools for each

other and for the different phases of design process (Mitchell, 2008).

3.5 Research studies on modeling practice in design and design

education

Until the last couple of decades, modeling practice in design field was analyzed only

in a very limited number of studies. Since the entrance of CAD and digital modeling

techniques into the field, the tension between physical and digital modeling has

attracted the attention of researchers. However, most of the research is conducted

within the architecture and interior design fields and unfortunately the number of the

research studies focus on modeling practice in industrial design field is still limited.

In the early 2000s, developments in tools and their usage in digital modeling

applications opened a new perspective for digital design. Most of the studies on

haptic tools were conducted in order to evaluate haptic modeling systems. Although

45

haptic modeling systems have a capacity to enhance design practice by their features

combining digital modeling with physicality and sense of touch, they are still in

development stage and their costs are too high. Eventually, their integration into

design education in general and into industrial design education in particular is

hardly applicable at least in Turkey. Accordingly, they are excluded from the scope

of current study. In addition to haptic tools, studies analyzing certain modeling

software are also excluded since their main emphasis is on the systems being

evaluated rather than their effects on the designers‘ skills nd ilities.

The research studies on physical and digital modeling in industrial design field can

be categorized on the basis of their main interests. These are; the relationships

between modeling techniques and creativity, comparison of physical and digital

modeling tools and their effects on design process, and the evaluation of mixed

modeling tools in design and design education.

Empirical studies dealing with the relationships between the modeling tools and

creativity in design process are conducted by employing different research methods

ranging from interviews, observation, protocol analyses and design diaries. Although

physical modeling tools are considered as the creativity triggering media in most of

the studies, in some research studies, it is demonstrated that creative behaviors

determined as peculiar for physical modeling also occur during the form creation by

digital modeling (Must ‘ m l, et al, 2008; 2009; 2009a). In contrast to the studies

focusing on the digital modeling tools, the research study conducted by Ramduny-

Ellis, et al (2010) shows that design process is not only affected by modeling tools

nd m teri ls ut lso y designer‘s skills and experiences with these modeling tools

and materials.

The relationships between modeling tools and the stages of design process are also

attracted the interest of researchers such as Self et al. (2009), Aldoy and Evans

(2009; 2010).

In their empirical research, Self et al. conducted questionnaire with 7 professional

designers from different countries. Processed data demonstrates that, according to

the respondents, each design tool supports different design stage on the basis of their

46

characteristics. Although physical modeling was determined to be the most preferred

technique for concept development, for the advanced phases of design process and

preparing influential presentations, digital modeling was rated as the most employed

technique.

Drawing upon these findings, Self et al. concluded that although most participants

use similar modeling tools for each design stage, modeling tools and their usage may

differ ccording to the designer‘s perception of design, w y of ction nd their p st

experiences. So they state that these factors should be taken into account in the

analysis of modeling tools in design process.

In another study conducted in 2009, Aldoy‘s nd Ev ns focused on the question of

which modeling techniques are used for which phases of design process.

Questionnaires were given to 100 newly graduated and ten experienced industrial

designers. Although the literature survey of the study emphasized the opportunities

of digital modeling tools during the design process, the respondents did not agree

with these implications for the early phases of design processes such as concept

development although they preferred to employ digital modeling tools for the

advanced phases. Another important finding of the study is that none of the

participants considered digital modeling as a substitute for physical modeling for

oth profession l design field nd design educ tion Nevertheless, p rticip nts‘

opposition to the totally digital industrial design and design education is considered

by the researchers as a consequence of the p rticip nts‘ ignorance of CAD and

digital modeling tools.

Comparing physical and digital modeling and their effects on design process was the

subject of research by Broek, et al. (2000). The researchers conducted a

questionnaire study with 20 professional design firms in Netherlands. The results

demonstrated that although both physical and digital modeling were employed by the

firms, they mostly relied on physical modeling in concept development stage and

digital modeling in detail stage. Physical modeling tools were appreciated by

participants in relation to their contribution to the both creativity and verification.

However, CAD and digital modeling tools were appreciated for verification alone.

47

In rese rch study conducted y Şener-Pedgley in 2007, modeling techniques and

strategies of 8 industrial designers and 8 undergraduate industrial design students

were examined through observation of form creation, questionnaires and interviews.

Each participant created three distinct products by employing different modeling

media in three sections. At the end of the study, certain needs for future digital

modeling media were identified based on the 800 individual strength and weakness

statements of the participants. Although none of the weakness and strength

statements are mentioned in the research paper, 30 need statements for digital

industrial design tools and their priorities determined (Figure 4.5), and four key

themes for improving digital industrial design tools are identified; life-like form

creation, ease of form creation, bulk/sketch form creation and control of form

creation.

Figure 3.5 Prioritized need statements for digital industrial design tools (Sener-

Pedgley, 2007)

48

In another important research study conducted in 2007, Charlesworty investigated

industrial design students and their use of physical and digital modeling tools. 39

second years industrial design students took part and the participants were divided

into teams consisted of two groups; one group for employing physical modeling, one

group for employing digital modeling. All groups employed traditional sketching for

the concept development stage, and then they developed selected concepts through

identified modeling techniques. The analysis of the data demonstrated that design

students using physical modeling continued to develop new ideas, whereas the

students who used digital modeling tools focused on the visual presentations.

Consequently, while physical modeling was considered by the students as

development practice, virtual modeling was considered as a presentational tool.

Finally, Wojtczuk and Bonnardel (2010) compared physical and digital modeling

tools and their outputs based on observed design tasks conducted by 20 designers.

Each designer developed items by employing both physical and digital modeling.

Then the designed items were evaluated by 20 other designers. While items created

by digital modeling tools were evaluated as more aesthetic and original, the second

group of participants did not find any difference regarding their functionality

between the items produced by using both physical and digital modeling.

In recent years, arguments on mixed modeling media in industrial design and

industrial design education have been started. New approaches evaluate physical and

digital modeling tools based on their combinable positive effects on both mental and

external modeling. Within this approach, Dorta conducted a research study in 2005

comparing two different proposed hybrid-modeling approaches. Two designers who

employ one of these approaches were observed during their design processes. One of

the designers started to design by employing sketching and the other started to

design by employing sketch modeling. Both of them transform their concepts into

digital models. The designer who started with 3D sketch modeling transformed the

form into a digital model more easily. Both of the models are reproduced by rapid

prototyping and edited by the designers and scanned. Surface problems on the

scanned models were corrected and final forms produced. At the end of the research,

it was concluded that the physical and digital modeling tools should be integrated

49

into the design process in order to make more effective and reduce their respective

limitations so that designer can concentrate on the creation of form.

The reviewed research studies show that, whether participants were design students

or professional designers, they agree that while physical modeling is more

convenient for the early phases of design processes, the most effective tool for detail

development and final presentations is digital modeling. Besides its potential in the

3D visualization of design ideas physical modeling is also considered as a leading

process for providing 3D physical information for digital modeling.

51

CHAPTER 4

BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH STUDY

4.1 Theoretical framework for the research study

In the previous sections a number of questions were raised in the process of

formulating the main aim of the thesis. The answers to the research questions are

sought using a theoretical framework based on Actor-Network Theory (ANT). In

what follows in this section firstly a brief overview of knowledge and skill

development in design education is provided and then in the second section an

explanatory discussion is carried out on the Actor-Network Theory with special

emphasis on its relevance to design education in general and to the main topic of the

thesis in particular.

Even if in the previous chapter knowledge and skill development in design education

related literature has been reviewed, it would be helpful to remember some of the

basic points on this issue to support the theoretical framework of the dissertation.

4.1.1 Knowledge and skill development in design education

As mentioned in Ch pter 4, ‗le rning y doing‘ is identified in the liter ture s the

most convenient and effective way of training in reflective practices such as

architecture and industrial design. In the educational approach based on learning to

design by practicing, three main characteristics of design have emerged as

significant.

52

Design is a cognitive pr ctice which sed on designer‘s knowing in ction,

it is a kind of tacit knowledge which cannot be formulated and described with

words lone (Schön, 1991; W tz, 2001)

Design is a process and should be learned as a whole. Cognitive abilities and

competencies can be developed through a design process by experimenting

the effects of these cognitive abilities and competencies on each other and on

the design solutions (Schön, 1991; W tz, 2001)

Design process is based on the developments of the representations of being

designed products/buildings/systems, etc.. The representational tools used

during the design process such as drawings, models etc. comprise the

―l ngu ge of design‖ (Archer, 1992)

Given these characteristics, design education could not be considered without the

interacting actors in design process and design media by which design practice

mediated.

As seen in the literature review and the summarized research studies in the previous

chapter, both 3D physical and digital modeling examined on the basis of their

representational capacities that make them essential skills for a designer and their

contributing or constraining effects on design processes.

However, the role of 3D physical and digital modeling in studio studies in industrial

design education is beyond their representational capacities and effects on creative

processes.

When design students learn to map the knowledge with the representations, design

expertise emerges (Eastman, 2001). As mentioned by the key scholars working on

design such s Schön (1991) nd Visser (2006), represent tions are cognitive

artifacts evolving in an interactive process in which their producers also evolve

reflectively. In industrial design education, studio is the network of the instructors,

the students, the employed technologies, the existing elements of the studio

environments nd the other involved ctors From Schön‘s nd Visser‘s perspective,

53

it is possible to assume that, the students and the representations required for the

studio studies co-evolve through reflective design processes in the studio network.

The reflective evolution of 3D physical and digital models and their producers (the

students) adds another dimension to the role of 3D physical and digital modeling in

the skill development processes of the students. 3D modeling whether physical or

digital are the activities mediated by certain media (modeling tools, materials and

technologies). While the students equipped with 3D physical and digital modeling

skills as the elements of language of design, both 3D physical and digital modeling

media influence the students, in other words they act also upon the students in their

knowledge and skill acquisition processes in the studio networks and affect their

attitudes towards industrial design practice.

Of course the roles of 3D physical and digital modeling in industrial design

education are mainly determined by the intentions and the interactions between the

students, instructors and the other actors in the education processes. However, to

understand such active roles of 3D physical and digital modeling in the skill

development processes of industrial design students, it is not enough to only focus

on the interactions between the people (the students, instructors, supporting staff,

etc.) in industrial design studio network; it also requires one to approach 3D physical

and digital modeling media as entities that have the ability to act upon the students.

In order to capture this reflective evolution by admitting the abilities of 3D physical

and digital modeling media to act upon the students, Actor Network Theory has been

adopted as the theoretical framework for the field study.

4.2 Latour’s Actor-Network Theory and Industrial design studio in

industrial design education

Practices, knowledge creation, product development, policy making or education can

all be considered as the products of certain assemblages. Those assemblages and the

interactions between the individual human actors within them consist of social

54

structures which are considered as networks in social network theory (Degenne and

Force, 1999; Moolenaar, 2010). Social network studies focus on the interactions

among the individual human actors within a network in order to understand how a

thing such as practice, knowledge creation or education is made.

While social network studies are concerned with social relations between individual

human actors in order to understand a social phenomenon created by social

structures, as stated by Latour (1996), Actor-Network Theory (ANT) ―does not limit

itself to human individual actors but extend the word actor – or actant – to non-

human, to non-individu l entities‖ (2) for n lyzing soci l phenomenon L tour

explains the main concerns of Actor-Network Theory through its agenda:

So what is on its agenda? The attribution of human, unhuman, nonhuman,

inhuman, characteristics; the distribution of properties among these entities;

the connections established between them; the circulation entailed by these

attributions, distributions and connections; the transformation of those

attributions, distributions and connections, of the many elements that

circulates and of the few ways through which they are sent. (Latour, 1996; 7)

All entities in a network, whether human or non-human, are sources of action and

modify the network in which they take part and should be followed by a neutral

stance for Actor-network analysis. (Law, 1992; Latour, 1996, Callon, 1998).

ANT does not study objects as the things that re ‗useful for ―implementing‖

something‘ nd does not study the role of n o ject vi the hum n Its m in concern

is the traces left behind by what objects do as for the human actors. (Tscholl, Patel &

Carmichael, 2011)

Law and Callon (1998), two of the key figures in Actor-Network Theory, suggest

that social and technical are jointly created in a single process, and all actants, either

human or non-human, contribute to it and their contribution should be treated fairly.

From ANT perspective; all actor-networks are composed of not only human actors

but also of elements of the material world such as computers, buildings,

technologies, since almost all of the interactions between human actors are mediated

through objects, technologies, etc. All actor-networks are heterogeneous

55

assemblages. Accordingly, one of the most significant concepts in Actor-network

theory is ―heterogeneity‖ (L w, 1992)

Gatherings of actants and their interactions are described as assemblages by the key

social scientists such as Deleuze and Guattari (1986) and DeLanda (2006). The

actants (human and non-human) and their relationships are the components of an

assemblage and they are determining factors of its capacities. However, as explained

by DeLanda (2006) the capacities of an assembl ge re more th n its components‘

properties and those capacities make things happen.

―Form tion of n ssem l ge‖ is mong the most import nt f ctors in n ctor-

network, when an actor form or break links with the other actors, a translation occurs

in this formation. These translations are the traces which help to describe gaps

between the intended and realized in a situation. By internalizing ANT, one can

construct rese rch fr mework for ―situ tions involving inter ctions etween people

nd things‖ (T tnall, 2012).

Fenwick and Edward (2010) emphasize that most of the processes, in different

realms, depend on at least partially precarious correlations rather than only cause and

effect They expl in ‗prec rious correl tions‘ y touching on the unpredict le

n ture of some ssem l ges, ccording to them ―what entities do when they come

together is unpredictable‖ (10). In their studies on education, ANT is considered as

the key framework which shows how knowledge is generated through certain

processes and how precarious correlations affect these processes.

In addition to concepts of heterogeneity and assemblage, there are several other

concepts employed in Actor-network Theory. In what follows in this section, the two

significant concepts of ANT, considered as useful for studying on knowledge and

skill acquisition processes, will be explained.

In Actor-networks, there might be actors which are punctualized Actor-networks. If

an Actor-network acts as a single block, then it disappears (Law, 1992; 385), its

action in any other network turns into an actor of that action. This is the

―punctu liz tion‖ of n ctor network (L w, 1992; L tour, 1996, C llon, 1998)

56

The l st signific nt ANT concept, which should e mentioned, is ―tr nsl tion‖ As

mentioned above, assemblages consist of Actor-networks. In order to fit an

assemblage; an actor should transform itself or be transformed by the translation of

the wills of the other actors. All negotiations, persuasions, calculations etc., which

take place in order to align interests in the establishment of an assemblage, can be

considered as the parts of translations in Actor-network Theory (Callon, 1986,

Fenwick and Edwards, 2010).

The acts of the translation of the will(s) of the key actor(s) to the others take place in

the problematisation moment in the translation processes. The will of the key

actor(s) might be formulated as a framed idea, a problem etc. and they may be

named the central object (aim) of the network. At that point, key actors are turned

into indispensable ctors for the network; in most c ses they ―est lish themselves s

n o lig tory p ss ge point‖ (C llon, 1986; 204) which one h s to p ss through to e

part of the network. The critical actors that might have roles in the success of the

translation process are/should be also identified at this moment.

After the problematisation, key actors create devices to convince the actors to stay in

the network; this moment is c lled s ―interessement‖ C llon (1986) expl ins

interessement by its etymology, inter-esse means to be in between. To interest other

actor, key actors use the mentioned devices for placing between the targeted actors

and the other entities that want to convince them to weaken their ties with the key

actors. The devices for the interessement moment may vary from negotiations to the

texts or regulations. The consequences of all these negotiations and persuasions are

not limited to the convinced actors; during these negotiations key actors may

develop new interests, problems or ideas (Fenwick and Edwards, 2012). So, it can be

assumed that an actor network continuously evolves and its key actors need to

develop new strategies in order to succeed this moment.

At this point it will be helpful to look how Latour (1987; 108) explains translation in

an actor-network. He emphasizes two critical issues in order to establish an actor

network, to engage the actors in the new offered interests regarding the objectives of

the newly established actor network and to ensure them behave in a predictable way

57

in accordance with the objectives of the key actors in the established actor network

by making the engagements long-lasting. He explains the criticality of these two

issues by pointing to the unpredictability of the acts of the enrolled actors and

assumes that the success of the tr nsl tion depends on the key ctors‘ ilities nd

strategies to solve this contradiction.

Interessement moment determines the success of the enrolment moment, the

connections between the interested actors should be established and strengthened

and the connections with the opponents, which have competing or counter interests

against the key actors, should be disconnected or they should be persuaded to join

the actor-network or to act as an ally in order to make possible the enrolment of the

actors to the network (Callon, 1986; Latour, 1987). In this moment of the translation,

the key actors need allies and mediators to strengthen the enrolment of the actors and

to lock them into their new position in the actor-network (Hamilton, 2011).

The l st moment in the ‗tr nsl tion‘ is the ‗mo iliz tion‘ When ro ust ctor-

network is established and the targeted actors enrolled to their new identities through

strong and durable relationships, the key actors mobilize enrolled actors as the

representatives in order to extend the translation to the other fields. (Law, 1992;

L tour, 1996; C llon, 1998; González , 2013)

Although these four moments of the translation in an actor-network explained in a

sequence, as emphasized by Callon (1986) they may overlap in real situations.

In examining an actor-network in a situation there are certain critical questions:

What is the central aim of the actor-network?

Which actors are present for studio actor networks?

Who are the key actors in the actor-network?

How do they translate their will to the other actors?

How the problematization, interessement, enrolment and mobilization

moments occur in the translation process in the actor network?

Is there any resistance from the actors? Where and when?

Is there any actor disturbing the translation process?

58

These questions will guide the analysis of industrial design studio studies in this

dissertation. But before starting to examine the actor-network in the studios, it will

be better to review industrial design education and studio tradition based on the key

concepts in ANT.

‗To equip industri l design students with the required knowledge, skills nd

ttitudes for their profession l life‖ c n e considered as the central aim of industrial

design education which finds its resonance in an industrial design studio.

Placing the resonance of this central aim at the center of an industrial design studio

requires the human and non-human actors present such as the students, the

instructors, a studio room, desks or work stations etc. In addition to those present

actors, different actors also start to enroll to the studio by adopting the wills of the

key actors in the studio. Each industrial design studio can be considered as a distinct

assemblage constituted by changing instructors, studio rooms, context, students,

mediums etc. There are also outer assemblages such as facilities, courses, industrial

partners, built environment etc. which interact with the inner actors of the studios

and affect the peculiarity of them. Additionally, in an industrial design studio, based

on its peculi rity, cert in types of ―design medi ‖4 take part in the assemblage as

non-human actors. Here sketch books, cardboards, cutters, computers, 3D modeling

programs, 3D printers and CAM systems used by students are seen as active media

rather than tools. Such an approach refuses to consider them as tools as such a

labelling reduce the computers, 3D modeling software etc. to passive elements used

by design students. Rather ANT considers them as active mediums which participate

in design process, change it and become changed through the interactions with the

other actors as a part of the assemblage.

It can be assumed that all of the actors and the formation of the studio assemblages

affect design processes in the studio studies in a peculiar way and oblige the students

to design in a certain way and forbid them from designing in other ways (this

perspective is adapted from Yaneva's approach to objects, she suggest that "many

4 Medium term encapsulates many things which a human act with or through such as tools, materials,

knowledge, method etc. hence, in the following parts of the dissertation study, the terms design media

and modelling media will be employed in a similar way.

59

objects afford and facilitate our activities, obliging us to do certain things and forbid

us from doing others"). This does not mean that certain actors force students to

design in a peculiar way and influence the development of their form creation related

skills. Those skills arise with the instructors, the students, their motivations,

intentions and previous knowledge, the curriculum, other courses, texts on problem

definitions, etc., and with the interactions between those things.

Starting from the perspectives and approaches mentioned above, it looks like Actor-

network Theory provides an important ground for the thesis by providing theoretical

and methodological insights.

61

CHAPTER 5

METHODOLOGY

As mentioned in the first chapter the main question which guides the dissertation is;

How can digital and physical 3D modeling be employed more effectively and

efficiently to contribute to the development of form creation related skills of the

students in the studio studies in industrial design education?

In order to provide a satisfactory and convincing answer to this vital question, it is

divided into sub-questions in the following way.


develop 3D forms in their studio studies?

What are the existing roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling


What are existing inclinations of the students for the employment of 3D

physical and digital modeling in the 3D form development phases of design

processes?

Which factors affect these inclinations?

62

Figure 5.1 Sub research questions

The set of sub questions are dealt with through the detailed overview of the current

literature and the field study conducted in industrial design department in Middle

East Technical University.

As seen on Figure 5.1, the answer to the first question is mainly sought through the

literature review and answers to the following four questions are sought through the

field work based on qualitative research method. The summary of the qualitative

research process is demonstrated in Figure 5.2.

63

Figure 5.2 The Research Process

Conducting a research study through Actor Network Theory perspective requires the

researcher:

to focus on the relationships among the actors in the network and the traces

left behind by what the actors do,

to leave her assumptions aside and listen to the actors‘ own voices (Yaneva,

2012), and

to approach all actors whether human or non-human without giving any

priority

These three basic research approaches are thus adopted by the author and integrated

into her interpretive qualitative research perspective. The data collection process is

conducted based on interview and narrative inquiry methods, in order to reveal the

complexity of the phenomenon under investigation. During the data collection

process the following two objectives are put at the core.

64

To reveal the facts about the employment of the 3D physical and digital

modeling in the knowledge and skill acquisition processes of the students.

To examine the factors shaping the position of 3D physical and digital

modeling in the design processes in industrial design studio studies.

METU Industrial Design Department is selected as the setting for carrying out the

field research for some practical reasons. As shown below, the field research goes

beyond formal interviews with students and instructors as the information collected

from the interviews are not deep enough to provide satisfactory knowledge of the

issue in hand. Such a strategy needs to be supplemented by the information acquired

by observations. This requires the researcher to get involved in the studio studies of

the students. As the researcher herself works in the Department, it is much easier for

her to take part in the studio works of the students.

At that point it is required to mention the preliminary study carried out by the author

in 2010 and 2011. In the first phase of that research, 17 interviews with METU

students were conducted. In this st ge, 14 signific nt f ctors th t ffect the students‘

physical and digital modeling practices in their studio studies were identified. In the

second phase of the preliminary research, a Likert scale questionnaire was prepared

based on the factors extracted in the first phase in order to measure the level of the

importance of these factors according to the industrial design students in four

different universities. The questionnaire was conducted with 225 industrial design

student from four Turkish universities. The division of the students according to the

universities as such; 88 from Middle East Technical University, 44 from Anadolu

University, 28 from Izmir University of Economics and 65 from Istanbul Technical

University. 20 elements of the questionnaire were divided 4 elements based on factor

analysis as demonstrated in appendix E Table E.1.

In order to explore the relationships between the importance groups and variables,

cross-tabulation was employed. The relationship between the university variable and

the elements groups is demonstrated in Appendix E from Table E.2 to Table E.9.

As seen in Appendix E, when the ev lu tion scores for ‗Inter ction with the form‘

nd ‗Incre sing the skills‘ f ctors re ex mined, it w s o served th t the differences

65

etween the universities re not signific nt For ‗closeness to re lity‘ f ctor, the

significance value of the differences between the universities was counted very low.

From the findings of the preliminary study, it is possible to assume that although the

findings of the fieldwork are mainly valid for the METU case, they can be

considered as applicable to the industrial design departments that have similar

curricula and educational approaches in Turkey.

5.1 Qualitative Research

In the first stage, interview method was employed to examine the approaches of the

actors to the developments of the form creation related knowledge, skills and

attitudes and the roles of 3D physical and digital modeling practices in it. However,

since the core human actors in the research study consist of two different groups, the

industrial design studio instructors and industrial design students; it seems to be

necessary to design two different interview guides. Hence different interview

questions are designed for each group.

The following sections of this chapter provide the details of the methodology of the

field study.

5.1.1 Interview process

Conducting a research on the development of form creation related knowledge, skills

and attitudes of the industrial design students entails examining three main factors

listed below:

1) Approaches of the actors to the form creation in the studio studies

2) Approaches of the actors to the development processes of form creation

related knowledge, skills and attitudes

66

3) The roles of 3D physical and digital modeling media in this process

With the aim of examining these factors, interviews were conducted with the core

actors in industrial design studios in METU.

Student interviews

The third and fourth year students in Industrial Design Department at METU were

identified as the research population. These year groups were chosen since to obtain

adequate information, the students interviewed need to have adequate knowledge,

skills and experiences regarding both 3D physical and digital modeling.

Accordingly, twelve student interviews, six interviews with the third year students

and six interviews with the fourth year students, are conducted. The information

about the interviews can be seen in Table 5.1.

Table 5.1 Conducted interviews

67

In the early phases of the field study, 9 interview questions have been designed and a

pilot interview was conducted with a fourth year student on the basis of this question

set.

During the pilot study it was observed that to keep the interview within the intended

research framework was very hard and some questions were understood differently

from the way intended because of their wording and position in the sequence.

Accordingly, the student interview questions and the structure of the interview were

revised and rearranged. In addition to these revisions, the final version of the student

interview question set was designed to ask for narratives of the design processes

through which the students think they developed the most satisfying forms. The

final versions of the student interview questions in Turkish and in English can be

seen in Appendix A and Appendix B.

The driving impetus to ask the narratives of the design processes of the most

satisfying forms comes from Actor-Network Theory. Through its lenses, the

students‘ n rr tives of design processes c n e considered s stories of the

translation processes in the studio actor-networks through which their knowledge,

skills and attitudes are transformed into a new form. When the students accept the

new interests they also accept their new identities in the studio studies. If their new

identities require certain ways of acting such as thinking through sketching and

attitudes such as taking into account the sustainability criteria for material selections,

they start to behave in these ways and if the students become engaged in these

required ways of acting and attitudes, they possibly may turn into dispositions at the

end of the studio studies. In other words, the translation processes succeed. The

students‘ eng gements in the design processes determine their perform nces s well

as the success of the translation process. Consequently, the narratives of the

development processes of the most satisfying forms are considered as the stories of

the most engaged form development processes.

Narratives contain experiences and perceptions (Riessman, 2000). As stated by Eliot

(2006), an individual narrative seems like it is related to isolated individual,

however, she adds, it rather reveals the understandings of the social groups, classes

68

and cultures, their structural relationships and habits. Common experiences,

approaches and understandings can be traced through the similar elements in the

stories of individuals in a group. Consequently, analyzing the industrial design

students‘ n rr tives llow one to reve l their existing experiences nd the most

common perceptions regarding the form creation process and the role of 3D physical

and digital modeling in it. However, at this point it should be mentioned that besides

common facts and perceptions revealed through interviews and narratives, the less

frequent viewpoints and situations are also valued during the analysis phase because

of their potential to open up original perspectives (Venturini, 2012) for the

dissertation.

Instructor interviews

The number of instructor interviews was determined as at least four interviews for

each studio, making 16 in total. For the studio studies it was observed that the

instructors could be divided into three categories such (a) full time instructors, (b)

assistants, (c) part-time instructors. The selection of the interviewees among the

instructors was made based on these three categories in second, third and fourth year

studios. However, in the first year studio, during the interview period, there were no

part-time instructor among the studio conductors, consequently, the interviewees

were selected among the full time instructors and assistants. Except in the first year

studio, it was planned to conduct interviews with four instructors for each studio,

two full-time instructors, a part-time instructor and an assistant. However during the

interview process, only 11 instructor interviews could be conducted. The detailed

information on the conducted interviews is shown in Table 5.1.

A pilot interview was conducted with an instructor whose area of expertise is design

education and curriculum development. After the pilot interview, on the basis of the

thesis dvisor‘s nd the interviewed instructor‘s dvice on the educ tion rel ted

terminology used in the interview questions, the wording were revised and their

sequence was changed. The final version of the instructor interview questions in

Turkish and in English can be seen in Appendix C and D.

69

5.2 Data Analysis

5.2.1 Analysis of the interviews

As the base for the analytical procedure of the in-depth interviews, interpretive and

inductive analysis approach (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was adopted by the author.

However, although inductive analysis approach suggest that the outputs of the

analysis come from the data rather than from the theoretical and epistemological

backgrounds of the researchers, in the dissertation, because of the reflexive nature of

qualitative research (Charmaz, 2005), the extraction of the nodes, codes, themes and

patterns from the data could not be completed thoroughly without the theoretical

background, interests and field experiences of the author. Additionally, during the

d t collection process, the voices of the rese rch su jects lso enriched the uthor‘s

own approach to the field and the problem determined in the dissertation.

Figure 5.3 The Analysis Process

In-depth interview method is preferred by the researchers in various disciplines

because of its potential to provide rich information. However, to analyze data

acquired through interview methods without getting lost in it appears as a

challenging issue for the researchers. Bearing in mind this challenge, in the

70

dissertation, NVivo is selected as data processing software because of its

convenience for qualitative studies. Stages of the data processing process are

described in the below.

As mentioned above all interviews were recorded and in order to capture all themes

clearly, all records were transcribed word by word. During the verbatim transcription

process of the records, notes and keywords which guide the processing phase of the

data in NVivo were added on the documents.

After the completion of the transcription of each interview in Turkish, all Turkish

characters in the documents were turned into English characters, in order to avoid

unexpected processing errors and the software collapses experienced in the early

phases of the dissertation study, then the documents were saved as separate resource

files for NVivo.

In the first part of the data processing, initial themes are identified on the basis of the

expected information from the narratives and interviews.

Students‘ narratives

Stages of the design process

Employed modeling media

The most critical evaluation in the design process

Emphasized aspect of the design process

Student interviews

3D physical modeling

3D digital modeling

Their skills and abilities

Their knowledge

Their attitudes

Opinions

71

Instructor Interviews

Design education

o general aims

o Skills

o Knowledge

o Attitudes

o Emerging needs and problems

Modeling Media

o Sketching

o 3D physical modeling

o 3D digital modeling

Then, each transcription is thoroughly read and each theme is identified as a node to

which related lines and paragraphs are attached (Figure 5.4). Doing this through

Nvivo allows one to see all the conversations from different interviews according to

a given theme on a page whenever researcher needs it.

Figure 5.4 A screenshot from coding process in NVivo

72

After the node and construct determination process, 1710 nodes and constructs were

acquired from the processed data. These were processed by matrix coding query in

NVivo in order identify and remove the duplications in the nodes and to capture the

patterns (Bazeley and Jackson; 2013) on the basis of identified groups and scopes

demonstrated in Figure 5.5.

Figure 5.5 Matrix query groups

After the extraction process of the raw main and sub themes, all transcriptions of the

interviews and the extracted nodes under the raw themes are reviewed and refined.

Refinement process of the data containing matrix coding queries and node

arrangements iterated until the refined parent and child nodes are acquired. An

example of the coding and refinement is demonstrated in Table 5.2.

73

Table 5.2 An example of coding and refinement for an interview comment

Refined parent and child nodes

Parent and child nodes Digital modeling

The transcribed comment Initial Node Digital modeling Advantages

We can do anything that could not be made by hand

in there. There is more chance; an extraordinary idea

may emerge from accidents and constitute

something. Or it may not be imagined to bend a

wooden stick when you play with it physically. How

does it look like? She/he could not bend. However, in

a digital environment, there is no limit, everything is

possible. (A02)

Digital modeling More unusual forms /

accidental inspirations

Makes possible to create more

unusual forms - accidental

inspirations

75

CHAPTER 6

THE FINDINGS

6.1 Introduction

In the methodology chapter, it was underlined that the inductive/interpretive

approach was employed in the evaluation of the empirical findings. Hence, all the

information gathered through the field study has been interpreted on the basis of the

internalized theoretical framework, namely Actor-Network Theory, by putting the

following two objectives at the core of the research.

To reveal the facts about the employment of the 3D physical and digital

modeling practice in the skill development processes in industrial design

education.

To examine the factors shaping the position of 3D physical and digital

modeling practice in the form development processes in the studio studies in

industrial design education.

In line with the insights of Actor-Network Theory, industrial design studio studies

are identified as actor-networks in which the design related knowledge, skills and

attitudes of the students are transformed into a new form on the basis of the

interactions between the actors (human, non-human, inhuman, etc.) involved in

them. An industrial design studio actor network is also a socio-technical assemblage

and both social and technical aspects of the studio should be dealt with in examining

the situations in the studio assemblages. The roles of 3D physical and digital

modeling media in the skill development processes of the students and the factors

shaping their roles and positions in such a socio-technical assemblage could not be

understood thoroughly by focusing only on the intentions of the social actors or only

on the advantages and constraints of these media. However, as mentioned by

76

Deleuze nd Gu tt ri (1986), n industri l design studio ssem l ge‘s c p city to

equip the students with the required representational skills go beyond the sum of the

capacities of its social and technical aspects, in other words more than the

intentions+advantages+constraints of the actors. Actor Network Theory suggests that

to understand the interactions between the components of an assemblage without

giving any priority to any components makes it possible to understand what makes

more the c p cities of n ssem l ge th n the sum of its components‘ c p cities

Hence the findings from the field study are explained by approaching human and

non-human actors in the same way as in the analysis of the data.

As mentioned above, the design related knowledge, skills and attitudes of the

students are transformed into a new form in the studio actor networks; in other

words, studio studies re the tr nsl tion processes of the students‘ skills, knowledge

and attitudes. Accordingly, in the following sections of the chapter, the explanations

of the findings are structured around the four moments of the translation process of

an actor-network; problematisation, interessement, enrollment and mobilization.

Although the translation moments of an actor-network are given in the mentioned

sequence, interessement and enrolment moments are intertwined in most of the

studio studies narrated and observed. In the explanation of each transformation

moment the main focus is on the form development related skill acquisition

processes of the students and the positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in

these processes.

6.2 Translation processes in the industrial design studio actor-

networks

Industrial Design studio projects and the criteria the students are expected to meet

during the studio studies are formulized to a large extent by the studio instructors.

They structure the studio studies as knowledge and skill acquisition processes on the

basis of their teaching interests. However, it should be mentioned that, although the

studio studies are initiated and conducted by the instructors, there are other dynamics

77

which play some role in shaping the course of the studio studies and the aimed

outputs. Therefore it might be useful to refer once g in to the ― ssem l ge‖ concept

to understand the dynamics that affect the course of the studio studies. From ANT

perspective, an industrial design studio can be considered as an assemblage of

human and non-human actors such as instructors, students, computers, studio briefs,

available modeling materials, courses. All the actors, either human or non-human,

modify it by interacting with each other. This is the translation process (Callon,

1986) of an industrial design studio actor network.

Studio studies realized in the studio actor networks are the translation processes

through which industrial design students turn into industrial designers gradually by

accepting introduced professional interests and by acquiring knowledge, skills and

attitudes.

When the students accept these new interests in the studio studies they also accept

their new professional identities. If their new identities require certain ways of acting

such as thinking through sketching or attitudes such as taking into account the

sustainability criteria for material selections, they start to behave in these ways and

these required ways of action and attitudes may possibly turn into dispositions at the

end of the studio studies. In other words, they become stabilized and the translation

processes in the studio studies are succeeded.

It c n e ssumed th t the students‘ eng gements with the introduced profession l

interests and regarding knowledge, skills and attitudes in the studio projects

determine their performances and the outputs of the design processes.

Starting from this assumption, the students are asked to select one of their studio

projects through which they think they developed the most satisfying form and to

narrate design processes of these projects in order to understand the following three

issues

How the relationships between the students and 3D physical and digital

modeling are established

78

How these relationships affect the knowledge and skill acquisition processes

of the students

How the other actors in the studio studies influence these knowledge and

skill acquisition processes

Accordingly, the narrated studio studies are analyzed as the translation processes and

four moments of these translations are explained mainly by combining the findings

extracted from these narratives and the interviews in the following sections.

In order to make clearer how the narrated studio studies are analyzed as actor

networks in which translation processes occur, in the following paragraphs, the

course of an industrial design studio study is interpreted on the basis of four

moments of the translation process of an actor network.

Problematization

It is a commonly shared view that the main objective of industrial design education

is to equip industrial design students with the required knowledge, skills and

attitudes for their professional life. In design education, the studio environment is the

most import nt venue for the students‘ educ tion l processes nd lthough there are

v rious f ctors th t ffect the student‘s le rning process, ppro ches of the

instructors could be considered as one of the most significant.

To design a multifaceted and sophisticated studio project which has various

objectives such as motivating students to engage in design process and to develop

required skills for conducting the design processes (studio projects) is one of the

primary responsibilities of the studio instructors. Teaching interests of the studio

instructors have determining effects on the formalization of the studio projects.

Hence, from ANT perspective, the instructors should be considered as the key actors

in the studio actor-network. The establishment process of an industrial design studio

actor-network starts with the formalization of the studio project; this is the

problematization moment of the translation process of the studio study. Each studio

project contains certain criteria the students are expected to meet throughout the

79

design process. At each stage of the studio studies, students are informed through

project briefs as well as their verbal communications with the instructors. Project

briefs contain the information on the studio project, the criteria expected to be met,

expected reports, representations etc. on the basis of the stages of the studio studies.

Design processes of the students should be conducted according to these briefs. In

other words, the project briefs in the studio studies can be considered as the

definitions of the requirements of the obligatory passage points through which

students would reach their target.

Problematization moment has a significant role in the success of an in-studio actor-

network. In addition to the formalization of the studio project, identification of all

the possible and more importantly the critical actors for the stages of the design

process should be considered as another critical issue for the next moments of the

translation process of the studio actor network.

Before starting to analyze an industrial design studio as an actor-network and its

problematization moment, it is necessary to examine the key actors' visions of

industrial design education. In the interviews, all instructors were asked to express

their opinions on design education in general, and on industrial design education in

particular. The problematization moments of the studio studies are interpreted

mainly on the basis of the opinions and the reflected teaching interests of the

instructors by also taking into account their approaches to 3D physical and digital

modeling in industrial design education.

Interessement

The students build their knowledge and skills for their professional life through a

reflective process between the instructors and the students in industrial design studio.

To establish robust relationships with the students is one of the most important

factors in the success of the studio studies driven by the teaching interests of the

instructors. After the introduction of the studio project (problematisation moment),

although the curriculum, the departmental rules, laws on higher education and their

carreer interest force them, the students need to be persuaded to act in a certain way

during the design process, to acquire certain skills and to employ certain design tools

80

etc. in order to comply with the requirements of the studio projects. This is the

interessement moment in a studio study in which the instructors channel the students

through negotiations and persuasions to establish relationships with the ally human

and non-human actors or to weaken the ties with the opposing ones that may

convince them to act in contrary ways.

Besides negotiations and persuasions key actors also use various interessement

strategies such as force, seduction etc. and intermediaries such as available technical

equipment. While key actors employ their interessement strategies, there may be

certain actors that want to change the process according to their wills or interests and

develop their own strategies such as resistance, pretense etc. In an actor-network,

actors become stronger by assembling other allies (Fenwick and Edwards, 2010) for

negotiations or resistances. In the studio studies, the students who have counter

interests need to convince or force other students to act in contrary ways to disturb or

change the direction of the translation process. While the learning interests of the

students are changed through these negotiations and acts of intermediaries, the

teaching interests of the instructors are also influenced because of the reflective

nature of the studio studies. The dynamic atmospheres of the studio studies come

from their reflective nature.

All of the student actors in the studio actor-networks share the same objective, to be

an industrial designer by completing their professional education; however, as

mentioned by most of the interviewees, they prefer to select the most expedient way

to achieve their goals. Nevertheless, the definition of the expedient way differs

according to the students and their learning interests.

As mentioned above, the connection between the learning interests of the students

and the teaching interests of instructors is the most important factor in the success of

the translation process in the studio studies. Students' motivations can be considered

as their learning interests. If their motivations channel them to the instructors'

teaching interests, the possibility to adopt the introduced interests becomes higher

and they become engaged in the knowledge and skill acquisition processes in the

81

studio studies; in other words they become engaged in the proposed new knowledge,

skills and design attitudes.

In certain cases, the objectives of the studio studies are adopted by certain students

without any need for negotiation and persuasion because their learning interests

overlap with the instructors‘ te ching interests which sh pe the studio projects nd

the criteria. However, in another studio study driven by different teaching interests,

the need to convince the same students to change their ways of design towards the

given direction may appear because of the conflicting interests between the studio

projects and the students. In these cases, besides negotiations and persuasions, the

ties with the resources of the conflicting interests should be interrupted. Otherwise,

these counter interests may disturb the translation processes in the studio studies.

However, there are also certain students who could understand why they should

conduct their design processes in accordance with the teaching interests of the

instructors because of their career interests, although they have counter learning

interests and tendencies. In these cases, those students become engaged in the design

process by establishing fragile connections with the critical actors in the studio

studies. Although these fragile connections are established and sustained throughout

the translation processes, they are potentially temporal. The students who could not

accept certain interest but pretend as if they are convinced mostly tend to turn back

their counter learning interest immediately. The consequences of these fragile

relationships are explained in the following sections on enrolment and mobilization

moments.

The main focus of the dissertation is on 3D physical and digital modeling, however,

in the analysis phase, all of the identifiable established connections between the

students and the common representational media in the narrated design processes are

examined. The main impetus for investigating the connections of the students with

the other significant representational media comes from the assemblage concept

(Deleuze nd Gu tt ri, 1986), since it is considered th t the students‘ connections

with 3D physical and digital modeling are determined not only by the potentials of

82

3D physical and digital modeling media but also by the other representational media

in the studio studies.

The explanation of the interressement moments of the narrated studio studies are

made on the basis of these identified connections by taking into account mainly the

following four factors;

The formulation of the studio studies / problematization,

The instructors‘ str tegies to provide the est lishment of the intended

connections between the students and the weighted representational media,

Learning interests of the students and the strategies that they employ in order

to affect the process,

Promises and constraints of the existing representational media (non-human

actors)

Enrolment

The persuaded students become engaged in their studio projects in the enrolment

moment of the studio studies. When they are persuaded they become engaged in

certain new ways of acting, employing certain design tools and focusing on

developing certain skills for the design processes.

Each student becomes engaged in a different way determined not only by their

interests nd inclin tions ut lso y the other connected ctors‘ inclin tions nd

interests such as instructors, existing design tools, facilities, etc.

During this process, in order to achieve the enrolment of the students in the skill and

knowledge acquisition process as in the problematized studio studies, there should

be allies and mediators to enable the students to behave in the expected ways.

Facilities in the department, space, existing design tools and materials, certain

departmental courses, representatives of the project partners can be considered

among the mediating actors for the enrolment moment of the studio studies.

Throughout the enrolment process, the students‘ skills nd knowledge ecome

translated into a new form.

83

The enrolment strategies of the studio instructors such as identifying certain allies

and mediators to include in and certain actors to exclude from the actor-network

have critical roles in enrollment moment of the translation process in the studio

actor-network. Through these strategies, newly established and potentially fragile

connections between the students and the actors in the studio studies can be

transformed into robust and durable connections or vice versa.

Hence, the enrolment moments in the narrated studio studies are examined and

explained on the basis of the following critical points;

The most emphasized and valued aspects of the narrated design processes,

The most important evaluations and judgments regarding the components of

the forms of the students

The modeling media on which the referred evaluations and judgments were

made

Mobilization

When the students engaged in their new designer identities and internalized the

acquired knowledge and skills provided by the studio studies they become the

representatives of these studio actor-networks and get mobilized. Mobilization

moment in industrial design studio actor-network has two different dimensions.

On the one hand, the students who became representatives bring the acquired

knowledge, skills and attitudes to the other actor networks. In each step of their

professional education, industrial design students build new knowledge and skills

upon the previous ones that they enrolled in the previous studio studies. In other

words they construct their professional identities through these step by step

processes.

On the other hand, each mobilized student may affect the translation processes in the

following studio studies as allying or competing actor, if her knowledge, skills,

attitudes or habits fit to or conflict with the proposed new ones.

84

In order to understand the mobilization moments for the narrated studio studies, the

current opinions of the students on 3D physical and digital modeling are analyzed

nd the students‘ opinions re tre ted s the outcomes of the previously p rticip ted

studio studies including the narrated design processes and related courses. Then, the

reflections of the objectives of the narrated studio studies on the students‘ opinions

are examined. Accordingly, the mobilization moments of the narrated studio studies

are explained mainly on the basis of these reflections.

Before communicating the findings acquired from the narratives and interviews, to

overview the courses aiming to develop representational skills of the students in the

departmental curriculum and the facilities provided by the faculty will be helpful for

understanding the positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in the research site

since they comprise the most significant non-human actors in the studio actor

networks. Hence, in the following section, the departmental courses regarding

representational skills and the facilities are explained briefly then the industrial

design studio studies are explained as transformation processes.

6.2.1 The Department as an actor in the studio studies

Before starting to examine an industrial design studio as an actor-network in its own

right, it is necessary to pay some attention to the punctuated actor-network, which

has a determining role on the formalization of the situations in the studios such as the

combination of the instructors; as such an attention may provide us with useful

insights. As mentioned in the theoretical chapter, certain actor-networks acting as a

single block may disappear and it is turned into an actor of that action. In the studio

studies, like all the other departmental courses and activities, department has certain

roles, although it is also another actor-network which encompass the studios.

Undoubtedly, the department is not the only punctuated actor in the studio actor-

networks YÖK/CoHE (Y ksek Öğretim Kurulu, Council of Higher Educ tion),

METU Administration, The Faculty can be listed as the most prominent other

punctuated actor-networks which act in the studio through laws, regulations, policies

85

and principles. However, it is possible to assume that the department acts as the

representative of these punctuated actor-networks in the educational program.

In the Academic Catalog of METU (http://id.metu.edu.tr/en/metu-department-of-

industrial-design/department-of-industrial-design), the industrial design studios and

the open jury system have been identified as the core elements of the education

process since the foundation of the department.

The combination of the full-time and part-time instructors for each studio can be

considered as substantially stabilized, although some minor changes have taken

place time to time. Hence, it may not be unfair to assume that the objectives and the

emphasized knowledge, skills and attitudes differ according to the differences

between the combinations of the instructors in the studios.

As mentioned above studio studies are at the core of the educational program and the

students learn to design through hands-on experiences by combining their

acquisitions from the courses provided by the department. During the education

process, besides technical and theoretical courses, the students are provided with the

courses on representational skills.

2D representational skills in general and sketching in particular comprise the most

significant part of program (Appendix F). There are four must and two elective

courses on sketching and technical drawing. The must courses, Design

Communication I, II, III and IV, take place in the first half of the educational process

and the electives, Design Presentation I and II, are given during the third year of the

program. While the students are introduced with free hand drawing and sketching

through exercises such as drawing selected 3D objects etc. in Design

Communication I and II, Design Communication III and IV aim to develop the

students‘ perspective view dr wing ilities Design Present tion I nd II im to

provide the students with advanced sketching and rendering skills.

In the curriculum, there are two courses on 3D physical modeling, Elementary

Workshop Practice and Computer Literacy in Design and Model Making. At the end

of the first year, in the first summer practice, Elementary Workshop Practice and

86

Computer Literacy in Design, the students are introduced with 3D physical and

digital modeling techniques and regarding media. ID290 comprises two modules,

physical modeling and workshop practices for four weeks and digital modeling in

both 2D and 3D for two weeks. During physical modeling and workshop practices

module, the students experience different model making techniques and materials

through hands-on practices and learn to use basic traditional workshop equipment

such as drill press, saw band, etc.

Model Making course aiming to train the students in basic industrial design model

making skills is held in the third year of the program; however it could not be

opened regularly.

In the first two years of the program, the students are introduced with digital

modeling in the summer pr ctices‘ Computer Liter cy in Design modules In these

modules the students are introduced with basic 2D and 3D digital modeling through

tutorials. Besides these introductory level trainings there are a must course,

Computers in Design I, and an elective course, Computer Graphics I, in the third

year of the program. While the students are introduced with certain digital modeling

software such as Rhino, 3DMax, etc. in Computers in Design I, Computer Graphics I

aims to provide the students with advanced 3D digital modeling skills such as

material editing, rendering, etc.

In addition to the mentioned courses aiming to provide the students with the essential

representational skills, Visual Narrative in Design I and II focus on to enrich visual

communication abilities of the students by combining various representational

techniques such as scenario building by combining sketching and stop motion.

Besides the explained courses aiming to develop representational skills of the

students, modeling workshop of the Faculty provide the students with various

modeling facilities such as 3D printing, laser cutting and CNC machining as well as

traditional workshop equipment for wood and metal machining.

87

6.3 Translation processes in the first year basic design studio studies

Among the 12 interviews conducted with the students, only one student, SA3,

selected one of her first year studio projects to narrate as the development process in

which she thought she developed the most satisfying product forms. The translation

process in the first year studio study is analyzed on the basis of this narrative and the

interviews conducted with the three of the first ye r studio instructors In T le …,

the year of the studio study, the referred project and the mentioned reason for the

selection are demonstrated.

Table 6.1 The most satisfying form narrative from the first year studio

Student SA3 selected her chess set project to narrate since she found the pieces of

the set to be her most freely developed forms up to the interview date. She

considered that in the subsequent studio studies the constraints regarding the

materials, production techniques and functional requirements turned into a barrier

against her creativity. Besides these constraints, she referred to the identification of

3D digital models among the required representations for the studio studies as

another underlying reason that led her to design more basic forms. She felt more at

ease with the chess set design process compared to her subsequent studio projects

because of the absence of 3D digital models as well as the absence of the mentioned

design constraints.

6.3.1 Problematisation moment in the first year basic design studio

Although there may be minor changes in the number of participating instructors

according to the years and semesters, basic design studio studies are conducted by at

Student ID Year Project Why

SA3 2012 Chess set They were my most freely developed forms

88

least two full-time and a part-time instructors and three assistants. The first year

basic design studio instructor interviews are conducted with both of the full-time

instructors and one of the assistants of the studio team.

As explained in the introduction of the findings, the central objective of each

industrial design studio is determined on the basis of the program of the department.

Nevertheless it is possible to assume that the formulation of the studio projects, the

identification of the criteria that the students are expected to meet and the required

representations are made by the instructors on the basis of their teaching interests.

Hence in order to understand the problematization moment of the narrated first year

studio project process, opinions of the instructors on industrial design education are

analyzed and the most significant themes and nodes are extracted as the reflections

of their teaching interests. In Table 6.2, these themes and nodes are demonstrated.

Instructor A1 was the senior instructor in the first year basic design studio. Her

teaching interests mainly revolve around providing the student with a sense of

composition and the design related essential competencies by focusing especially on

elements and principles of basic design, 3D thinking abilities and physical modeling

skills.

Instructor A2 was the junior instructor in the studio; she completed her bachelor and

Ph.D. degrees in graphic design. Her teaching concerns are mainly on increasing

visual literacy of the students and to enable them to design by moving between

different 2D and 3D representations by equipping them with enriched

representational skills and 3D thinking abilities.

Instructor A3 was one of the assistants of the basic design studio during the

interview period. Her teaching interests are based on equipping the students with

enriched representational skills by focusing on 3D thinking and modeling abilities.

She is also interested in user centered design approaches.

The first year basic design studio instructors reflected their opinions on industrial

design education by touching upon four main themes: (1) The aims of industrial

design education, (2) the knowledge and skills which the students should be

89

equipped with through industrial design education, (3) the educational opportunities

which should be provided for the students and (4) emerging needs in industrial

design education. The main themes and the extracted nodes under these themes are

demonstrated in Table 6.2.

Table 6.2 Design education related nodes and themes for the first year basic design

studio

From the analysis of the opinions of the interviewed first year studio instructors, the

following five significant teaching interests mentioned by at least two interviewees

emerged.

To equip the students with 3D thinking abilities

To equip the students with enriched representational skills

To equip the students with 3D physical modeling skills primarily

To enable the students to internalize to design by moving between 2D and 3D

representations

Full-time Full-time Asst.

A1 B1 C1

To increase visual literacy of the students 1 1 0

To provide sense of form 1

To provide sense of composition 1 0 0

To equip the students with 3D thinking abilities 1 1 1

The enriched representational skills 1 1 1

3D physical modeling skills firstly 1 0 1

The production related knowledge 1 0 0

The ability to find creative solutions for the problems 0 0 1

To internalize designing by moving between 2D and 3D representations 0 1 1

To internalize thinking through sketching 0 1 0

To integrate acquired basic design knowledge into their following studio studies 0 1 0

To internalize user centered design approach 0 0 1

The advanced level form development exercises through physical and digital modeling 0 1 0

The integration of 3D DM in the early phases of ID education 0 1 0

The development of digital and physical modeling skills in parallel ways 0 1 0

The exercises on how to express design ideas through 3D PM 0 0 1

The n

eed f

or

The Basic Design Studio instructors' opinions on industrial design education

Aim

sE

nable

the

stu

dents

Aim

sT

o e

quip

the

stu

dents

with

90

To increase visual literacy of the students

The instructors teaching interests are among the essential elements that comprise the

sic design studio studies‘ centr l o jective Accordingly, it is possi le to ssume

that besides the other essential elements of the central objective of the basic design

studio, these five significant teaching interests play critical roles in the

formulizations of the basic design studio studies and the identification of the

expected criteria and the required representations.

In order to complete basic design studio and to pass the next stage of their industrial

design education, the students are expected to align their learning interests with the

sic design studio instructors‘ te ching interests and to comply with the criteria and

the required representations of the studio projects. For the narrated first year basic

design studio project, chess set, the most significant criteria and the required

representations are extracted from the interviews5 and demonstrated in Table 6.3.


representations for the narrated first year basic design studio study

5 The criteria and required representations for the narrated second, third and fourth year studio studies

are extracted from the documents of the studio studies, however for the narrated basic design studio

project, chess set, as stated by them, the instructors did not use any written documents to introduce

the project. Hence the regarding information extracted from the narrative of the student and from the

interviews conducted with the first year studio instructors.

3D form giving

Hierarchical relationships between the pieces

Harmony between the pieces

Finishing

Sketches (idea generation)

3D physical sketch models (development process)

Posters (final presentation)

3D physical models (1:1 - Final presentation)

The criteria and required representations for the narrated first year basic

design studio project

crit

eria

rep

rese

nta

tio

ns

91

The weighted positions of 3D physical models and 3D form giving criteria point out

the following teaching interests of the instructors,

To equip the students with 3D thinking abilities

To equip the students with 3D physical modeling skills as the foundational

competence

The required 2D sketches, posters and 3D physical models can be identified as the

reflections of the following teaching interests of the instructors;

To equip the students with enriched representational skills

To enable them to internalize to design by moving between 2D and 3D

representations.

Table 6.4 The reflections of the instructors‘ te ching interests on the set of criteri

and required representations for the first year basic design studio6

As seen on Table 6.4, 3D physical modeling emerged as the most critical

representational media for the chess set project and there is no implication for 3D

digital modeling. Besides the teaching interests of the interviewed instructors, their

6 The mentioned te ching interests‘ reflections on the criteria and required representations in the

narrated studio studies are more complicated than the table, however, most of these reflections are

omitted intentionally in order to make more clear and visible the effects of these reflections on the

roles and positions of 3d physical and digital modeling in the studio studies.

92

opinions on 3D physical and digital modeling are also among the significant factors

that determine the dominance of 3D physical modeling and the absence of 3D digital

modeling in the project.

Table 6.5 Opinions of the first year basic design studio instructors on 3D physical

modeling in Industrial Design Education

The interviewed first year basic design studio instructors reflected their opinions on

3D physical modeling on the basis of three main themes; (1) advantages, (2)

constraints and (3) its positioning in industrial design education. The summary of the

regarding opinions are demonstrated in Table 6.5.

The most emphasized advantage of 3D physical modeling, mentioned by both A1

and C1, is its capacity to provide real 3D information on the physical properties of

the forms. For instructor A1, 3D physical models provide real 3D information by

appealing to the other senses as well as sight. Instructor C1 considered that without

such real 3D information provided by 3D physical models it might be almost

impossible to evaluate a form sufficiently.

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Besides its capacity to provide real 3D information on the physical properties of a

form, instructor A1 also mentioned three more advantages of 3D physical modeling.

For her, its concreteness makes 3D physical modeling more perceptible to human

beings. She also emphasized the relationship between the possibility of accidental

inspirations and hand building processes of the 3D physical sketch models in the

form finding phases. The last advantage of 3D physical modeling mentioned by

instructor A1 is also related with hand building processes in 3D physical modeling.

According to her to develop form creation related skills through 3D physical

modeling, at least in the early phases, provide the students with hands-on

experiences on the 3D forms such as to able to observe how certain changes on

certain components affect the overall form.

Instructor C1 reflected her opinions on the advantages of 3D physical modeling by

mainly emphasizing 3D physical information provided by only 3D physical models.

For her, 3D physical information regarding the form of a product make easier to

perceive the user product interaction and size related characteristics of it. She also

commented on how the mentioned types of information help determine primary

problems on the forms in the early phases of design processes.

As seen on Table 6.5, while instructor A1 and C1 emphasized advantages of 3D

physical modeling, only instructor B1 touched upon its constraints. For her, to

modify or change a physical model requires manual labor and time when compared

to hand sketching.

All of the interviewed basic design studio instructors considered 3D physical

modeling related skills and knowledge as the foundation for the knowledge and skill

acquisition processes of industrial design students. Hence, they put it at the foremost

position in industrial design education. While instructor A1 and C1 considered 3D

physical modeling skills as the primary competence for a designer, for instructor B1,

the students should start to develop their industrial design related skill development

processes through the most familiar representational media, sketching and 3D

physical modeling; because, as mentioned by her, almost all of the students are

familiar with drawing and sculpting 3D forms at least from play dough or paper.

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For instructor A1, the foundational role of 3D physical modeling does not come

from its potential to present but also from its significant influence on the

developments of the design approaches of the students. She emphasized that bodily

involvement of the students with the forms in their skill acquisition processes

increase their awareness of the significance of the physical interaction between the

user and the products. Besides the opinions regarding the foundational role of 3D

physical modeling, instructor A1 also mentioned the significance of awareness of the

students about the roles of 3D physical modeling in their skill acquisition processes.

She commented that if the students are aware of the importance of the coordination

of their eye, hand and brain in their skill acquisition processes they can spend more

effort for developing the mentioned coordination.

According to instructor C1, the students should be competent in 3D physical

modeling when they completed their first year in the department. She also

emphasized the significance of the internalization of thinking through 3D physical

modeling. She commented on the common tendency of the students to postpone 3D

physical models to the advanced phases of their design processes.

No one wants to spend time for such things, because she/he has got this

conviction that she/he would get the right one in his first attempt, s/he

develop only one. Then, when s/he is told it is not ok, she/he gets highly

demoralized. (A01)

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Table 6.6 Opinions of the first year basic design studio instructors on 3D digital

modeling in Industrial Design Education

All of the basic design studio instructor interviewees emphasized the same two

advantages of 3D digital modeling, the potential to increase the quality of

representations and to facilitate and accelerate the design processes. According to

instructor A1 and B1, the realization of the design ideas is easier and quicker through

digital modeling media. However, instructor A1 stated that when the students

experienced the facilitating and accelerating potentials of 3D digital modeling, some

of them found it unnecessary to go back to the 2D and 3D physical representations.

Besides the two shared opinions of the interviewed instructors, B1 and C1 also

mentioned diverse advantages of 3D digital modeling. Instructor B1 commented on

how 3D digital modeling media make possible to create more unusual forms by

providing more accidental inspirations through their risk free environments.

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There, we do things that could not be made by hand. Very interesting idea

coming out of a contingent situation or accident can lead to something. Or it

may not be imagined to bend a wooden stick when you play with it

physically. If s/he could image that, s/he cannot bend it. However, in a digital

environment, there is no limit, everything is possible. (A02)

While instructor A1 mentioned its inspirational potentials, instructor C1 reflected her

opinions on the advantages of 3D digital modeling by emphasizing its skill

enhancing features departing from her own experiences. She commented on how she

had limited manual skills in the beginning of her undergraduate education process

and how her hand sketching, 3D physical modeling and 3D thinking abilities became

better by the contribution of 3D digital modeling. Departing from her comments, it is

possible to assume that rather than to enroll representational facilities of 3D digital

modeling; she was impressed by its potential to provide precise 3D information.

When the reflections of the interviewed basic design studio instructors on 3D digital

modeling are reviewed it emerged that instructor B1 did not touch upon any

constraint regarding digital modeling media. At that point it should be reminded that

she was the only basic design studio instructor interviewee who mentioned the

constraints of 3D physical modeling.

Instructor A1 considered that the most significant constraint of 3D digital modeling

was its limiting effects on the students who are incompetent in digital modeling.

According to her the concerns of the students on how to model in digital modeling

software discourage them; they prefer to create the usual forms which they can

model. She also commented that digital modeling media direct the students to easier

solutions through its facilities. Consequently, the mentioned situation is considered

by instructor A1 as the underlying reason for less accidental inspirations and the loss

of distinctive characteristics in the design solutions of the students. Instructor A1

found 3D digital modeling 2D, although it is called 3D. According to her, 3D digital

modeling provides 3D information through a screen and this makes it similar to the

other 2D representational media.

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For instructor C1, the only significant constraint of 3D digital modeling results from

its scale free nature. Accordingly, she found hard to perceive the actual size of a

form through its 3D digital model.

All of the instructor interviewees considered 3D digital modeling as a convenient

media for generating and comparing the form alternatives because of its facilities

that make it possible to generate numerous variations of a form without spending any

material and manual labor. Instructor B1 also found 3D digital modeling convenient

for fine detailing of the forms in the advanced phases of design processes.

During the interviews, all of the interviewed basic design studio instructors

emphasized the necessity to introduce digital modeling to the students in the early

phases of industrial design education; however, they referred to different phases for

the introduction. According to instructor A1 and C1, to be competent in 3D digital

modeling entails to be competent in 3D physical modeling, since without robust

basic design knowledge and the experiences 3D physical forms, it might be hard to

perceive 3rd

dimension in digital environments. Accordingly, they suggested that the

introduction of 3D digital modeling should be in the second year of industrial design

education, in other words after the acquisition of the knowledge and skills provided

by basic design studio studies. Contrary to the opinions of instructor A1 and C1,

instructor B1 considered that 3D digital modeling should be introduced as early as

possible because new generation industrial design students are more familiar with

digital media. She stated that if the balance between roles of the physical and digital

representational media in the courses and studio studies could be established their

combination might be turned into a motivation for the students who feel more at ease

in digital environments. Hence the internalization of 3D digital modeling as a

complementary media for physical modeling should be provided.

Another significantly emphasized opinion, mentioned by all of the interviewed basic

design studio instructors, regarding the integration of 3D digital modeling in

industrial design education is the necessity to enable the students to perceive 3rd

dimension on 2D screens by providing hands-on exercises. Although instructor A1

mentioned the virtuality of 3D digital models that makes them 2D as one of the

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constraints of digital modeling she acknowledged that it is possible to learn to

perceive 3rd

dimension on a screen.

Table 6.7 The identified roles and positions of the representational media in basic

design studio

In view of the opinions of the interviewed basic design studio instructors on

industrial design education and 3D physical and digital modeling, the identified

representational media and their attributed roles and positions can be summarized as

in Table 6.7.

Sketching is identified as the critical non-human actor especially for the initial

visualization of design ideas on the basis of the expectation to equip the students

with basic sketching skills for enabling them to visualize their design ideas.

3D physical models are identified as the most critical non-human actor through-out

the studio studies on the basis of two following expectations;

To equip the students with 3D physical modeling skills because it is

considered as the foundation for the following phases of industrial

design education and

Sketching 3D physical modeling 3D digital modeling

Throughout the design processes Throughout the design processes Excluded

To equip the students with 3D

physical modeling skills because it

is considered as the foundation for

the following phases of industrial

design education and

To prevent the students to involve 3D

digital modeling because of its

misleading effects on the

development processes of the design

approaches of the students

To provide the students with the

experiences on 3D forms in order

to contribute the developments

of 3D thinking abilities

to postpone its introduction after the

acquisition of 3D physical modeling

skills and 3D thinking abilities of the

students in order to provide a

foundation for the development of

3D digital modeling skills

To equip the students with basic

sketching skills for enabling them

to visualize their design ideas

Exp

ecta

tio

ns

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To provide the students with the physical experiences on 3D forms in

order to contribute to the development of 3D thinking abilities

3D digital models are excluded on the basis of the following two expectations;

To prevent the students‘ involvement with 3D digit l modeling

because of its potential misleading effects on the development of the

students‘ design ppro ches

To postpone its introduction after the acquisition of 3D physical

modeling skills and 3D thinking abilities of the students in order to

provide a foundation for the development of 3D digital modeling

skills.

Although the criteria the students are expected to meet, the identified critical

representational media and their roles are demonstrated in the regarding tables in a

certain order, as mentioned by instructor A1, the basic design studio instructors

prefer to formulate the studio studies without strictly structuring them in order to

make possible to change the processes of the projects according to the responses of

the students at the moment.

6.3.2 Interessement moment in the first year basic design studio study

When the formulated (problematized) studio projects and the relevant documents are

introduced to the students by the instructors, interessement moments in the basic

design studio studies start. In this moment, the instructors direct the students to

establish connections with the identified representational media and to engage in the

proposed ways of acting through diverse strategies and negotiations.

In the narrated basic design studio study, the established connections between

student SA3 and the critical representational media are demonstrated in Table 6.8 on

the basis of their functions in the design process of the chess set.

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Table 6.8 Established connections with the representational media and their roles in

the basic design studio project

Hand sketches and 3D physical models are identified by the instructors as the

required representations for the chess set project on the basis of the match between

their potentials and the aims of basic design studio. However, when SA3 narrated the

beginning of the design process, she did not mention hand sketches and only referred

to the 3D physical models she employed for form development. Then, she was asked

if she drew hand sketches in any stages of the project. Her first answer w s ‗no‘

However, after a couple of seconds she changed her answer, but she passed over

hand sketches as an insignificant media employed in the very initial phase of the

narrated form development process.

As seen on Table 6.8, throughout the design process of SA3‘s chess set, she

generated the form alternatives by carving Styrofoam and evaluated them on the

basis of the criteria such as hierarchical relationships between the pieces of the chess

set.

Based on her narrative, it is possible to assume that she established connections with

both of the required representational media in the studio project, with hand sketching

for idea generation and with 3D physical modeling for generating and evaluating

form variations. Nevertheless, although her connection with 3D physical modeling

could be considered as robust, the connection between her and hand sketching

seemed weaker.

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The we kness of SA3‘s connection with h nd sketching c n e expl ined by

referring to both the role identified for it in the basic design studio studies and the

limited sketching abilities of the students. As explained by instructor A1, one of the

main roles of 2D sketching in the basic design studio studies is to facilitate the

transition of the students to work on 3rd

dimension since one of the most significant

teaching interests of the instructors is to equip the students with 3D thinking

abilities. Accordingly, it is possible to assume that she could not understand

thoroughly the significance of the relationship between 2D and 3D physical

modeling in the development of her 3D thinking abilities because of the emphasized

place of 3D physical modeling in the negotiations between the instructors and SA3.

At this point it should be mentioned that although the students were introduced with

basic 2D representational techniques in the first semester of their first year, it is

possible to assume that most of them feel themselves insufficiently competent in

communicating their ideas through sketching. Hence she might not be able to

employ hand sketching throughout the design process of her chess set.

In view of the interessement moment of the narrated basic design studio project, it is

possible to conclude that interessement moment of the chess set design process was

successful at least for student SA3, despite the weakness of the connection

established between her and hand sketching. She was persuaded to develop the forms

of the pieces of her chess set through iterative 3D physical modeling.

Departing from her narrative and the opinions of the interviewed basic design studio

instructors, the established connections and the underlying factors can be

summarized in the following way.

SA3 established connection with hand sketching because it was identified as the

required representation for idea generation phase.

She established a connection with 3D physical modeling on the basis of two main

reasons;

It was identified as the main representational media for form development

process.

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It was the most promoted and promising representational media that provide

3D physical information on the form without needing abstraction.

6.3.3 Enrolment in the first year basic design studio study

As mentioned above, student SA3 was persuaded to design through 3D physical

modeling and established connections with 3D physical modeling media in the

design process of her chess set. These connections had significant roles in the

acquisition of 3D thinking abilities, internalization of 3D physical modeling skills

and form development through iterative modeling.

In the narrated studio project, the most emphasized aspects of the design process are

extracted and deemed to be clues to the engagements of SA3 to the proposed skills,

knowledge and attitudes in the studio study. As demonstrated in Table 6.9, she

emphasized three aspects of the design process repeatedly.

Table 6.9 Emphasized aspects of the form development process of the narrated basic

design studio study

Sculpting the 3D forms by carving Styrofoam was the first emphasized aspect of the

narrated design process. She found the sculpting process pleasant and this enabled

her to engage in 3D physical modeling. Accordingly, rather than modifying the

existing 3D physical models, she preferred to make new ones when she felt a need to

change any detail. To be able to turn a Styrofoam block into a refined chess set with

painted surface finishing satisfied her and this was the other factor that provided her

engagement in 3D physical model making on the basis of its craft side. Besides these

Developing form through iterative modeling

Sculpting

Finishing

Emphasis

103

emotional outputs, to be able to evaluate the effects of the new solutions on the

overall forms by comparing 3D physical models of these alternatives impressed her.

Then, she became engaged in developing 3D forms through iterative modeling.

Besides the most emphasized aspects of the narrated studio study, like all the other

student interviewees, she was asked to identify the most important evaluation and

judgment regarding the forms of the pieces of the chess set and the representation on

which the referred evaluation was made. She told how at a certain moment of the

design process she recognized certain inconsistencies in the hierarchical

relationships between the pieces of the chess set. According to her, if there were no

3D physical models of the pieces of the set she would not be able to imagine in

which way certain details should be changed in order to solve these inconsistencies.

Table 6.10 The modeling tool on which the most important evaluation regarding the

narrated basic design studio project is made

It should be mentioned that to deem the identified representation, 3D physical model

of the chess set, as a measure of the student‘s eng gement with 3D physic l

modeling may not be entirely true, since it was the only representational media that

she could employ for her design process. However it is possible to assume that to be

able to see how her chess set was improved on the basis of the evaluation and

judgment on 3D form satisfied her and her engagement in 3D physical modeling was

strengthened.

Student SA3‘s eng gement in 3D physic l modeling st ilized y the str tegic lly

designed and conducted chess set studio project and she internalized 3D physical

Chess Set

SA3

3D physical sketch modelsIn which way the hierachical relationships

between the pieces should be designed

Modeling tools

104

modeling as the foundational design competence. However, at that point, it should be

added that her engagement with 3D physical modeling was not provided by the

potential of 3D physical models in providing 3D information alone but also by its

cr ft side s tisfying the student‘s person l interests

From the enrolment moment of the narrated basic design studio project, it is possible

to conclude that:

In certain cases, the students may become engaged in the proposed way of

acting or representational media in unintended ways because of their diverse

learning interests and inclinations

Hands-on experiences that allow the students to see the results of their

actions have instant and significant effects on engagement of the students in

the experienced way of acting or representational media

6.3.4 Mobilization in the narrated basic design studio study

As mentioned in the previous sections, the students internalized the knowledge,

skills and attitudes proposed in the studio studies and brought them together to the

following stages of their education and their professional lives.

Student SA3 was in the third year in her industrial design education, when she

narrated her basic design studio study. Her opinions on 3D physical and digital

modeling at the interview date are determined by her experiences, skills developed

and knowledge acquired through the previous three years including the narrated

studio study.

105

Table 6.11 Opinions of SA3 on 3D physical modeling

For student SA3, form development processes, especially in the early phases, should

be conducted mainly through 3D physical modeling in order to evaluate physical

properties of a form and to prevent size related problems and unexpected

inconsistencies.

During the interview, student SA3 frequently emphasized how she employed 3D

physical models as a contribution to her 3D thinking abilities when she could not

perceive certain properties of imagined form thoroughly on its sketch or 3D digital

model. She found it impossible to be sure about the form of a product solution

developed by her without evaluating it at least through a very rough 3D physical

model. According to her to perceive 3D physical properties of a form without

interacting with it physically was almost impossible and only 3D physical models

could provide these opportunities. The last advantage of 3D physical modeling she

emphasized was its contribution to 3D digital modeling, she found it easier to model

a physically modeled form in digital environment than to turn a sketched form into a

3D digital model. As mentioned in the previous sections, she was fond of 3D

physical modeling not for only its potential to provide real 3D information but also

for its making process increasing the involvement of the designer with the form and,

106

accordingly, it is this involvement which facilitates the transformation of the form

into digital format.

Student SA3 touched upon only a constraint of 3D physical modeling although she

emphasized its various advantages. According to her, it was hard to represent certain

delicate details through 3D physical modeling. However she did not mention if there

is any relationship between this constraint and the available modeling media and her

physical modeling abilities.

Table 6.12 Opinions of SA3 on 3D digital modeling

The most valued advantage of 3D digital modeling by SA3 was its contribution to

3D physical modeling. When she commented on how she used 3D digital modeling

s physic l modeling f cilit tor, she referred to ‗unroll method‘ s one of the most

efficient ways of turning a digital model into a 3D physical form. In the intermediate

stages of her design processes, she employed 3D digital modeling as an ally to

physical modeling, however, rather than highly detailed digital models she prepared

107

them very roughly in order to facilitate unroll process. To be able to edit models in a

risk-free environment was mentioned by her as the second advantage of 3D digital

modeling. In the last advantage, she mentioned contribution of 3D digital modeling

to her 3D thinking abilities. She said that whenever she could not imagine certain

relationships between the components of a form on a sketch she modeled the form

roughly in digital environment, then, drew the relevant details.

Student SA3 considered 3D digital modeling more convenient for the advanced

phases of the design processes and found it more convenient for providing geometric

accuracy, generating the variations of the forms and detailing.

Although she mentioned only a constraint for 3D physical modeling, she emphasized

various constraints of 3D digital modeling frequently. For her, to model a complex

form in digital environment took long time. Hence, she preferred to postpone

modeling the forms in detailed way in digital environments to the very advanced

phases of the design processes. According to her, digital modeling process entails

focusing on commands rather than on the form and channels the students to generate

forms that they could model. Although she did not touch upon the virtual and scale

free environments of 3D digital modeling software among the constraints, she

mentioned the problematic aspects of digital modeling resulted from its virtuality

such as the difficulties in keeping control of the forms, to perceive the actual size

and physical properties of them etc. These last two constraints can be considered

among the underlying factors that channeled her to consider 3d digital modeling as

convenient for the advanced phases of design processes.

However, although she emphasized the constraints of digital modeling, at the

advanced phases of the interview, she felt the need to declare that she found herself

competent in 3D digital modeling and capable of coping with these constraints.

Her connection with 3D digital modeling was established after the narrated design

process; however, her robust relationship with 3D physical modeling influenced the

internalization of 3D digital modeling. Although she acknowledged the contribution

of 3D digital modeling to her 3D thinking abilities, she identified 3D physical

modeling as the most reliable 3D information provider. Her views on the

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employment of 3D digital modeling revolved around the advanced phases of design

processes, despite its mentioned contributions to her 3D thinking abilities and form

development processes such as making it possible to generate variations of a form on

the basis of minor changes in a short time, etc.

Table 6.13 Summary of mobilization moment of the basic design studio study

Student SA3 internalized 3D physical and digital modeling mainly on the basis of

their advantages and constraints. As seen on Table 6.13, in the mentioned advantages

of both of the modeling media, two interesting points emerged. She utilized both of

them to contribute to her 3D thinking abilities and employed each one as a

complement to each other.

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6.4 Translation processes in the second year studio studies

During the student interviews, four students referred to their second year studio

studies for their most satisfying forms. The translation processes of the second year

studio studies are analyzed on the basis of these four narratives and the interviews

conducted with the three of the second year studio instructors. The narrated projects,

the year of the regarding studio studies and the mentioned reasons for the selections

are demonstrated in the Table 6.14.

Table 6.14 The most satisfying form narratives from the second year studio

From Actor-Network Theory perspective, the underlying reasons for the selection of

the most satisfying forms can be considered as the reflections of the acquisitions

gained through the translation process in the studio actor-network nd the students‘

ways of enrolment to the studio study. Student SB3 selected the outdoor furniture

group as the most satisfying forms developed by him throughout his education

process. The pleasure of seeing his ideas on a concrete real product is one of the

main reasons for his selection, since, apart from the selected project the outputs of

the studio studies that he participated until the interview date were only the

representations of the products.

Student SC3 explained the underlying reasons for her selection on the basis of the

deliberately designed details of the form. Besides the final form, she also considered

the development process of the form as a satisfying process. During the design


SB3 2013 Outdoor furniture I enjoyed the form becuse it w as pleasant to see my ow n style on it

SC3 2013 Nut cracker The form w as very deliberate becuse w e had a second chance

SD4 2012 Iron Because each line had a meaning and refered to another line

SE4 2012 Iron Development process of the form w as pleasant

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process, she had a chance to work with different materials and to test working

principles of the nutcracker alternatives.

Two of the four students selected the same second year studio project outputs, irons,

as the most satisfying forms. However the expressed underlying reasons for the

selections are different as seen on Table 6.14. While student SD4 selected her iron

for its refined lines and details, student SE4 emphasized the development process of

the form rather than its features as the reason for her selection.

6.4.1 Problematisation moment in the second year studio

In order to analyze second year industrial design studio as an actor-network and its

problematisation moment, the key actors' visions on industrial design education are

examined as a first step. The most significant aspects of the instructors' visions of

industrial design education are identified from the interviews and turned into the

nodes and themes listed on Table 6.15.

Although there are minor changes in the total number of instructors in the second

year studio, at least 2 full time instructors, 2 assistant and 3 or 4 part-time instructors

participate in the studio studies for each semester. Three of these instructor were

interviewed in the field research. The interviewee A2 is the senior instructor, the

interviewee B2 is the junior instructor and the interviewee C2 is one of the assistants

in the studio. It can be assumed that because of his senior position, teaching concerns

and interests of the instructor A2 are the most determining factors on the formulation

of the studio projects, introductions and directions for the stages of the design

processes (studio project processes).

The second year industrial design studio, ID201-202, is coordinated by the instructor

A2. His vision of industrial design education is mainly based on enabling the

students to conduct creative thinking processes (design processes) effectively by

focusing on the knowledge and experiences on materials and production processes

111

and the objectification7 of these processes by combining design related knowledge

and skills.

Instructor B2 is the senior instructor in the second year studio studies. His teaching

interests mainly revolve around equipping the students with the ability to construct,

to manage and complete a design process by focusing on production and material

related knowledge and physical experiences in the early phases of ID education,

although he is interested in digital design tools and computer aided prototyping.

Instructor C2 is one of the assistants of the second year studio. According to him, the

main aim of ID education is to equip the students with the knowledge and skills to

conduct a design process from the beginning to the end by motivating students for

more creative processes.

From the analysis of the interviews, it appears that the instructors reflected their

opinions on industrial design education by touching upon five main themes, (1)

general remarks on industrial design education, (2) the aims of the education, (3) the

knowledge and skills which a student should be equipped with through industrial

design education, (4) the educational opportunities which should be provided and (5)

appeared needs in industrial design education.

7 O jectific tion term is considered s the most convenient term for the Turkish term ―nesneleştirme‖

by the author, during the interview, when instructor A2 reflect his opinions on design education, he

define design process on the sis of two concepts ―o jectific tion of n ide ‖ ( ir fikrin

nesneleştirilmesi) nd ―reific tion of n str ct entity‖ (soyutu somutl ştırm )

112

Table 6.15 Design education related nodes and themes for the second year studio

Although a significant diversity in the teaching interests of the instructors is

demonstrated in Table 6.15, it can be assumed that the shared two nodes extracted

from the opinions of the instructors on ID education are the most obvious elements

of the central objective of the second year studio.

To equip the students with the knowledge on the materials and their

production methods

To enable the students to learn materials by processing them

instructors' opinions on design education 2A 2B 2C

ID education is a traditional education because of its physicality related aspects X

Design is about objectification X

Studio is at the core of the program X

To strengthen people for the emergence of ideas and its processes X

To transfer the body of knowledge on industrial design to the students X

To motivate students for more creative processes X

To increase visual literacy of the students X

The knowledge on the materials and their production processes X X X

The skills to construct, manage and complete a design process X X

The foundational knowledge on technology X

The ability to objectify generated ideas X

The ability to combine knowledge and skills acquired in different courses X

The ability to think in 3rd dimension X

The knowledge on elements and principles of design X

The knowledge on new technologies X

The skills on form exploration X

The ability to use verbal and nonverbal representations X

To learn materials by processing them X X X

To be familiar with digital fabrication and cam systems X

To develop digital and physical modeling skills in parallel X

To coordinate all the departmental courses as a part of a whole X

To balance the positions and the roles of physical and digital modeling in ID education X

For institutional approach and policy on id education X

To teach how to combine dm and pm X

To develop new educational models X X

For graphic design related skills X

rem

ark

sa

ims

en

ab

le

the

stu

de

nts

the

ne

ed

to e

qu

ip w

ith

113

The students who aim to be successful in the studio course are expected to align their

learning interests with the studio instructors' teaching interests, so that they can

complete their design processes on the basis of the criteria introduced by the

instructors. The most significant criteria and the expected representations for most of

the studio studies conducted in second year studio are extracted from the interviews

and the documents and listed as demonstrated in Table 6.16.


representations for the second year studio studies

By identifying the criteria and required representations for the stages of the design

processes of the studio studies, the instructors also identify most of the critical

human and non-human actors of the studio actor-networks.

As demonstrate on Table 6.17, the shared opinions on the necessity of the

knowledge on materials and their production processes for form development is

projected on the studio studies in producibility and selection of the materials and

the production methods criteria. To direct the students to produce the prototypes of

Innovativeness

Usability

User product interface

Producibility

Selection of the material and the production methods

Performance of the students througout the process

Posters (problem analysis and idea generation)

Video recordings (problem analysis)

Reports (problem analysis)

Sketches (throughout the design process)

3D physical sketch models (throughout the design process)

Working physical models (detailing phase)

Prototypes (finalization)

crit

eria

rep

rese

nta

tio

ns

The criteria and required representations for the narrated second

year studio studies

114

their studio projects is the reflection of the opinion on the significance of the

physical experiences on the acquisition process of this knowledge. By putting

prototypes in the required representations list, the instructors also identify the

materials by which the prototypes are produced, the modeling workshop of the

faculty etc. as the critical actors of the studio actor- network.


and required representations for the second year studio studies

The user product interface criterion and the required 3D physical models can be

identified as the reflections of the teaching interests of the instructors on the criteria

to equip the students with the ability to objectify ideas and to equip them with

the ability to think in 3rd

dimension. While 3D physical models are identified as

the most prominent critical non-human actors at the problematisation moment, there

is no place for 3D digital modeling tools and representations in the design process as

consequence of the instructors‘ opinions on 3D digit l modeling summarized in

Table 6.19.

The most significant teaching interests of the second year

studio instructors

Producibility

Selection of the material and the

production methods

User product interface

Working physical models

To equip them with the ability to think in 3rd dimension

To enable the student to learn materials by processing them Prototypes

The reflections of the teaching interests on the

set of the criteria and required representations

To equip the students with the knowledge on the materials

and their production methods

3D physical sketch models

crit

eria

rep

rese

nta

tio

ns

To equip the students with the ability to objectify ideas

115

Table 6.18 Opinions of the second year studio instructors on 3D physical modeling

in Industrial Design Education

Instructor 2A nd 2B emph sized 3D physic l models‘ potenti ls in providing 3D

physical information by comparing them with the other representational media,

although instructor 2A found hand sketching superior. For instructor 2B, physical

interaction between the designer and the form of the design solution was one the

most important thing that directly influences the outputs of design processes and

employing 3D physical modeling during the design processes increases this

mentioned physical interaction. For instructor 2C, to employ 3D physical modeling

during the design process makes possible to develop more producible forms because

of real 3D physical information provided by 3D physical models.

Although all of the second year studio instructors found 3D physical modeling

convenient for the early phases of design processes, for instructor 2A it was not as

practical as hand sketching hence it should be employed after the idea generation

phases.

For instructor 2A nd 2B, 3D physic l models‘ potenti ls in providing re l 3D

physical information make 3D physical modeling the primary skill that an industrial

design student should be equipped with.

116

Table 6.19 Opinions of the second year studio instructors on 3D digital modeling in

Industrial Design Education

Although the instructors‘ reflections reg rding 3D digit l modeling re m inly

concerns its constraints, they also mentioned certain advantages of it in course of the

interviews. According to instructor A2 and B2, design process can be facilitated and

accelerated by 3D digital modeling. However for instructor A2, these facilitating and

accelerating contributions occur at the expense of various information on 3D

physical properties of products‘ forms.

While instructor A2 emphasized its potentials in enhancing 2D representational

skills such as coloring photographs of 3D physical sketch models in digital photo

editing tools, instructor C2 mentioned its facilitating features for 3D physical

modeling. In these two advantages mentioned by instructor A2 and C2, digital

modeling is considered to be complementary to physical modeling.

117

In the interview conducted with instructor A2, the main emphasis regarding the

constraints of 3D digital modeling media is on its inadequacy for physical aspects of

design. According to him 3D digital models cannot provide most of the information

on physical properties of a product. Hence, they cannot be considered as an

alternative for physical modeling.

... No matter is it digital or high-tech. Technology could not be superior to

physical one because there is a basic core. A man (sic) involved in

woodwork, let‘s not s y involved, I me n, wood smells, there re different

types of wood and weight of each is different. I mean, by no means digital

environment could represent physical properties. (A03)

Instructor B2 mentioned the three constraints of 3D digital modeling; its limiting

effects on the students‘ cre tivity, its limited pr ctic lity compered to sketching nd

its 2D nature. According to instructor C2, it requires exhaustive labor and therefore it

directs students to easier solutions.

All of the interviewed second year studio instructors referred to 3D digital modeling

as a medium that can be used in the advanced phases of the design processes. This

shared opinion of the instructors could be resulted from the mentioned constraints,

which make digital modeling inconvenient medium for idea generation and form

creation phases of design process.

According to Instructor A2, digital modeling can be employed in the detailing phase

and for generating variations of a form on the minor changes. It is also considered as

a convenient modeling medium for detailed, delicate and repetitive surface studies

by instructor C2.

Besides their opinions on 3D digit l modeling, the instructors‘ te ching interests

could be the underlying reason for their exclusionary attitude towards 3D digital

modeling. Instructor B2 expressed one of the underlying reasons in the following

way;

We do not allow them, as I mentioned, like in other things, they should climb

the historic l st ges…I elieve th t first the previous ones then the

contemporary ones should be given. Thus, as in the case of ape-human being,

in order to explain where the progress takes place, where the new one fulfills

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the things the old one can not, or where the older gives way to the new one, it

is necessary to follow the very same sequence. (A04)

According to instructor B2 the sequence of the skill acquisition processes should be

arranged in accordance with the chronological sequence of these skills. In other

words, an industrial design student should be equipped with hands-on physical

modeling skills before starting the acquisition process of digital modeling skills.

For instructor A2, industrial design education is inherently traditional (physicality

intensive) education since it involves materials, textures, etc. Then, he states that

technology cannot provide any medium that can represent physical aspects of an

object and of its materials as in reality.

I mean, now, as you know, linden is different from sapelli, oak is different

from eech, popl r is different from u ing …You would know this s you

de l with wood work… I me n, therefore, they re ll physic l properties nd

we deal with externalization. Our main task is to get know the material and

this is not possible in the digital environment. That is, you can see some

examples of what could be done with that material but you need to feel it if

you re going to do something with th t m teri l… For this re son, let‘s s y

that I am from an ecole which values very much the physical at the earlier

stages of design education. Nowadays, I believe, for the sake of getting

things done easily, computers push all these outside the process with a price

of losing the knowledge somehow. (A05)

For him, physical properties of the material of an object are the most influential

factors on its form. To develop a form without any physical interaction during the

knowledge and skill acquisition process is considered by him as a misleading

activity for the students. From his perspective, during the studio critiques and the

juries, it is possible to observe the misleading influences of digital modeling tools on

the students‘ w ys of design

What would be used? I have not given thought to the material yet. Look these

are very funny things. You ask him, how did you do this without taking the

material into account. Like a computer, there object is produced, material is

appointed, watch this, like appointing a material in Photoshop, it is like that.

That is, they design the object and then seek for material. They are not aware

of the fact that design of the object requires to take the material into account

from the very start. As if he appointing material on a form in 3DMax. I ask

him about the material of the designed product and he tells me that he have

not given any thought to the material yet. How come you design the object on

119

Monday, and start thinking about the material on Thursday, I tell him, they

go hand in hand, as a matter of fact this is designed on the basis of the

material. (A06)

On the basis of the opinions of second year studio instructors, attributed roles and

position of the identified modeling media as the critical actors of the second year

studio studies could be summarized in the following way.

Sketching (a critical actor especially for the early phases of the studio studies)

Expectation is to equip the students with sketching skills to increase the

speed and practicality in the visualization of the ideas.

3D physical modeling (a critical actor for the intermediate stages of the studio

studies)

Expectation is to equip the student with 3D physical modeling skills because

only 3D physical models can provide certain information regarding 3D

physic l properties of form nd contri utes the students‘ 3D thinking

abilities.

Prototyping (a critical actor for the advanced phases of the studio studies)

Expectation is to provide the students with the possibility to acquire the

knowledge on the basic materials and their machining through hands-on

experiences.

3D digital modeling (a critical actor which should be excluded)

To prevent the students to learn to develop a product through 3D digital

modeling because of its misleading effects on the attitudes of them.

The summarized opinions and interests of the instructor on physicality and physical

and digital modeling and the four objectives extracted from them can be considered

as the underlying force for the exclusion of digital modeling from the

problematization moment of the studio actor-network. By doing this, the instructors

120

attempted to build a barrier between the students and digital modeling as a strategy

for the subsequent moments of the translation processes.

6.4.2 Interessement moment in the second year studio studies

The interessement moments of the translation processes of the second year studio

studies begin with the introduction of the studio projects to the students and the sets

of criteria and required representations. The connections between the students and

the critical actors of the studio projects are established in this moment through the

negotiations between the students and the instructors. In order to understand the

established connections between the students and 3D physical and digital modeling

in the narrated second year studio studies, the mentioned representational tools and

their functions are examined on the basis of the comments of the students. The

summary of the examined connections is demonstrated in Table. 6.20.

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Table 6.20 Mentioned representational tools and their functions in the second year

narratives

Three of the students, SB3, SC3 and SD4, generated their ideas in the initial phases

of the studio projects through hand sketches. Nevertheless in our sample, only

student SD4 was persuaded by the instructors to employ hand sketching as

complementing actor for 3D physical modeling to generate variations of forms.

The place and role of sketching in the second year studio studies can be explained by

referring to the two influential factors. Firstly, sketching is the most promoted design

tool especially for the idea generation and generating form variations in the

interessement moments of the studio. Furthermore, the senior instructor of the studio

conducts two of the must courses on 2D representational skills. He also identifies

hand sketches as the essential representational tool for his professional design

processes. His sketchbooks filled with artful sketches can be considered as an

interessement device to persuade the students to design through sketching. Secondly,

hand sketching can be considered as a competing actor for other visual

representational tools because of its speed and practicality. However, for

Outdoor furniture Nutcracker Iron Iron

SB3 SC3 SD4 SE4

Hand sketches Idea generation Idea generation

Idea generation

To generate form

variations

Sketches drawn on the

photographs of the 3D

physical models

Form analysis


To generate form

variations

To test the product's

structure

Form explorations

To generate form

variations

Idea generation

Form explorations

To generate form

variations

To test physical

interaction

working models / prototypes

To test working

priciples

To generate form

variations

3D digital modelsTo generate form

variations

Modeling tools

122

representing physical aspects of a form, it has limitations resulting from its

characteristics such as being scale free, being 2D, requiring competence on drawing

and spatial skills for complex forms etc.

In the narratives of the students, 3D physical models appeared to be the most

referred representational tools for the form development related issues such as

generating form variations, form explorations, to test the structure of the form, to test

user-product interaction, etc. however this was not only stimulated by the

identification of 3D physical models as the required representations but also by the

fact that the students were persuaded on the significance of the information on 3D

physical properties of a form in the form development processes.

In most cases, as they mentioned, the instructors are faced with the resistance of the

students against developing form through 3D physical modeling. Compared to

existing easier and faster alternatives such as sketching and digital modeling, the

students consider 3D physical modeling a labor intensive and time-consuming

practice in the studio studies.

As mentioned by instructor B2, resistance to giving a significant role to the physical

models in the design process has been observed several times by him. According to

him, as seen in the following quotation, if the majority of the students do not have

sufficient competence on physical modeling in the studio, they attempt to normalize

their situations by suppressing the others who are more competent on physical

modeling. Furthermore, in some cases, this majority may alienate the students

striving to do better. Consequently, from the ANT perspective, this resistance can be

assumed to be an attempt to determine the course of the studio study by disturbing

the interessement moment

Because some people are inherently capable of doing it. They do not meet

any difficulty in transforming it into an object. The others come together

round consensus y s ying th t ―no ody is le to do it, neither m I‖ If

there is no one who would like to come to the fore, then there is no problem.

… An immediate consensus are established in the classroom, in such cases

round the view th t ―no ody would do it super ly‖ nd then the consensus

expends to not to let anyone do it better even when this is possible. Such an

awkward perception that any one doing it properly gets excluded let alone

123

being appreciated. This is really something which should be analyzed

sociologically in its own right. I do not know if anything could be done on

this issue but this is the case (A07)

This situation can be interpreted as a result of counter interests of the critical actors

of the studio. In any actor network, to encounter certain interest conflicting with the

actor-network goals is not a rare situation because of the nature of the assemblages.

In the interessement moment, in order to overcome any resistance and persuade the

students to develop their forms through 3D physical modeling, besides negotiations

targeting to convince the students why they should do this, two strategic attempts are

made by the instructors. The first strategy is to break the ties between the students

and digital modeling tools by rejecting their usage in the studio studies. In the second

strategy, 3D physical models are identified as a must for receiving the instructors‘

feedbacks during the studio critiques. By rejecting digital modeling tools and by

determining 3D physical models as a must for studio critiques, the instructors use the

authoritative means provided by allied actors such as laws and regulations of higher

education as well as the rules and curriculum of the department.

The exclusion of digital modeling from the formulated studio project can be

considered as an intervention of the instructors to displace the competing actor for

the aimed skills and abilities from the actor network. From the instructors‘ lenses,

although digital modeling tools could not provide the information on the physical

properties of a form, they compete with 3D physical models by providing visual

information on the third dimension of the form in a relatively fast and easy way. In

addition to rejection of 3D digital models as competing non-human actors, sketching

is manipulated by negotiating its advantages and constraints for the form

development processes.

During the first year of their industrial design education, the students mostly work on

2D compositions and 3D sculptural forms by shaping conventional modeling

materials such as paper, felt, Styrofoam, clay etc. So, as mentioned by instructor A2

and B2 the second year studio is the first course in which they should develop

products by taking into account users, materials, production processes, etc. Because

124

of the instructors‘ h nds-on physical experiences and material processing skills

focused approaches, students are also challenged to produce the prototypes of their

projects. Therefore, it may be fair to assume that in the interessement moments of

the second year studio actor-networks a significant part of the negotiations and the

resistance of the students mostly revolve around these issues.

Although the usage of digital modeling tools in the second year studio studies was

barred by the instructors, student SB3 was seduced by digital modeling on the basis

of the opportunities provided by it. He accepted the importance of the 3D physical

models in the form development process, however, according to him, to spend time

by producing 3D physical models of the variations of the form in the advanced

phases of the design process to see the effects of the minor changes on the form was

an ineffective attempt, especially if there was a faster and easier alternative such as

digital modeling. In this case, 3D digital models acted on the basis of their own

capacities rather than on the basis of the roles identified by the key actors for them

and they provided the possibility to generate form variations in a short space of time

without spending any material and manual labor. In the studio project, he mentioned

that a couple of his classmates also opted for the digital modeling for generating

form variations. Furthermore, he also added that the number of the students who

behave in the same way might increase if the other students in the studio knew to use

digital modeling tools. Student SB3 and his classmates did not completely resist the

teaching interests of the instructors; furthermore they adopted all of them.

Nevertheless, they identify excluded digital modeling as a complementary tool, in

another words as an ally, and behind the scene they used it in their design processes.

If the interessement moment of the second year studio studies is reviewed by

focusing on the role and position of 3D physical and digital modeling tools in

industrial design education at METU, it is possible to conclude that, at least for the

interviewed students, despite some minor defections, interessement moment was

succeeded and the students are persuaded to integrate 3D physical modeling into

design processes in the second year studio, since their learning interests and the

instructors‘ te ching interests overlapped. They established connections with 3D

physical modeling mostly on the sis of 3D physic l models‘ identified roles, the

125

negotiations and the strategic attempts of the instructors. Nevertheless, as seen in the

narratives, some of these connections were established in unintended ways (form

analysis exercise on the photographs of the physical models) and also a connection

with the excluded actor (3D digital modeling) emerged. However, in this case, the

excluded actor acted as an allying actor rather than interrupting the ties between the

students and proposed skills and attitudes.

In so far as interessement moments of the narrated second year studio studies are

reviewed, it is possible to conclude that the instructors persuaded all of the students

who narrated their second year studio studies to integrate 3D physical modeling into

their second year studio projects. Then, they established connections with it. The

most significant connections are summarized in the following ways.

The students established connections with hand sketching because it was the

most promoted, familiar and easy reach actor for representing ideas in a fast

way.

The students established connections with 3D physical modeling because it

was the most promising actor as an ally for the expected criteria such as user

product interaction, structure of the product, etc.

Only one of the students established connections with the form analysis on

the side view photographs of the models because, among the interviewed

students, only her learning interests overlapped with the promises of the

mentioned form analysis method.

The students established connections with prototypes because it was

identified as the must actor for grading.

One of the students established connection with the excluded actor because it

was the most promising actor for generating form variations in the advanced

phases of the studio project.

On the basis of these observations, it is possible to conclude that the students tend to

establish connections more easily with certain types of representational media. They

can be categorized and listed in the following ways;

126

The most promoted ones,

The most familiar ones,

The easy reach ones,

The most promising ones

However definitions of these categories may vary on the basis of learning interest

and point of views of the students.

6.4.3 Enrolment in the second year studio studies

The persuaded students become engaged in their studio projects in the enrolment

moment of the studio studies. Each student becomes engaged in a different way

determined not only by her/his own interests and inclinations but also by the

inclinations and interests of the other connected actors such as instructors, existing

design tools, facilities, etc.

Table 6.21 Emphasized aspects of the form development processes for the second

year studio studies

In the narratives of the students, developing forms through iterative modeling and

incremental form development were the most emphasized aspects of the form

development processes in the second year studio. Although all of the students

become engaged in these two ways of form development, diverse engagements are

also revealed from their narratives on the design processes.

Outdoor

furnitureNutcracker Iron Iron

SB3 SC3 SD4 SE4

Developing form through iterative modeling

Incremental form development

Sculpting

The whole form development process

Form analysis

Structural analysis

Working with different materials

Emphasis

127

Although they selected different studio projects conducted in different semesters

‗sculpting processes of the models‘ ppe r s the third emph sized spect in the

narratives of student SC3 and student SE4. While student SC3 found very impressive

to experience different materials by processing them, to test their reflexes and

strength during the sculpting process of the model in the studio project, student SE4

identified sculpting by carving an easy shaping material as the most pleasant

experience in the narrated studio study. Additionally, the whole form development

processes are valued only by these students.

Contrary to the shared opinions on common aspects of the different studio studies,

students SD4 and SE4 are convinced on diverse learning interests from the same

translation moment. It is possible to explain this situation by touching on the

unpredictable nature of the assemblages (Fenwick and Edwards, 2010). Student SD4

and SE4 narrated the same studio project, however, while student SE4 was

impressed by form exploration through sculpting, form analysis exercises on the

photographs of the 3D physical models of the forms in the studio study is expressed

as the most impressive and instructed activity by student SD4. Although the

mentioned form analysis exercise was conducted in the same studio study, contrary

to student SD4, there is no reference to this exercise in the narrative of student SE4.

During the narrated form development processes, the students referred to certain

moments in which the most important evaluations and judgments on the forms and

certain representations on which the mentioned evaluations were made. These

representations and the evaluations are demonstrated in Table 6.22.

128

Table 6.22 The modeling tools on which the most important evaluations regarding

the narrated second year studio projects are made

To be able to see immediately how their forms and their progress were improved

through these evaluations and judgments in the narrated design processes can be

considered among the motivating factors that allowed the students to enroll in their

own ways to the introduced ways of design. For student SB3, the most critical

evaluation made by him in the narrated studio study was on how the legs and the

panels should be joined together. This evaluation was made at a relatively late stage

of the design process, so he did not have time to make a new 3D physical model to

see the effects of the cornered and carved joint details on the form in 3D in physical

world. So, the evaluation was made on the basis of the information provided by 3D

digital models of the carved and cornered variations of the form. At that moment of

his design process, 3D digital modeling appeared as one of the mediating actors for

the most critic l ev lu tion in student SB3‘s design process, lthough it is not

identified as an ally or a mediator by the instructors. Consequently, the enrolment of

student SB3 to the studio project was realized on his own way. He became engaged

in designing by thinking in 3D, however in different way from the intended.

The most import nt ev lu tion in Student SC3‘s n rr ted design process w s on how

the metal cracker should be placed in the wooden cover. She evaluated the

mentioned relationship on the prototype produced from the selected materials. In the

early phases of the form development she produced her working models in the

modeling workshop of the Faculty up until the need to process metal for the inner

129

cracker mechanism emerged. Then, she had to find a workshop in which the metal

parts could be produced. However, at that point the time devoted to nutcracker

project came to an end. Actually, before the emergence of the need to find another

workshop, the engagement in developing products by thinking in 3D, acquiring

knowledge on the materials by processing them and acquiring knowledge on the

mechanisms through working models was realized. The modeling workshop of the

Faculty, the existing easy shaping wood materials in the workshop, woodworking

machines, etc. can be considered among the mediating actors promoted by the

instructors in the conversations between the students and them. At the end of the

semester, the instructors gave extra time to the students for improving one of the

projects designed throughout the semester. This opportunity allowed student SC3 to

make trials on how to embed the metal mechanism into the wood cover. Then, to be

able to see the working prototype of her studio project strengthen her engagement in

the objectives of the studio study.

Figure 6.1 Student SA4‘s iron project

For student SD4, to be able to see how certain lines conflicted with the other

components of the form was one of the most critical aspects of her design process.

According to her, the form analysis exercise, mentioned in the previous section,

130

made it possible to see how certain 3D properties of a form influence the silhouettes

of the forms. From her point of view, until that moment, she had not been instructed

on how 3D properties of a form can be analyzed in 2D. In the exercise, the students

photographed their 3D physical models and printed them as 2D side views, and then

they made explorations on harmony of the silhouettes by drawing sketches on these

prints. The transformation from 3D into 2D provided SD4 with a chance to see and

evaluate silhouettes of her design solutions from a different perspective.

Accordingly, she became engaged in designing through 3D physical modeling by

experiencing the contribution of the introduced evaluation approach to her progress

in the studio project. By experiencing their complementarity increasing the

effectiveness of both of the representational media, student SD4 engaged in

designing by moving between 2D and 3D representational media.

Figure 6.2 Student SE4‘s iron project

131

The most critical evaluation influenced the course of student SE4‘s design process

was on the size of the form. At the advanced phases of the form development

process she realized that the handle of the product was not convenient for users who

have bigger hands. Besides the dimensions of handle, its proportional relation with

the other parts of the product also had to be changed. She claimed that without a 3D

physical model it was impossible to realize this challenging problem. The

engagement of the student was provided through the sculpting process of the model,

however she enrolled to design through 3D physical modeling by taking into account

the importance of the physical interaction between the user and the product when she

realized the fact that she could not see the problem without a 3D physical model.

From Actor-Network Theory perspective, it is possible to conclude that the studio

project criteria (user product interface), the required 3D physic l models, instructors‘

negoti tions etc get together with the student SE4‘s le rning interests nd

inclinations and she enrolled to the objectives of the studio study in her own way.

The enrolment moments of the narrated second year studio studies allow us to

conclude that, except student SB3, all of the students engaged in designing through

3D physical modeling because, in their narratives, 3D physical models and

prototypes were referred as the most critical representations which made it possible

to make critical evaluations and judgments during narrated studio studies by

providing required information on the physical properties of their forms.

To be able to experience how 3D physical models can provide the information on 3D

physical properties of a form and how this information affected the following stages

of form development and design processes in a real context could be considered as

the most significant factor for the enrolments of the students.

However, as seen in the narratives, each student engaged in 3D physical modeling in

a different way because of her/his diverse inclinations and learning interests. When

the reflections of student SD4 are reviewed by focusing on the enrollment moment

through actor-network lenses, it can be concluded that she became engaged in to

generate form variations through hand sketching by the alliance of the side view

photographs of the 3D physical models. As mentioned in the previous section, the

132

studio instructors organized an exercise on analyzing the main contours and lines on

the form of the iron on the photographs of the 3D physical models. Although the

main purpose of the exercise is to show the students how they can evaluate the

relationships between the surfaces and parts of a 3D form, two unintended

consequences also appeared. On the one hand, the need for mastery on sketching to

draw complex forms is mitigated by drawing on the silhouettes of the side view

photographs of the physical models. On the other hand, the connection between the

student and 3D physical modeling was shaped in an unintended way through the

assemblage of 3D physical models, digital cameras, the photographs of the models,

the student‘s inclin tions, etc Dep rting from this interpret tion, it c n e concluded

that rather than focusing on which actors are assembled in the studio studies it

should be focused on how the connections between the actors are established.

In line with these findings, it is possible to make two suggestions that can be used

strategically.

The students adopt new representational skills and attitudes in their own

ways because of their diverse learning interests and inclinations. Hence the

v riety of the exercises h s n import nt role in the students‘ eng gements in

them

Hands-on experiences that allow the students to see the results of their

actions have instant and significant effects on the engagement of the students

in the experienced way of acting or medium

6.4.4 Mobilization in the second year studio studies

The students, narrated their second year studio studies, expressed their opinions on

3D physical and digital modeling by touching upon four main themes; advantages,

conveniences and constraints of them and teaching of 3D physical and digital

modeling. These opinions are considered as the reflections of their knowledge, skills,

attitudes and experiences acquired from the all attended studio studies and courses

including the narrated ones until the interview dates. The summary of the regarding

opinions are demonstrated in Table 6.23 and Table 6.24.

133

The potential of 3D physical models to prevent size related problems regarding the

forms emerged as one of the most agreed opinions of the students on 3D physical

modeling. All of the students commented on how they faced size related problems in

their previous studio studies if they ignored 3D physical modeling in the early phases

of their design processes. Hence in order to be sure about the size related properties

of a form they almost always preferred to model their forms physically in 3D, at

least very roughly.

Table 6.23 Opinions of students narrated their second year studio studies on 3D

physical modeling

In the second most agreed opinion, the students found it easier to evaluate 3D

physical properties of a form on its 3D physical model because of real 3D

information provided by it. Students SC3 and SE4 also valued the real time

information provided during the modeling process. They commented on how the

mentioned real time information inspired them for generating solutions, besides its

contribution to their 3D thinking abilities. At this point it might be helpful to

mention that it was the sculpting process of the models in the narratives of student

SC3 and SE4 that emerged as one of the significant factors provided their

engagement to 3D physical modeling.

Outdoor


SB3 SC3 SD4 SE4

Prevents size related problems on the form1 1 1 1

Provides information on 3D physical properties of the forms1 1 1 1

Provides real time information during the modeling0 1 0 1

Contributes to 3D thinking abilities 0 1 0 1

For the early phases of form development process1 1 1

For evaluating user product interaction 1 1 1

Modeling materials determine the forms1 1 1

Hard to model complex forms 1

Teaching The need for more extensive courses and exercises on PM 1 1 1

Eff

icacie

sB

ett

er

3D Physical Modeling

Constraints

134

Three out of the four students, SB3, SC3 and SD4 consider 3D physical modeling

more convenient for the early phases of form development processes because of its

potential to prevent essential inconsistencies regarding physical properties of a form.

For students SB3, SD4 and SE4, user product interaction should be evaluated

through 3D physical models of the products rather than their 2D or digital

representations.

From the reflections of the second year narrators, it is possible to conclude that they

internalized thinking through physical modeling and became representatives of it

especially for evaluating 3D physical properties of the forms and user product

interaction. Accordingly, they brought this way of design to their subsequent design

processes.

Except student SE4, all of the students are persuaded that only sketching and 3D

physical modeling was convenient for the relatively early stages of design processes.

Accordingly, they preferred to employ only these two physical representational

media in the early phases of their studio studies.

The mentioned constraints of 3D physical modeling mainly revolved around

competence related issues. SB3, SC3 and SD4 mentioned the determining effects of

the modeling materials on the generated form; lack of the experiences on different

modeling materials was identified by SC3 and SD4 as one of the factors increasing

the mentioned determining effects. The last constraint was mentioned by only SC3,

she found it hard to model complex forms through 3D physical modeling because of

her limited abilities in digital modeling.

Three out of the four interviewed students touched upon the need for extensive

courses and exercises on 3D physical modeling because all of them found

themselves incompetent in it, although they were in the third and fourth years of

their industrial design education.

The second year studio instructors aimed to equip the student with 3D physical

modeling skills and persuade them to design through 3D physical modeling because

they considered that only 3D physical models could provide certain information

135

reg rding 3D physic l properties of form nd contri ute to the students‘ 3D

thinking abilities.

The students‘ reflections show th t they intern lized designing through sketching

and 3D physical modeling and they brought it to their following design processes. In

other words, translation processes in the narrated second year studio studies are

succeed, the students became the representatives of designing through 3D physical

modeling and their certain attitudes are turned into more predictable forms.

However, the students‘ views lso indic te th t, lthough they re intern lized the

introduced way of design, their levels of competencies in 3D physical modeling

could not meet their needs in the ever-complicating design processes.

Table 6.24 Opinions of the students narrated their second year studio studies on 3D

digital modeling

All of the second year narrators mentioned the contributions of 3D digital modeling

to their 3D thinking abilities. As commented by them, while the exercises on

constructing 3D forms in the 3D coordinate systems of digital modeling software

Outdoor


SB3 SC3 SD4 SE4

Contributes to 3D thinking abilities 1 1 1 1

For comprehending overall form 1 1 1

Accelerates the design processes 1 1

For detailing 1 1 1 1

For materials and finishing 1 1 1

For the advanced phases of the process 1 1 1

For generating variations of forms 1 1

Hard to perceive user product interaction 1 1 1 1

Hard to perceive physical properties of a form 1 1

Hard to perceive the actual size of a form 1 1

Time consuming 1 1

Limits the students' creativity 1 1

Need for more extensive instructions and exercises on DM 1 1 1

Introduction of DM should be in the first year 1 1

3D Digital Modeling

Efficacies

Better

Constraints

Teaching

136

facilitated their perception of the third dimension, they also compensated their

incompetence in 3D thinking by employing 3D digital modeling, when they could

not imagine a detail in 3D. Three out of the four interviewees, SB3, SC3 and SE4,

commented on how 3D digital modeling software made it easier to comprehend

overall form. Although they preferred to evaluate the physical properties of the

developed form on its 3D physical model, to be able to see the forms of their

products from different directions by simply revolving it on the screen convinced

them for the evaluation of the overall form. However, all these three interviewed

students stated that they could not be sure about the consistency of the overall form

without seeing it physically in 3D. To be able to turn an idea into a finely detailed

3D form in a short time was emphasized by SB3 and SD4 as the most important

advantage of 3D digital modeling. Accordingly, they employed 3D digital modeling

in their design processes mainly on the basis of this accelerating potential.

For all of the interviewees, 3D digital modeling was the most convenient media for

detailing phases of design processes because of the scale-free environments of the

software that make it possible to focus on any detail. In addition to its contribution to

the detailing phases of design processes, scale-free environments of digital modeling

software were also referred to when three out of the four students, SB3, SC3 and

SE4, reflected their opinions on the potential of 3D digital modeling for

comprehending the overall form.

The convenience of 3D digital modeling for the visualization of the forms‘ materials

and surface finishing in a realistic way was emphasized by SB3, SC3 and SD4.

However, while student SB3 and SD4 valued this potential on the basis of the

preparation of the realistic 2D presentations, SC3 valued the mentioned realistic

visuals as the information resources that make possible to evaluate the consistency

between the form and the selected materials. At this point it might be helpful to

mention the teaching interests of the interviewed second year studio instructors

revolving around the internalization of designing by taking into account the

determining effects of the materials and their machining processes on the forms of

the products. It is possible to assume that she was mobilized and became a

representative for designing by taking into account the constraints of materials and

137

their machining processes. However, although the instructors channeled the students

to evaluate these effects through 3D physical models and prototypes, student SC3

internalized the proposed way of design in her own way and brought it to her

following studio projects by substituting prototypes with realistic 3D digital models.

Except student SB3, all of the students consider 3D digital modeling more

convenient for the advanced phases of design process. As mentioned above, they

preferred to conduct the early phases of their design processes through physical

representational media until the main decisions on the overall rough forms were

made. However, it should not be interpreted as an internalized way of acting. As

mentioned by them, they felt themselves incompetent in digital modeling and their

preferences should be considered as a strategy resulted from their awareness on their

state of competence in digital modeling that they aimed to improve.

SD4 and SE4 emphasized the convenience of 3D digital modeling to the generations

of variations of the forms. After the determinations of the main rough forms, they

mostly preferred to generate and to compare the variations of the forms in digital

modeling software.

The reflections of the students on the constraints of 3D digital modeling pointed out

the inadequacy of 3D digital models in providing information on user product

interaction as the most significant constraint resulted from its virtuality. The

interviewees also mentioned two more constraints resulted from the virtuality of 3D

digital modeling. While students SB3 and SC3 touched upon the difficulty of

perceiving and assessing physical properties of a form, student SC3 and SE4

emphasized how difficult to assess the actual size of a form in 3D digital modeling

software because of their scale-free environments.

While students SC3 and SE4 commented on how they spent long time to model their

forms in modeling software, its limiting effects on their creativity are mentioned by

SD4 and SE4. The students who mentioned these two constraints associated them

with their incompetence in 3D digital modeling. Hence, as explained by them,

student SC3 and SE4 preferred to employ 3D physical sketch models for the

intermediate stages of their studio projects because they could model their forms

138

physically faster than in digital modeling software. Student SD4 said that, in certain

studio projects, even though she generated extraordinary ideas, her forms turned into

the ordinary ones when she transformed them into digital format. Student SE4

identified her capability in 3D digital modeling as the most determining factor on the

forms of the products developed by her.

Except student SC3, all of the students pointed out the need for more extensive

instructions and exercises on 3D digital modeling in the program of the department.

In addition, SC3 and SE4 also emphasized that 3D digital modeling should be

introduced in the first year of industrial design education.

Table 6.25 Summary of mobilization moment in the narrated second year studio

studies

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6.5 Translation processes in the third year studio studies

Three out of the 12 interviewed students selected their third year studio projects as

the design processes through which they think they developed the most satisfying 3D

product forms up to the interview dates. As demonstrated in Table 6.27, the selected

projects are the coffee maker with serving accessories and the outdoor lighting for

Metu campus.

Table 6.26 The most satisfying form narratives from the third year studio

Two of the three students who selected their third year studio studies, SD3 and SE3,

identified the same project conducted in spring 2014, coffee maker with serving

accessories. While student SD3 selected her coffee maker because of its deliberate

small details which made it more aesthetic, for student SE3, the fluent lines on the

surfaces of the form made it the most satisfying product form. Although their

explanations for their selections differed, both of them emphasized that the forms of

the coffee makers were their first deliberately designed forms. In the narratives, one

of the underlying reasons that channeled them to design more consciously is

explained by both of the students as the coincidence of ID361 Sense of Form course

and the studio study in which they developed their coffee makers. The coinciding

course, ID361 Sense of Form, was conducted by a visiting professor form Pratt

Institute, Martin Skalski, who teaches transportation design, 3d design, color theory

and drawing.


SD3 2014 Coffee Maker Because of the deliberate small details made it more aesthetic

SE3 2014 Coffee Maker Because of the fluent lines on the surfaces of the form

SF3 2013 Outdoor Lighting The form met both the aesthetic and functional expectations

140

The last project among the third year studio studies was the outdoor lighting project

conducted in fall 2013. Student SF3 explained why she selected her outdoor lighting

as the most satisfying form on the basis of two reasons, according to her the form

met both the aesthetic and functional expectations identified in the project briefs and

she found the design process of the product pleasant.

6.5.1 Problematization moment in the third year studio

The documents on the randomly selected and the narrated third year studio studies

show that, at least 3 full time instructors, 2 assistants and a part-time instructor

participate in the studio studies for each semester. In certain studio studies conducted

in collaboration with a partner such as industrial associations, communities and civil

society organizations, the representatives of the partners also participate in the studio

studies.

In the field study, three instructor interviews are conducted for the third year studio.

The interviewee A3 is the full-time instructor, the interviewee B3 is the part-time

instructor and the interviewee C3 is one of the assistants in the studio. For the studio,

it can be assumed that the formulations of the studio projects, introductions and

directions for the stages of the studio project processes are determined on the basis

of the shared teaching interests of the instructors.

Instructor A3 is one of the full time senior instructors of third year studio. She also

coordinates two graduate courses in the department, ID561 Product Design for

Sustainability and ID 728 Generative Design Research for Sustainability. Her vision

of industrial design education revolves around a strategy of enabling the students to

construct, to manage and to complete design processes on the basis of sustainability

criteria and to provide them with life-long learning habits, multi-dimensional

thinking abilities and enriched representational skills.

Instructor B3 is a free-lance industrial designer graduated from METU Industrial

Design Department. He also coordinates ID211 Design Communication III since

2005. The course content covers the visualization of 3D objects through technical

drawings such as sectional views as well as perspective drawings. His teaching

141

concerns are mainly on enabling the students to conduct design processes by

focusing on multi-dimensional thinking abilities and the knowledge on materials and

production methods and equipping them with enriched representational skills by

introducing different modeling media on the basis of their constraints and

advantages.

One of the assistants of the studio, instructor C3 is also working on her Ph.D. in the

department in which she also earned undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

According to her, industrial design education should guide the students on how they

can conduct design processes while equipping them with multi-dimensional thinking

abilities, life-long learning habits, enriched representational skills by introducing

different modeling tools and knowledge on materials and production methods.

The third year studio instructors reflected their opinions on industrial design

education by emphasizing three main themes, (1) the knowledge and skills which a

student should be equipped with through industrial design education, (2) the

educational opportunities which should be provided for students and (3) emerging

needs in industrial design education. The extracted nodes and constructs from the

opinions of the instructor interviewees on industrial design education are


142

Table 6.27 Design education related nodes and themes for the third year studio

The analysis of the opinions of the interviewed third year studio instructors points to

three shared nodes;

To equip the students with the knowledge on materials and

production methods

To equip the students with the multidimensional thinking abilities

To enable the students to internalize designing by moving between

different 2D and 3D representations

These three nodes can be considered among the essential elements of the central

objective of the third year studio studies as they play a significant role in the

identification of the studio projects, the criteria which students are expected to meet

and the required representations for most of the third year studio studies as well as

for the narrated studio project. For the students to reach their target, earning an

industrial designer title, they are expected to align their learning interests with the

essenti l elements of the studio‘s centr l o jective nd comply with the criteri nd

required representations of third year studio projects in order to pass the next stage

of their industrial design education. The most significant criteria and required

143

representations for the narrated third year studio projects, the coffee maker with

serving accessories and outdoor lighting for Metu campus, are extracted from the

interviews and the documents and listed in Table 6.28.


representations for the third year studio studies

In the set of criteria and required representational skills, sustainability and selection

of the materials and production methods criteria can be considered as the

reflection of the shared opinion on the necessity of the knowledge on materials and

production processes in industrial design education (Table 6.29). These criteria are

also directly related to the opinions on the need for the integration of

sustainability criteria into design processes. According to instructor A3, it is not

possible to integrate sustainability-centered approaches in industrial design

education without a knowledge and experience of materials and their processing in

different production scales.

144


and required presentations for the narrated third year studio studies

The opinions on the significance of multi-dimensional thinking abilities in

industrial design education are reflected in the set of criteria through scenario

building, user product interaction and personalization of the product. The

variety of the identified visual representations can be considered as the reflection of

the instructors‘ opinions on the signific nce of enabling the students to internalize

designing by moving between different 2D and 3D representations in the studio

study. Through Actor-Network Theory lenses, it is possible to conclude that these

various representations are also identified as mediating actors for the internalization

of multi-dimensional thinking abilities. By putting 3D physical and digital models in

the required representation set, various physical modeling tools and materials,

modeling workshop of the faculty, computers, digital modeling software commonly

used by the students, etc. are identified as the critical actors in the studio actor-

network.

Although the interactions between the actors are the main shaping force on the roles

and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in the studio actor network, the

initial determination of their roles and positions are made by the instructors on the

basis of their own opinions and teaching interests. Hence, in order to understand

145

which dynamics are influential on the determination of these roles and positions,

firstly, the opinions of the instructors on 3D physical and digital modeling are

examined. The summaries of the opinions are demonstrated in Table 6.30 and Table

6.31.

Table 6.30 Opinions of the third year studio instructors on 3D physical modeling in


During the interviews, the reflections of the instructors mainly revolved around the

advantages of 3D physical modeling and only two constraints are mentioned by

instructor A3 and C3. Instructor A3 considered 3D physical modeling as a time

consuming practice for the students if they are not competent on it and, according to

her, this is one of the most significant issues regarding the position and role of 3D

physical modeling in industrial design education. Instructor C3 mentioned that 3D

physical modeling may decrease the speed of the communication because it is labor

Full-time Part-time Assistant

A3 B3 C3

Accelerates the thinking process in design process1 1

Prevents the size related problems during the form development process1 1

Facilitates to determine certain primary problems on a form 1

Facilitates to perceive user product interaction1

Facilitates to perceive the proportional relationships between the parts of a form1

Facilitates to perceive the relationships between the form and the real world 1

For teaching solid geometry 1

For comparing the imagination of the student and her/his representational abilities1

Time consuming 1

Decreases the speed of the communication1

The internalization of thinking through physical modeling should be provided1 1

The students should be equipped with easy and quick sketch modeling abilities1

The students should be informed on the types of the 3D physical models and their functions1

The students should be motivated to represent their ideas on 3D physical models1

The third year studio instructors' opinions on 3D physical modeling

Constr

ain

tsC

onvenie

nt

In industr

ial desig

n

education

Eff

icacie

s

146

intensive and time-consuming practice. However, according to her compensation of

this constraint is possible by enriching representational skills with complementary

representational tools.

According to instructors A3 and B3, 3D physical modeling can accelerate thinking

process in the early phases of form creation because of the direct flow of the 3D

information from 3D physical model to designer, which cannot be provided by any

2D representation.

The second advantage of 3D physical modeling, according to the instructor A3 and

B3, results from its capacity to prevent certain dimension problems faced with

during the studio studies because, as mentioned by instructor B3, the students can

use their bodies as referents in determining the size of the forms. According to

instructor A3, besides scale problems, the students can hardly determine various

primary problems regarding the form such as badly intersecting surfaces, weak

joints, etc. on 2D representations. On the other hand,, in her opinion, the problems

regarding the physical properties of a form can be easily perceived on 3D physical

models. Instructor B3 mentioned that 3D physical models provide more information

on user product interaction and facilitates its perception during the design process.

To facilitate the better perception of proportional relationships between the parts of a

form and the relationship between a form and the real world are mentioned by

instructor C3 as the most significant advantages of 3d physical modeling.

Instructor B3 considered 3D physical modeling as a convenient medium for teaching

solid geometry because of direct flow of 3D information. Additionally, according to

him, it is possible to understand the relationship between the imaginative abilities

and representational abilities of the students by comparing their verbal

representations and the 3D physical models made by them.

Thinking through 3D physical modeling is mentioned by instructors A3 and C3 as

one of the abilities that should be internalized by the students. However, in order to

provide its internalization, as mentioned by instructor A3, the students should be

equipped with easy and quick 3D physical modeling abilities and be aware of the

types of the physical models and their functions. Another significant issue for the

147

internalization of thinking through 3D physical modeling is mentioned by instructor

C3, according to her the students should be motivated to represent their ideas on 3D

physical models.

As mentioned above, according to instructor A3, to produce 3D physical models

takes time and the students mostly tend to give up to make them under time pressure.

According to her, if 3D sketching can be integrated into the studio studies as an

indispensable part of design process from the first ye r, pro lems such s ― eing

time consuming pr ctice‖ would not e mentioned nd the students could use it more

efficiently as a thinking medium.

For this reason, we should have given this to the students starting from the

first year. A basic skill, what we call mock up, would not develop if you do

not make exercises. Of course it takes time, but if we could cover it from the

very start, they would gain speed and use it more effectively. How do they

use different material such as p per, c rd o rd nd corrug ted c rd o rd…

(A08)

148

Table 6.31 Opinions of the third year studio instructors on 3D digital modeling in


According to instructor A3 and C3, digital modeling makes possible to prepare more

realistic representations because of its numerous facilitating features such as material

effects and lighting alternatives. Instructor B3 and C3 emphasized that digital

modeling accelerates design processes, reflection of this advantage also can be

observed in industrial design education, in recent years, as mentioned by instructor

B3, accelerated design processes make possible to conduct more studio projects in a

semester. According to instructor B3 and C3 3D digital modeling also improves 3D

thinking abilities of the students because the students are continuously exposed to

3D information during the digital modeling.

Full-time Part-time Assistant

A3 B3 C3

Provide more realistic representations

Accelerates the design process

Improve spatial skills

Enable to imagine extraordinary forms

Have accelerated the studio studies

Through digital modeling you also prepare production related details

Compensate the lack of manual modeling skills

Facilitates PM

PM skill development process can be improved with the contribution of DM

Hard to perceive the size of a 3D form

Not so practical as sketching

Cannot be a substitute for pm

Hard to perceive the relationships between the parts of the form

Crafty features or local production scale related specialties of a product may be lost in DM

May cause loss of control on the form

The less the students competent on DM the more it limits them

Digital 3D models are still 2D

Not so efficient to some extent for the complex forms

The existing DM software are not appropriate for industrial design

For the advanced phases of design process

For demonstrating the relationship between the form and the material

For generating and comparing the variations of the forms

For fine tuning

Introduction of DM should be provided in the early phases of ID education

Should be taught in a real context such as studio projects

The instructors should be competent on the potentials of DM in order to orient students

Competence on DM requires knowledge and experiences on physical aspects of design

Competence on DM requires spatial abilities

Introduction of DM should follow the development of PM skills

Different DM strategies of the students should be appreciated

In industr

ial desig

n

education

When

Third year studio instructors' opinions on 3D digital modeling

Constr

ain

tsE

ffic

acie

s

149

In the opinions of instructor C3 on the advantages of digital modeling, the main

emphasis is on its skill enhancing features. While through digital modeling it is

possible to compensate lack of manual skills, certain features of digital modeling

tools can also facilitate 3D physical modeling process. Accordingly, she thought that

3D digital modeling can be employed as a facilitator in the acquisition process of

physical modeling skills in industrial design education. Besides skill enhancing

features of 3D digital modeling, she also commented that highly realistic

representations require highly detailed digital models and this directs the students to

focus on production related details of the forms.

Although the interviewed third year studio instructors reflected their opinions on

various constraints of digital modeling, only one of them is mentioned by all of the

instructors; the difficulty to perceive the size of a form in digital environment

because of its scale-free nature. Instructor A3 explained the effects of this constraint

by referring the outputs of the certain student projects such as miniature or giant

products developed by digital modeling alone. According to instructor B3, contrary

to the physical models in the hand, in digital environments the visual size of a 3D

digital model continuously changes during the zoom-in and zoom-out operations.

Instructor C3 mentioned that although the proportional relationships between the

parts of a 3D form can be perceived on a screen, it could not provide any information

on its size by relating it to the real world.

Instructor B3 and C3 considered digital modeling unpractical compared to sketching.

Because of this impracticality digital modeling is considered inconvenient for the

early phases of design process in which flow of the ideas should not be interrupted.

According to instructor A3, digital modeling could not provide any information on

the physical aspects of design, hence it could not be considered as a substitute for

physical modeling. She also stated that it is very hard to perceive the relationships

between the parts of a form in digital environments. The last constraint mentioned by

her can be interpreted as the reflection of her concerns on the possible effects of

digital modeling tools on the integration of sustainability criteria into design process.

150

According to her, 3d digital tools mainly represent mass-production not the other

scales of production; hence, this might be the issue for 3d digital modeling media.

Two constraints of digital modeling are mentioned by instructor B3. For the first

constraint, he emphasized certain free form sculpting features of digital modeling

tools such as grab and pull which may cause the loss of control on the form. Despite

their closeness to the hand building sculpting techniques the loss of physical

interaction and scale-free nature of digital environments can be considered as the

underlying reasons for this constraint. As a second constraint, he mentioned the

relationship between insufficient competence in digital modeling and its limiting

effects. However, according to him, both of these constraints of digital modeling can

be dealt with by increasing digital modeling competencies of the students.

Instructor C3 emphasized the dimensional conflict in digital modeling. According to

her, although they are called 3D, digital models are still 2D because they can be

manipulated only on a 2D computer screen. Then, she stated that it is hard to model

complex forms, especially organic complex forms, in a precise way through existing

digital modeling tools. She also mentioned that the existing digital modeling tools

are not convenient for industrial design processes.

Instructor A3 and C3 mentioned that digital modeling should be employed in the

advanced phases of design process. According to them employing digital modeling

in the early phases of design processes in which most of the critical decisions are

made may turn the process into a form centered styling process. Instructor A3

explained her opinion by referring to certain aspects of basic design education as in

the following quote;

This one too has some dimensions related to the basic design, to its

aims. 2D, 3D modelling, mock-up making, model making, sketching

and making observation for instance. They develop design idea and

define the problem area by benefiting from all these things, from

these means and finally they start carrying it to third dimension. If

these students go straight to the modelling without going through this

process, we believe student would encounter some problem in

benefiting from these initial means. That is, solution proposals could

remain superficial or new products would not be much different from

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the existing products. We see this as a barrier to re-evaluation of the

problems. Of course such a view is open to contestation (A09)

According to instructor A3, one of the advanced stages of design process in which

digital modeling can be employed is the stage when a designer need to demonstrate

the form with its material without producing its prototype. Instructor C3 identified

digital modeling as a convenient medium for generating the variations of a form

involving minor changes. She stated that, to model a form in digital environment and

to generate and compare its variations in a short time is more efficient than spending

time, labor and materials to generate 3D physical models of the variations.

Additionally, she also identified digital modeling as a convenient medium for the

fine-tuning operations in which the small details such as screw holes etc. are

modeled.

Although 3D digital modeling is determined by the instructors as one of the critical

actors in the narrated studio study, as seen on the set of required representations,

there is no identified role for it at the early phases of the design process. The

opinions of the instructors on the constraints and advantages of 3D digital modeling

and the stages at which 3D digital modeling tools should be employed can be

considered as the underlying reasons for this tendency.

In addition to the opinions of the instructors on 3D digital modeling tools, instructor

A3 explained another significant underlying reason for the mentioned tendency by

referring to a common misconception among the students. According to her, when

the students are allowed to use digital modeling tools they consider that they will not

need 3D physical modeling for the subsequent phases of design process.

Although the instructors preferred to confine the role of 3D digital modeling to the

advanced phases design processes in the studio studies, all of them shared the

opinion that digital modeling should be introduced in the early phases of industrial

design education. Instructor B3 and C3 considered that rather than teaching digital

modeling in separate courses, its teaching processes should be integrated into the

studio studies. Instructor A3 supported this opinion by stating that the students learn

to use digital modeling tools more easily when they employ it in a real context such

152

as studio projects. Instructor B3 and C3 suggested that for the integration of digital

modeling in industrial design education all instructors should be aware of the

potentials of 3D digital modeling tools in order to orient students.

According to instructor A3, competence on 3D digital modeling requires certain

knowledge and experiences on the physical aspects of design such as physical

properties of materials, their production (machining) methods etc. so that they can

reflect them on 3D digital models by selecting convenient commands. Instructor B3

mentioned that being competent on digital modeling requires matching spatial

abilities. According to him, although they should be introduced in the early phases of

the education, this should occur after the acquisition of physical modeling skills,

since the students develop their creative thinking abilities parallel to the development

process of physical modeling skills. Instructor C3 considered that digital modeling

should be positioned in industrial design education on the basis of its contribution to

3D thinking abilities.

As explained above, the required representations demonstrated in Table. 6.29 are

determined in the problematisation moment on the basis of the explained opinions of

the third year studio instructors on 3D physical and digital modeling and introduced

to the students through the studio briefs.

In view of the opinions and the teaching interests of the instructors, it is possible to

summarize the attributed roles and positions of the identified modeling media in the

third year studio studies in the following way;

Sketching (a critical actor especially for the early phases of the studio studies)

The expectation is to equip the students with sketching skills because of its

speed and practicality in the visualization of the ideas.

3D physical modeling (a critical actor throughout the studio studies)

The expectations are to equip the students with 3D physical modeling skills

because only 3D physical models can provide certain information regarding

3D physical properties of a form and to provide the students with the

153

possibility to acquire the knowledge on the basic materials and their

machining through hands-on experiences.

3D digital modeling (a critical actor for the advanced phases of the studio studies)

The expectation is to equip the students with 3D digital modeling skills

because 3D digital modeling provides more realistic representations for the

advanced phases of the design processes. However, the timing of its

employment should be negotiated in order to prevent its misleading effects

on the students‘ ttitudes.

6.5.2 Interessement moment in the third year studio studies

The interessement moments of the translation processes of the third year studio

studies begin with the introduction of the studio projects and the sets of criteria and

required representations. The connections between the critical human and non-

human actors of the studio projects are established in this moment. All these

connections are established mainly on the basis of the negotiations between the

students and the instructors. Hence, it is possible to suggest that the students

establish connections with 3D physical and digital modeling at this stage of a studio

study.

Accordingly, mentioned representational tools and their functions in the narrated

third year studio studies, demonstrated in Table 6.32, are analyzed as the clues of

these connections.

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Table 6.32 Mentioned representational tools and their functions in the third year

narratives

All of the students who selected their third year studio studies, student SD3, SE3 and

SF3, mentioned sketching as an idea generation medium. As explained in the

problematisation moments of the third year studio studies, hand sketches are

identified as one of the critical actors and promoted especially for the early phases of

design processes. Nevertheless, as seen on the set of the criteria and required

representations (Table 6.28), the students are also expected to employ 3D sketch

models for the early phases of design process.

Coffe Maker Coffe Maker Outdoor Lighting

SD3 SE3 SF3

Hand sketches

Idea generation

To generate form variations

Idea generation

Form explorations

To generate rough form variations

Idea generation

To generate rough form variations


To test physical interaction

Form analysis

Form explorations

To test physical properties

Form analysis

3D white mockups


Form analysis

3D digital models


To contribute PM

To prepare final representations

For geometric accuracy of the

form


To contribute PM


To contribute PM


Modeling tools

155

Figure 6.3 Student SD3‘s prelimin ry nd fin l jury models

Students SD3 and SF3 were persuaded to employ 3D physical sketch models along

with hand sketches by aligning their learning interests with the teaching interests of

the instructors through the negotiations and supporting devices such as studio project

briefs. However, each of them employed each representational tool for different

function in the early phases of the narrated studio studies. As explained by SD3,

while for the visual aspects such as curvy details she mainly employed sketching, for

the physical aspects such as user product interaction and the size of the product, she

mainly employed 3D paper sketch models because of the constraints of sketches

such as being scale-free and 2D. It can be considered that her engagement with these

tools was established on the basis of their complementary features for form

development. During the interview she mentioned several times how unroll method8

8 8 Unroll as a physical modeling method mediated by digital modeling tools was taught through

hands-on exercises in Computer in Design course in 2013-2014 fall semester by the author. The

method is explained in the following paragraphs .

156

for paper sketch models had changed her approach to 3D physical modeling. She

told that in her previous studio studies she knew only carving Styrofoam9 as a

method to model organic forms. Hence, in order to avoid involving this material she

mostly did not make models at the expense of the feedbacks of the instructors since

the students were not allowed to participate the studio critiques in these studies

without 3D physical models of their design ideas.

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, although SD3 employed 3D physical sketch

models for testing physical interaction between the user and the product, the 3D

physical sketch models were employed by SF3 for form analysis such evaluating and

comparing the variations of certain physical properties of the form such as the slopes

of certain surfaces and their intersections. It is possible to assume that, contrary to

the coffee maker, because of the limited physical interaction between the user and

the outdoor lighting element, to test physical interaction on 3D physical sketch

model was not mentioned by the interviewee.

Figure 6.4 Student SF3‘s outdoor lighting project

9 Although Styrofoam is r nd, it is used commonly inste d of term ‗extruded polystyrene fo m‘

mong the students Therefore, in the dissert tion, it is preferred to use ‗styrofo m‘ inste d of

‗extruded polystyrene fo m‘ s in the interviews

157

However, as told by her, student SE3 developed form of her coffee maker only

through sketching until the preliminary jury time. By using actor network theory

insights it is possible to identify two underlying factors behind her preferences.

Firstly, she declared that sketching was her favorite representational tool for design

processes since the first year of her industrial design education because of her

personal interests. During the interview, she referred to Design Communication I-

II-III and Design Presentation I-II several times as the most effective courses on

the development of her spatial and representational skills. Her reflections on these

courses can be considered as the traces of the strong connection between her and

sketching since the content of all of the mentioned courses are on 2D

represent tion l skills nd she enrolled in ll of the modules of the courses, ―I have

taken this starting from the first year and I continue taking it. It is now for three

years. It is elective at the moment but I have taken it as an elective course for two

semesters. This is the fifth time I am taking it‖ (A10)

On the other hand, it can be assumed that she could not be persuaded to adopt to

generate forms through 3D sketch modeling in the early phases of design process

because, from her point of view, while sketching provided her with the possibility to

draw rough form variations side by side and to evaluate them, 3D physical modeling

required spending time, material and manual labor. Consequently, sketching

appeared as a competing actor against 3D sketch modeling for idea generation and

she became engaged in the most promising media.

The three of the students referred to the 3D physical sketch models for testing the

physical interaction and form analysis. However they made them at different stages

of the studio project. Student SD3 accepted the teaching interests of the instructors

and was persuaded to test user product interaction and to analyze the form on the

basis of its aesthetical aspects from the early phases of form development process.

By accepting to focus on user-product interaction she also accepted to employ

convenient representational media that can provide the information on physical

aspects of a form.

158

Besides user product interaction criteria, student SD3 also accepted the significance

of sustainability criteria and decided to develop a customizable product, a coffee cup

with a felt envelope that wrapped around the cup and closed with a special tie.

Nevertheless, as mentioned by her, it was not possible to represent this customizable

part through sketching or digital modeling because of her intermediate level skills.

One more time, 3D physical modeling emerged as one of the critical actors for her

studio study. From the Actor Network Theory perspective, it can be assumed that the

ssem l ge of mentioned criteri , the existing convenient tools nd the student‘s

learning interests enabled her to establish a connection between the student and 3D

physical modeling, however still fragile at this stage of the studio study.

Contrary to student SD3, it was the full-scale 3D physical preliminary jury model of

student SE3‘s coffee m ker th t convinced her out the enefits of 3D physic l

models. From Actor Network Theory perspective, selecting the 3D white mockups

as the must representations for preliminary jury can be considered as an

interessement strategy to force the students who did not accept to employ 3D

physical models until that stage because of the existing competing actors such as

sketching and 3D digital modeling.

In all of the third year studio narratives, the students mentioned 3D digital modeling

mainly when they referred to the advanced phases of their design processes and the

four functions of 3D digital modeling emerged as significant; to prepare realistic

final presentations, to facilitate 3D physical model making, to generate variations of

the forms, and to facilitate to control the geometric accuracy.

All of the students employed 3D digital modeling for the preparation of final

presentations since the instructors identified orthographic and exploded drawings

and realistic visuals of the products as must for the final presentations.

For the second significant function, 3D digital modeling was employed by all of the

third year interviewees to facilitate physical model making process before

preliminary jury. As told by them, in order to make more precise preliminary jury

models, all of the students modeled their forms in digital modeling software and then

159

they used these models to produce the templates of their full-scale 3D physical

models.

At that point, to explain the unroll and layer by layer methods will be helpful

because they are referred by several student interviewees during the interview

processes. The author attended to ID311 Computer in Design course in the fall terms

in 2013 and 2014 to conduct two exercises on converting a digital 3D form into a

physic l model y using ordin ry m teri ls (p per nd c rd o rd) nd dep rtment‘s

equipment (inkjet printers and the laser cutter).

ID311 was a must course given in the sixth semester, hence, most of the students

attending the course were in their third year and they developed outdoor lighting

elements for an industrial partner in their studio projects.

In the unroll exercise, the students:

Modeled their current studio projects through digital modeling software by

ignoring certain details such as fillets between the intersecting surfaces etc.

Converted their digital models into mesh models composed by polygonal

surfaces

Unfolded their models as a flat pattern by preserving connections between

the intersecting surfaces as much as possible

Printed generated patterns through the printers in the computer lab

Made the scaled paper 3D physical models of their outdoor lighting elements

by cutting and folding the printed patterns

Except digital modeling process, the exercise took approximately three hours. At the

end of the exercise the students submitted their models and production drawings in

digital format and 3D physical models.

160

Figure 6.5 3D Digital model of a cube and drawing of its unfolded format

In the layer by layer exercise, the students:

Modeled any one of existing coffee cup and saucer sets without any detail

limitation in 1:1 scale

Divided their models into layers according to the thickness of the corrugated

cardboard to be used

Generated contours of these layers as curves and laid down them on the sheet

templates to be cut through laser cutter

161

Made the real scale cardboard 3D physical models of their cup and saucer

sets by cutting the layers through laser cutter and stacking up these layers

according to their sequence

Except digital modeling process, the layer by layer exercise took approximately two

hours and the laser cutting process for each student took 15 minutes. However,

because of the total laser cutting time of the models, the students submitted their

physical models in the following course although they submitted their models and

templates in digital format at the end of the exercise.

Figure 6.6 3D Digital model of a coffee cup and drawing of its layers

162

Although this type of model building exercises were conducted in the previous years

in various courses, it was the first exercise conducted in such a way that employ

CAM systems (laser cutter) and newly developed features of the modeling software,

which facilitate this type of process.

In the first usage of 3D digital modeling in the narrated third year studio studies as a

complementary medium for physical modeling, The students modeled their forms in

one of the most common digital modeling software and then turned them into their

forms‘ physic l models for the prelimin ry jury of the project y employing unroll

method (Figure 6.7).

Figure 6.7 Preliminary jury model of student SE3

In the following usage of 3D digital modeling as a mediator for physical modeling

student SD3 and SE3 applied layer by layer method (Figure. 6.8) for the final jury

models.

163

Figure 6.8 Final jury model of student SE3

Contrary to the narrated second year studio studies, in the narratives of student SD3

and SE3, it emerged that although the third year studio instructors did not identify

3D digital modeling as an actor for the intermediate stages of the design process.

they encouraged the students to employ 3D digital modeling as allying actor in the

advanced phases of form development if the students made progress in their design

processes and made the essential decisions on their forms.

Consequently, through negotiations between the instructors and the students on the

third function of 3D digital modeling in the narrated third year studio studies, SD3

and SE3 were persuaded to generate variations of their determined main forms

through digital modeling and made decisions by compering all the alternatives on a

single screen view. However, besides the negotiations, it is possible to assume that

3D digital modeling itself also convinced the students by providing the possibility to

generate form variations in a short time without spending any material and any

manual labor.

The coffee maker project of student SD3 and SE3 was conducted in the following

semester of the lighting project narrated by SF3. Although SD3 and SE3 did not

164

receive any comment from the studio instructors on the timing of employment of 3D

digital modeling, the instructors found too early to employ digital modeling at an

intermediate stage in which student SF3 was used it to solve the joint details of her

outdoor lighting element. Departing from the opinions of the instructors on digital

modeling, it is possible to interpret this strategy in tree ways. In the first

interpretation, it can be considered that the instructors negotiated with the student to

delay 3D digital modeling until enough progress in her form development process

was made. In the second interpretation, the instructors intended to delay the

employment of digital modeling tools until she became more familiar with 3D digital

modeling because the semester of outdoor lighting project was the semester in which

the students are introduced with first must course on 3D digital modeling in the

program. In the third and last interpretation, the potentials of 3D digital modeling as

physical model making facilitator may not be so obvious at the time when the

narrated design process was conducted and accordingly the instructors attempted to

interrupt the link between the students and 3D digital modeling for such an

intermediate stage because of their concerns on the potential negative effects of 3D

digital modeling on the physical modeling related skill development processes of the

students.

The fourth function of 3D digital modeling was mentioned only by student SE3. She

utilized digital modeling also to ensure the geometric accuracy of the form of the

coffee maker. However, although student SD3 did not employ 3D digital modeling

on the basis of this function she referred to its potentials regarding the mentioned

function when she criticized her own tendency to postpone employing 3D digital

modeling till the end of the design process.

The second and fourth significant functions of 3D digital modeling were not

foreseen and not identified by the instructors in the formulation of the studio studies,

nevertheless the instructors did not reject 3D digital modeling when it demanded

more critic l position in the studio studies except student SF3‘ c se

For the studio study narrated by student SD3 and SE3, it is possible to assume that,

as a consequence of the reflexive nature of the studio studies, the teaching interests

165

of the instructors and the possibilities on industrial design education provided by 3D

digital modeling overlapped and new connections between the instructors and 3D

digital modeling have been established on the basis of the certain criteria such as the

levels of the progress acquired by the students, types of the products, etc.

When the interessement moment of the narrated third year studio study is reviewed it

is possible to conclude that the students who narrated their third year studio studies

were persuaded to design through 3D physical and digital modeling in their projects

by focusing on certain sustainability criteria. Then they established connections with

the critical actors of the studio studies regarding 3D physical and digital modeling,

however certain differences emerged between some of the identified and actualized

connections. Through Actor-Network Theory lenses, it is possible to summarize

these connections on the basis of the main underlying reasons in the following way.

The students established connections with sketching because it was the most

promoted, familiar and easy-reach actor for representing ideas in a fast way.

The students established connections with 3D physical modeling because of two

emphasized reasons.

Firstly, it was the most promising actor as an ally for the identified

sustainability criteria such as user product interaction, customizable features

and biomimicry.

Secondly, 3D white mock-ups were identified as must for the preliminary

jury.

The students established connections with 3D digital modeling tools for five main

reasons.

Firstly, realistic renders of 3D digital models were identified as a must for

final jury.

Secondly, it was the most promising actor as an ally for the production of the

required 3D physical models.

166

Thirdly, it was the most promoted and promising actor for generating form

variations on the minor changes and for comparing finishing alternatives.

Fourthly, it was the most promising actor as a mediator for the geometric

accuracy of the forms of the coffee makers.

It should be reminded that the second and last reasons were not foreseen and 3D

digital modeling was not promoted by the studio instructors on the basis of the

functions mentioned in these reasons. Nevertheless, the employment of 3D digital

modeling for these unexpected functions was welcomed by instructors in the

narrated third year studio studies.

6.5.3 Enrolment moment in the third year studio studies

During the field study two different third year studio projects were narrated, coffee

maker and outdoor lighting, nevertheless, as demonstrated in Table 6.33, all of the

students narrated these projects emphasized similar aspects of their design processes;

developing form by moving between 2D and 3D representations and form analysis.

The similarities in the emphasized aspects of the narrated third year studio projects

can be considered as clues to the substantially stabilized objectives that give weight

certain types of knowledge, skills and attitudes in the third year industrial design

studio in METU.

Table 6.33 Emphasized aspects of the form development processes in the third year

studio studies

Coffee maker Coffee makerOutdoor

Lighting

SD3 SE3 SF3

Developing form by moving between 2D and 3D representations

Form analysis

Significance of small details


Progress in the development of her form creation related skills

Emphasis

167

As explained in the problematization and interessement moments of the narrated

third year studio studies, the instructors provided the students with hands-on

experiences on targeted 2D and 3D representational media on the basis of certain

strategies.

During the interviews, each third year student interviewee commented on how

different representations provided different information and how that information

contributed to his/her progress. To be able to observe immediate results of the

mentioned hands-on experiences strengthened the connections between the students

and the experienced 2D and 3D representational media. Then, all of them became

engaged in designing by moving between 2D and 3D representations.

Another emphasized aspect of all of the narrated third year studio studies was the

significance of form analysis. All of the students commented on the efficiency of the

form analysis through 3D physical models and how these analyses led them in their

design processes.

When student SD3 commented on how her eyes caught an inconsistency on the form

of the coffeemaker during the form analysis process, she touched upon the presence

of 3D physic l models of her form‘s v ri tions on her desk in the studio environment

throughout the studio study. Accordingly, it is possible to assume that to keep 3D

physical models of variations of the form ideas in sight in the studio environment

can be considered as a significant factor that incre se the students‘ involvement with

their forms and influence the depth of their form analyses.

The significance of the small details in overall form aesthetics was emphasized in

both of coffee maker project narratives. Student SD3 and SE3 were impressed when

they realized how the changes in small details made big difference to the form.

Accordingly they considered the forms of their coffee makers as their most

deliberately designed forms because, as expressed by them, in their previous studio

projects it was the general shape of a form they focused on rather than its details.

Incremental form development was emphasized by student SD3 and SE3 because, as

mentioned by them, they could observe how their form became better step-by-step

168

through interventions on the small details. It is possible to conclude that the

underlying reason that channeled the students to engage in incremental form

development was ID 361 Sense of Form course because both of the students referred

the mentioned course when they explained why they developed their form in the

narrated ways.

During the interviews, SD3 and SE3 referred to their past design processes in order

to emphasize the transformation in attitudes. They commented on how they tended to

leave aside the progressed forms and started to develop brand new ones when they

discovered a problem with the form of their products or received a critique regarding

it rather than attempting to solve the identified problems.

As demonstrated on Table 6.34, student SF3 did not touch upon this way of design,

nevertheless, it can be assumed that by accepting significance of the small details

and internalizing iterative form analysis, she tacitly adopted incremental form

development.

In the third year studio narratives, it emerged that all of the interviewed students

made the best or most critical decisions regarding their forms mainly on the basis of

the information provided by the 3D physical models of their forms.


were made in the narrated third year studio studies

Coffe Maker Coffe Maker Outdoor Lighting

SD3 SE3 SF3

Hand sketches


In which way the

proportional relationships

between the components

of the coffee cup should

In which ways the angles

of certain surfaces should

be changed

3D white mockupsWhich lines on the form

should be more fluent

3D digital models

Modeling tools

169

Student SD3 employed 3D physical modeling and hand sketching together

throughout the design process of the coffee maker. She stated that almost all of the

important evaluations and judgments regarding the forms of her coffee maker and its

accessories were made on the 3D physical paper sketch models of them. SD3

commented that to decide to change the proportional relationship between the top

and the bottom parts of the coffee cup was her best decision in her process. In the

first form of her coffee cup, the mouth of the cup was wider than the bottom part

covered with a felt envelope. At a certain moment when she examined the 3D

physical model of the coffee cup visually, she realized that the mouth dominated the

bottom part and its felt envelope. She then decided to widen the bottom part and to

narrow the mouth. According to her, it might be very hard to realize the mentioned

proportional problem on the form of the coffee cup without seeing it in 3D in the

physical world. She was impressed by the consequences of the evaluations and

judgments on 3D physical models. Being able to observe how her form was

improved and how she progressed on the basis of these evaluations strengthened her

connection with 3D physical modeling and she became engaged in designing

through 3D physical modeling.

Student SE3 made the best decision regarding her form of coffee maker at a

relatively late stage of the design process. As explained by her, she insisted on to

develop her form through sketching until the advanced phases of the design process

and she made the first 3D physical model of her coffee maker for the preliminary

jury She converted her coffee m ker‘s digit l model into its unfolded templ te nd

cut it through the F culty‘s l ser cutter When she m de the mentioned model she

realized that certain lines on the form were not as fluent as she thought, then she

changed them.

However, although student SE3 experienced how a 3D physical model made

possible the most critical evaluations and judgments by providing 3D information,

she preferred to continue to her design process mainly by relying on hand sketching

and 3D digital modeling. She became engaged in designing by moving between 2D

and 3D representations, but still her connection with 3D physical modeling stayed in

fragile state among the 3D modeling media.

170

In the outdoor lighting project of student SF3, the instructors demanded an instant

3D sketch model of the form during a studio critique. She made the most critical

evaluation and judgment on this model. When she made the model by folding

cardboard she realized that if she changed the angles of certain surfaces, the lighting

element would be visually more pleasant and would illuminate in a better way.

According to her, if the instructors did not demand mentioned sketch model, to

realize such a problem through only 3D digital modeling would not be that easy. The

demand of the instructors led her to experience how 3D physical models provided

3D information regarding the form. Then she became engaged in designing by

moving between different 2D and 3D representations but giving more weight to 3D

physical modeling among the 3D representational media.

Table 6.35 Summary of enrollment moment in the third year studio studies

6.5.4 Mobilization moment in the third year studio studies

During the interviews, all of the third year interviewees were at the end of their third

years. Accordingly, it was not possible to examine if the interviewees would be the

representatives of the third year studio objectives and bring their newly adopted

ways of acting to the su sequent studio studies Hence, the interviewees‘ reflections

on 3D physical and digital modeling are analyzed and interpreted as the clues of

their stabilized design behaviors acquired in the third year studio studies, in other

words their mobilizations.

171

Like the second year narrators, the students narrated their third year studio studies

reflected their opinions on 3D physical modeling on the basis of four main themes;

advantages, conveniences and constraints of 3D physical modeling and its teaching.

The summary of the opinions are summarized in Table 6.36.

Table 6.36 Opinions of students narrated their third year studio studies on 3D

physical modeling

The two of the mentioned advantages are emphasized by both student SD3 and SF3.

They considered that only 3D physical models could provide sufficient information

on the actual size of the form of a product. Hence, to evaluate size related properties

of their forms, they relied only on 3D physical models. They also emphasized the

flow of real-time information during the modeling process and commented on how

3D physical models enable them to feel the form through all their senses during

model making that made possible to evaluate their design ideas just as they

visualized them. Accordingly, they considered this as one of the significant

advantages of 3D physical modeling that increase their progress in form

development.

Coffe

Maker

Coffe

Maker

Outdoor

Lighting

SD3 SE3 SF3

Prevents size related problems on the form 1 1

Provides real-time information during the modeling 1 1

Facilitates to perceive 3D physical properties 1 1

Contributes to 3D thinking abilities 1 1

For evaluating physical user product interaction 1 1

For evaluating product environment relationships 1

For the early phases of design processes 1

Modeling materials determine the forms 1 1 1

Incompetence in PM affects the students' progress negatively 1 1

Need for the exercises on quick 3D physical sketch modeling 1 1 1

Need for modeling experience with different materials 1 1

PM related skills should be acquired in the first year 1


Constraints

Teaching

Eff

icacie

sB

ett

er

172

Student SE3 and SF3 emphasized the advantage of 3D physical models that make

easy to perceive 3D physical properties of a form during the development process.

Although student SE3 mainly employed hand sketching till the advanced phases of

her design processes, she acknowledged the limited capacity of 2D representations to

provide information on 3D physical properties of a form. For student SF3, without

3D physical models it was hard to perceive proportional relationships between the

depth, width and height of a form. For student SE3 and SF3, by helping to perceive

3D physical properties of a form 3D physical modeling also contributed to their 3D

thinking abilities.

While both student SD3 and SE3 considered that only real scale 3D physical models

were convenient for evaluating physical user product interaction, SE3 found them

convenient for evaluating product environment relationships. Although student SD3

and SE3 did not imply any specific phase of design process for the employment of

3D physical modeling, student SF3 found 3D physical modeling more convenient for

the early phases of design processes in which she determined the rough proportional

relationships between the components of the forms.

In the interviews conducted with third year narrators, the students touched upon only

two constraints of 3D physical modeling. Three of the interviewees said that, in the

early phases of design process, the materials from which 3D physical sketch models

are made determine the main characteristics of the forms. They explained the

mentioned effect by commenting on how difficult to model imagined organic forms

from paper or cardboard and accordingly how they had to give up to apply certain

details on these types of forms. Student SD3 and SF3 emphasized how being

incompetent in 3D physical modeling affected the students‘ progress neg tively in

the studio studies. As mentioned by them, besides not being able to communicate

their ideas properly, they may also lose their motivations because of disappointing

models resulted from their insufficient competence in 3D physical modeling.

The interviewees associated mentioned constraints of 3D physical modeling with the

certain instructional needs in their industrial design education. All of the students

emphasized the need for more exercises on quick 3D physical sketch modeling.

173

According to them the more they were provided with these types of exercises the

more they may become familiar with 3D physical sketch modeling and make

progress in their studio projects. Departing from their past studio experiences,

student SD3 and SF3 emphasized the necessity for more exercises with different

modeling materials as well as different modeling techniques. Student SD3

commented that she had to use only Styrofoam in her second year studio studies

because it was the only modeling material which she learned to shape. According to

her, if she had known how to use other modeling materials she would have made

more progress in the second year studio projects. Hence, she considered that the

students should become competent on 3d physical modeling and familiar with

different techniques and materials at the end of the first year. Student SF3 said that

she preferred to employ only familiar modeling materials in most studio projects

even though they were not convenient for shaping or they had limiting effects on her

creativity, because of her limited experiences with different physical modeling

techniques and materials.

When the interviewees commented on the mentioned needs, all of them referred to

‗unroll‘ nd ‗l yer y l yer‘ methods s the only relatively practical modeling

techniques that they had experienced.

174

Table 6.37 Opinions of students narrated their third year studio studies on 3D digital

modeling

All of the interviewees agreed on three significant advantages of 3D digital

modeling. The potential of 3D digital modeling media to facilitate to perceive overall

form is one of these shared advantages. For student SD3, to evaluate aesthetical

aspects of a form entails to perceive the overall form. Hence she preferred to

evaluate aesthetical aspects of her product forms in digital environments because of

their zoom and orbit view facilities. To be able to see all side views on a single

screen view by means of digital modeling software is considered by student SE3

among the significant potentials of digital modeling. As explained by her, this

potential makes it easier to perceive overall form during form development. She

preferred sketching in the early phases of form creation process, however in order to

evaluate proportional relationships between the elements of the forms she

transformed her forms into digital format because she could evaluate these

Coffe

Maker

Coffe

Maker

Outdoor

Lighting

SD3 SE3 SF3

Facilitates to perceive overall form 1 1 1

Contributes 3D thinking abilities 1 1 1

Risk free 1 1 1

Easier and faster than PM 1 1

More controllable form development 1 1

Facilitates to perceive product environment relationships 1

Facilitates 3D physical modeling 1

Increases the interaction between the designer and the form 1

For the advanced phases of design processes 1 1 1

For generating variations of forms 1 1

For detailing 1 1

For materials and finishing 1

Limits the students' creativity 1 1 1

Could be disturbing because of its virtual and scale-free environments 1 1 1

Hard to perceive the actual size of a form 1 1

Could not provide information on user product interaction 1

Could not provide information on product environment relationship 1

Need for more extensive instructons and exercises on DM 1 1 1

should be given parallel to the studio studies 1

3D digital modeling

Bett

er

Constr

ain

ts

Teaching

Eff

icacie

s

175

relationships only by perceiving overall form, in other words when she could see all

side views on a single screen. The views of SD3 and SE3 suggest that they found 3D

digital modeling superior to 3D physical modeling in overall form perception to a

certain extent because of promises of digital modeling media. Student SF3

commented on the potential of 3D digital modeling to facilitate to perceive overall

form y emph sizing the simil rity etween digit l modeling softw re‘s or it view

and turning over objects by hand in physical world.

Similar to the first and second ye r n rr tors‘ opinions, the third ye r n rr tors

emphasized the potential of 3D digital modeling in contributing their 3D thinking

abilities. All of the three interviewees employed 3D digital modeling when they

could not imagine their forms thoroughly in 2D hand sketches. They used rough

digital models of their imagined forms as references for their sketching and 3D

physical modeling practices.

The interviewees appreciated the risk free working environments of 3D digital

modeling. Student SD3 said that she never felt she made a mistake when she worked

with digital modeling media because of undo command. She found creativity

boosting to develop forms in a risk free environment. To be able to intervene to the

components of the forms, to be able to generate variations without risking the main

form is considered by student SE3 as one of the most significant advantages of 3D

digital modeling. Student SF3 explained her opinion on the mentioned advantage by

comparing the results of the mistakes made on both digital and physical models.

Hence, during the design processes, she preferred to generate variations of the forms

through digital modeling.

Student SD3 and SE3 found 3D digital modeling easier and faster than 3D physical

modeling. Student SD3 said that digital modeling media simplified her design

processes by providing the opportunity to see any imagined form in third dimension

in a short time contrary to 3D physical modeling. For student SE3, to work on any

details and to produce their alternatives through 3D digital modeling was easier and

faster than 3D physical modeling.

176

Student SE3 and SF3 considered that digital modeling provides more controllable

form development because of its coordinate system based working principles.

Accordingly, in certain cases, student SE3 employed 3D digital modeling in order to

ensure geometric accuracy of her forms. For student SF3, through 3D digital

modeling you can change every detail in a way what you exactly intend, however in

physical modeling, there were more possibility for unintended hand movements that

may change the details.

In addition to some of the advantages of 3D digital modeling identified commonly

by the interviewees, three further advantages are pointed by different interviewees.

Student SD3 considered that 3D digital modeling facilitates to perceive product

environment relationship by providing the opportunity to generate real like

environments virtually. For student SE3, 3D digital modeling facilitates 3D physical

modeling by providing templates of the forms and 3D information on them. Student

SF3 commented that 3D digital modeling increases designer product interaction

although 3D digital models are virtual.

All of the interviewees considered 3D digital modeling convenient for the advanced

phases of design process although all of them somehow used 3D digital modeling in

the relatively early phases of their studio projects in order to see rough main forms of

their design ideas in a short time. Accordingly, they stated that they preferred to

transform their form into digital format after all form related main decisions are

made.

Convenience of 3D digital modeling for generating variations of forms was

mentioned by student SD3 and SE3. While student SD3 preferred 3D digital

modeling on the basis of its potential to visualize how intended changes affected her

forms in a short time, to be able to determine exactly the intended changes on the

basis of coordinate system such as to change radius of a curve by giving the exact

value rather than by rule of thumb.

Student SD3 and SF3 found 3D digital modeling superior over physical modeling in

detailing of their design ideas. Scale free environment and virtuality of 3D digital

modeling software are mentioned by them as the most significant facilities that made

177

it convenient for detailing in their studio studies. In addition to these three

conveniences, student SD3 pointed to 3D digit l modeling‘s convenience to

visualize and evaluate materials and finishing alternatives of the forms. She said that

she could reflect how materials and finishing affect the forms only through digital

modeling. Hence she preferred realistic digital models for evaluating aesthetical

aspects of a form related to the materials and finishing.

All of the interviewees mentioned the limiting effects of 3D digital modeling on their

creativity. Student SD3 and SE3 commented that it was their incompetence in digital

modeling that made them unable to develop the imagined forms. Student SF3 got

confused when she had to consider which command should be used while thinking

on the solutions. Besides limiting effects of 3D digital modeling, virtual and scale

free environments of 3D digital modeling software are also identified as disturbing

by all of the third year interviewees although the mentioned features make possible

certain mentioned advantages and conveniences of 3D digital modeling such as

being convenient for detailing and facilitating to comprehend overall form. As

mentioned by student SD3 and SE3, another constraint resulted from the virtual and

scale-free environments of digital modeling media is the difficulty of assessing

ctu l size of form through digit l modeling medi 3D digit l models‘ virtu lity is

also mentioned as one of the constraints that made it hard to evaluate user product

interaction (SD3) and product environment relationship (SE3).

When they expressed their opinions on the constraints of 3D digital modeling, all of

the third year narrators commented on the need for more extensive instructions and

exercises on DM in the program. In addition to this mentioned need, student SE3

considered that to give these instructions and exercises on 3D digital modeling

parallel to the studio studies might be more beneficial.

When the students were asked which modeling method they prefer in their design

processes, rather than identifying a specific one they commented that they selected

the most convenient methods according to the phases of design process and their

form.

178

Table 6.38 Summary of mobilization moment in the third year studio studies

As indicated by the third year narrators, they internalized to develop forms by

moving between 3D physical and digital modeling media and brought this way of

design to the subsequent studio studies. However, they could apply this way to their

projects to a certain extent because of their limited knowledge and experiences in

different 3D physical and digital modeling techniques and materials.

6.6 Translation processes in the fourth year studio studies

In the field study, four of twelve students selected their fourth year studio studies as

the design processes in which they thought they developed the most satisfying 3D

forms until the day of the interview. The referred studio projects, the year of the

studio studies and the mentioned reasons for the selections are demonstrated in Table

6.39.

Studio

Studies

Studio

Studies

3rd 3rd

Contributes to 3D thinking abilities 2 Contributes 3D thinking abilities 3

Provides real time information during the modeling 2 Facilitates to perceive overall form 3

Prevents size related problems on the forms 2 Risk free 3

Easier and faster than Physical Modeling 2

More controllable form development 2

Facilitates 3D physical modeling 1

For evaluating physical user product interaction 2 For the advanced phases of the process 3

For the early phases of form development process 1 For generating variations of forms 2

For evaluating product environment relationships 1 For detailing 2

For materials and finishing 1

Modeling materials determine the forms 3 Limits the students' creativity 3

Incompetence in PM affects the students' progress negatively 2 Virtual and 2D 3

Hard to perceive the actual size of a form 2

Hard to perceive user product interaction 1

Hard to perceive product environment relationships 1

Teaching Need for more extensive instructions and exercises on 3D PM 3 Need for more extensive instructions and exercises on DM 3

The Students' Views On 3D Digital Modeling As

Clues Of Its Internalization

The Students' Views On 3D Physical Modeling As Clues Of Its

Internalization

Mobilization

Translation Of The Internalized Skills And Abilities To The Other Design Processes

Ad

va

nta

ge

sC

on

ve

nie

nce

Co

nstr

ain

ts

179

Table 6.39 The most satisfying form narratives from the fourth year studio

As seen in the following explanations, since university-industry collaboration10

intensive educational approach has been adopted for the fourth year of industrial

design education in METU, all of the referred projects are conducted in collaboration

with the industrial partner firms.

Student SA4 selected his hand held massager as the most satisfying form developed

for bathroom usage. According to him there were two factors which made the form

of his massager satisfying. The first was the proportional relationships between the

parts of the form. He found the form coherent with its function and this coherence

was identified by him as the second factor which made the form of his massager

satisfying.

Student SB4 selected his playground equipment as the most satisfying form. The

selected studio study was conducted with an industrial partner that produces

playground equipment mainly through rotational molding. To be able to develop the

selected form freely was identified by him as the most significant factor which

makes it so satisfying. In his point of view, the limitations of identified production

10 The detailed information can be found in the web site of the department.

http://www.id.metu.edu.tr/en/department/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-program-information

Student ID Studio Year Project Why

The form fitted the function

Because of the proportional relationships between the parts of

the form

SB4 2014Playground

equipmentIt was my most freely developed form

It was the embodied form of the accumulation of my educational

attainments

Because of the refined details and smoothly intersecting

surfaces of the form

SF4 2014

Bachhoe

Loader

Workstation

It was pleasant to be able to see the satisfying outputs of my

(our) efforts

2014 Excavator

SA4 2014Hand Held

Massager

SC4

http://www.id.metu.edu.tr/en/department/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-program-information

180

methods, materials, expected functions, etc. in the previous studio studies were the

factors that inhibit creative form development.

The interview conducted with student SC4 was held shortly after he had completed

the graduation project and he selected the form of the excavator, which he developed

in this project, as the most satisfying form. The project was conducted in

collaboration with an industrial partner that produces construction machineries.

While the refined details and smoothly intersecting surfaces of the excavator are

mentioned by him as the significant physical properties of the form which made it

satisfying, he emphasized that his excavator design was also the embodied form of

the accumulation of his educational attainments. To be able to cope with the

challenge of developing such a complex form and managing to conduct a design

process by meeting the design expectations of an industrial partner in a limited time

period was expressed by him as the most impressive experience in his industrial

design education. Since his professional aim was working on automotive design, to

design a product for automotive industry motivated him throughout the design

process.

Student SF4 selected the form of his previous studio project, backhoe loader

workstation, as the most satisfying form. The project was conducted in collaboration

with construction m chinery producer, which w s lso student SC4‘s gr du tion

project partner. In the narrated studio project, as distinct from the other narrated

design processes, the workstations were designed by the groups rather than

individual students. student SF4 emphasized that it was the first project in which the

form of the product had a significant place and he and the other three members of the

group exerted their efforts on the design process. According to him being able to see

satisfying output of their efforts was pleasant.

181

6.6.1 Problematization moment in the fourth year studio studies

In the first semester of the fourth year studio studies, ID401, the students are

expected to develop individual or team solutions for a design problem identified by a

collaborator from industry.

In the second semester, ID402, graduation projects, each student is expected to

develop an individual design solution by collaborating with her/his industrial partner

and to reflect her/his own design approach on the design process.

The most significant difference between ID401 and ID402 can be explained by the

differing roles of the instructors and the industrial partners. In ID401, although both

the instructors and the representatives of the industrial partners formulate the studio

projects and conduct the studio studies, the key actors can be considered as the full

time instructors in the studio studies. In the graduation projects, when we compare

them to ID401 projects, it seems the students and the industrial partners have more

critical roles that can influence the courses of the design processes.

As seen in the documents of the narrated and randomly selected fourth year studio

studies (Appendices F), most of the fourth year studio studies are conducted by at

least 3 full time and 2 part time instructors and two assistants. Besides the

instructors, there are also the representatives from the industrial partners who have

critical roles in the fourth year studio studies. However the number and the

combination of the representatives of the partners and their roles in the design

processes of the students differ according to the semesters and the identified design

problems.

For the fourth year studio studies, it is possible to assume that the formalization of

the studio projects, introductions and directions for the stages of the studio project

processes are determined on the basis of the shared teaching interests of the

instructors and the professional interests of the representatives of the industrial

partners.

182

During the interview phase of the field study, three interviews were conducted with a

full-time instructor, a part-time instructor and an assistant from the fourth year

studio.

The full-time instructor interviewee, A4, is one of the senior instructors in the fourth

year studio team. Besides the studio studies, she also coordinates a graduate course

on design methods. She has conducted several studies on university-industry

collaboration in industrial design education. To equip the students with the abilities

‗to construct, m n ge nd complete design process‘ nd ‗to communic te their

design ide s to the other st keholders‘ y providing the internalization of iterative

and incremental design behaviors mainly through studio studies can be considered as

the most significant aspects of her teaching interests.

The part-time instructor interviewee, B4, is a free-lance designer graduated from the

same department. She has participated in most of the fourth year studio studies since

2005. As mentioned by her, she considers design as a practice which can be evolved

by educational approaches. Her teaching interests mainly revolve around enabling

the students to conduct any design process by equipping them with multidimensional

thinking abilities, knowledge on production processes and materials and

representational abilities.

The assistant interviewee, C4, is one of the two assistants in the fourth year studio

team. He has undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the same department and

he is working on his PhD. To enable the students to develop their own problem

solving styles by providing required knowledge and skills can be considered as the

main part of his teaching interests.

183

Table 6.40 Design education related nodes and themes for the fourth year studio

It is possible to classify the opinions of the interviewed fourth year industrial design

studio instructors under the four main themes; (1) remarks on industrial design

education, (2) the knowledge and skills which a student should be equipped with

through industrial design education, (3) the educational opportunities which should

be provided for students and (4) emerging needs in industrial design education.

All the interviewed fourth year studio instructors expressed their opinions on

industrial design education mainly touching upon different aspects. Among the

nodes extracted from their opinions, only four were shared by at least two of the

instructors;

To equip industrial design students with the abilities to construct, manage

and complete a design process

To equip industrial design students with the ability to communicate their

ideas to the others

To equip industrial design students with multidimensional thinking abilities

Full-time Part-time Asst.

A4 B4 C4

Studio is at the core of the program 1

Design is a process which can be evolved by education 1

The abilities to construct, manage and complete a design process 1 1 1

The ability to communicate their ideas to the others 1 1 1

The multidimensional thinking abilities 1 1

The knowledge on the practices in the industrial production field 1 1

The knowledge and skills on how to approach a design problem 1

The knowledge on production processes of materials 1

The skills on the production related digital modelilng tools (such as CATIA) 1

The enriched representational skills 1

To internalize iterative and incremental design behaviours _ mainly through PM and sketching 1

To internalize thinking through sketching 1

To be aware of the affordances and the constraints of the modeling tools for the effective usage of them 1

To develop their own problem solving styles - To approach design problems in radical ways 1

To increase their visual literacy 1

The internalization of moving between DM and PM during the design process 1

The integration of DM in the early phases of ID education 1

The exercises on how to express the ideas on 3D PM 1

The exercises on how to map their knowledge with their designs 1

The exercises on how to use 3D models as information sources / thinking medium 1

The exercises on various modeling techniques and materials 1

The courses on form analysis and the language of form 1

Rem

ark

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rThe fourth year studio instructors' opinions on industrial design education

184

To equip industrial design students with the knowledge on the practices in

the industrial production field

In the previously explained studio studies the shared opinions of the instructors on

industrial design education have been deemed among the essential elements of the

central objects of the studios. For the fourth year, essential elements of the central

object of the studio can be associated with the central object of industrial design

education since it is the final phase of the educational process and the students are

expected to execute their accumulated knowledge, skills and attitudes. In the fourth

year studio studies, rather than focusing on the developments of the specified skills

and abilities and acquisition of the certain type of knowledge, all members of the

studio team focus on the abilities of the students to combine all educational

acquisitions and to reflect them on their design processes.

Table 6.41 The criteria and required representations for the narrated fourth year

studio projects

Scenario building

User product interaction

Presenting and justifying ideas in a compact way

Existing production capabilities of the collaborator

Brand identity of the collaborator

Attitudes of the students throughout the process

PowerPoint presentations (research presentation)

Sketches (idea generation, scenario building - Final presentation)

3D physical sketch models (idea generation and presentation)

Story boards (idea presentation and final juries)

Posters (alternative visualization methods-idea generation and presentation)

3D physical models (1:1 and scaled - Final presentation)

Written descriptions (Final presentation)

Photorealistic visuals (Final presentation)

Exploded view (Final presentation)

Digital animation (Final presentation)

Scaled elevation line drawings (Final presentation)

rep

rese

nta

tio

ns

The criteria and required representations for the narrated fourth year studio projects

crit

eria

185

In the final phase of their professional education, the students have to prove they can

manage a design process and have their own design approaches as well as the

required knowledge and skills. The most significant criteria the students expected to

meet and the required representations mentioned in the interviews, studio briefs and

instructions of the narrated studio studies can be considered as the reflections of the

the studio instructors‘ main teaching interests. The mentioned reflections are



and required presentations for the narrated fourth year studio studies

Scenario building

User product interaction

Brand identity of the collaborator

Existing production capabilities of the collaborator

Attitudes of the students throughout the process

Presenting and justifying ideas in a compact way

PowerPoint presentations (research presentation)

Sketches (idea generation, scenario building - Final presentation)

3D physical sketch models (idea generation and presentation)

Story boards (idea presentation and final juries)

Posters (alternative visualization methods-idea generation and presentation)

3D physical models (1:1 and scaled - Final presentation)

Written descriptions (Final presentation)

Photorealistic visuals (Final presentation)

Exploded view (Final presentation)

Digital animation (Final presentation)

Scaled elevation line drawings (Final presentation)

The reflections of the instructors' teaching interests on the set of the

criteria and required representations

The shared teaching interests of

the fourth year studio

crit

eria

rep

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ns

To e

qui

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des

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stud

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wit

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bilitie

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To e

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des

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stud

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wit

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iliti

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man

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and

com

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desi

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ss

186

It is possible to assume that the most significant shared opinion, to equip the

students with the abilities to construct, manage and complete a design process,

encompasses all of the listed criteria and the required representations on Table 6.42.

Although ‗to equip the students with the ilities to construct, m n ge nd complete

design process‘ w s mentioned by all of the interviewed fourth year studio

instructors, only instructor A4 touched upon the ability to complete a design process

on time.

In the previously analyzed studio studies, the roles of representational media are

identified on the basis of the aimed skills and experiences. In this phase of industrial

design education in the research site, the teaching interests of the instructors on the

necessity of the abilities to communicate their ideas to the others emerged as the

most significant factor on the identification of the roles of the representational media

in the studio studies.

The variety of the identified representations from written descriptions to digital

animations and presenting and justifying ideas in a compact way criterion can be

considered as the reflections of the mentioned teaching interests of the instructors.

In the briefs and written instructions of the narrated studio studies, 3D physical

sketch models are identified as the critical actors for idea generation and idea

presentation phases. Furthermore, the user product interaction criterion makes

them a must because, as mentioned by all of the interviewed instructors, during the

design process adequate information on the physical interaction between the user and

the product cannot be acquired without 3D physical models of it.

Although photorealistic visuals are identified in the written documents for the final

presentation, it is possible to say that none of the interviewed fourth year instructors

limited the role of 3D digital modeling media to the preparation of the photorealistic

visuals. By putting the presenting and justifying ideas in a compact way in the set

of criteria, the instructors welcomed any design media in the early phases of the

design process if they are employed effectively.

187

For the n rr ted fourth ye r studio studies, the interviewed instructors‘ te ching

interests and opinions on 3D physical and digital modeling are handled as the initial

dynamics which shape their roles and positions. In the following tables, Table 6.43

and Table 6.44, the themes and nodes extracted from the interviewed fourth year

studio instructors‘ opinions on 3D physic l nd digit l modeling re demonstr ted

Table 6.43 Interviewed fourth ye r studio instructors‘ opinions on 3D physic l

modeling

The interviewed fourth year studio instructors expressed their opinions on 3D

physical modeling by mainly emphasizing its advantages. For instructor A4 and B4

the most significant advantage of 3D physical modeling comes from its

concreteness. They stated that the information regarding physical properties of a 3D

form can be provided by only 3D physical models. Although only an advantage of

3D physical modeling is mentioned commonly, the interviewed instructors also

mention the more six advantages of 3D physical modeling. According to instructor

A4, employing 3D physical modeling in the early phases of form development


A4 B4 C4

Provides information on physical properties of a form1 1

Prevents the dimensional problems during the form development process1

Facilitates to test working principles 1

The students aware of the benefits of PM make more progress1

Facilitates to test the structure of the form1

Facilitates to perceive the relationships between the forms and the real world1

Facilitates to determine certain primary problems on a form1

To communicate design ideas properly through 3D physical models requires at least partially competence1

Existing physical modeling tools are not so practical as sketching for idea generation1

For the form exploration1 1

For the early phases of design process1

In industrial

design education Internalization of idea generation through 3D physical sketch modeling should be provided1

Physical models are considered as final representations1

Physical modeling skills may gradually disappear because of digital modeling1

Convenient

Eff

icacie

s

The fourth year studio instructors' opinions on 3D physical modeling

Concerns

Constraints

188

processes can prevent the form related dimensional problems because the students

can evaluate dimensional properties of their forms by bodily interacting with them

and using their body and the environment as the references which guide them. The

other advantage of 3D physical modeling mentioned by instructor A4 is on its

potential that make possible to examine working principles of the products through

abstracted partial 3D physical models. However she thought that the students could

not utilize this potential sufficiently in their design processes. For instructor B4, the

students can test the structure of a 3D form, perceive the relationships between the

forms and the real world and determine certain primary problems on a form through

3D physical models during the design processes. She considered these three

advantages of 3D physical modeling as essential parts of the form development

related skill acquisition processes. However, according to her the students tend to

employ 3D physical models to convince the audiences rather than to let them to

show the problems regarding the structure, the relationships between the real world

and the form etc..

A metal bar is circulating around and a table is standing upon it, also a chair

is placed upon it, he brought something like this. This single metal bar and

table is standing on this metal bar. We dare to model it. How he model this?

He cut a straight rectangular cartoon and attach it to sticks and obviously

table could not stand still and then he stick it to the surface forcefully. We

told him th t ―look, it does not stand, what model tells you to think about this

once again. What does this means? It means a table has at least three legs.

(A11)

As seen in Table 6.43, only two interviewed fourth year studio instructors touched

upon the constraints of 3D physical modeling. For instructor B4, to be able to

express design ideas properly through 3D physical models requires at least partial

competence on 3D physical modeling. According to her, the quality and materials of

3D physical models influence the first impression of the audiences and accordingly,

she found possible that certain potentially bright design ideas of the students could

be refused because of their incompetence in 3D physical modeling or the selected

modeling materials. For instructor C4, 3D physical modeling through existing tools

and materials is not convenient for idea generation phases of design processes

because it is not as practical as sketching and the flow of the ideas could not be

189

caught through such a labor intensive and time consuming practice. He thought that

form exploration, similar to idea generation, requires iterative distractions of

previous ideas and their representations whereas the students do not prefer to leave

aside such time consuming and labor intensive 3D physical models and make new

ones for the flowing new ideas. In such cases certain students tend to avoid

producing new 3D physical models for the new ideas and stick to their modeled

forms at the expense of the better new solutions and ideas.

3D physical models are considered convenient for the form exploration phases by

instructor A4 and C4. According to instructor A4, form exploration and all decisions

regarding the physical properties of a product should be made through physical

modeling. However, for instructor C4, the success of form exploration through 3D

physical modeling depends on the speed of the student in the employed physical

modeling medi in other words the student‘s competence in it

Instructor A4 emphasized the importance of 3D physical modeling as thinking

medium and she considered that the internalization of thinking through 3D physical

modeling should be provided in industrial design education. On the basis of her own

observations, she stated that the percentage of the students who employ 3D physical

modeling as thinking medium in their studio studies is very low although she and

other members of the studio team channeled the students to think through physical

modeling by negotiating with them.

During the interview, instructor A4 also touched upon her concerns on the

vulnerable position of 3D physical modeling in industrial design field. Her first

concern is about or with misconceptions on 3D physical modeling. According to her,

most of the students consider 3D physical models as final representations perfectly

processed and finely finished. Consequently, they tend to ignore to employ 3D

physical modeling in the early phases of design processes. Her last concern is on the

future of 3D physical modeling skills, she thought that these skills and hands on

experiences in the modeling workshops may disappear gradually because of the

facilities of digital modeling media.

190

Table 6.44 Interviewed fourth ye r studio instructors‘ opinions on 3D digit l

modeling

The potenti ls ‗to f cilit te nd cceler te design processes‘ nd ‗to provide more

re listic represent tions‘ re referred to y ll of the interviewed fourth ye r studio

instructors as the most significant advantages of 3D digital modeling. For instructors

A4 and C4, the students can make more progress because of the facilities of 3D

digital modeling media such as to be able to focus on the details and the components

of the forms, to test working principles etc. According to instructor B4, besides the

practical contribution of these features, they also may be turned into motivating

factors for the students who are more competent on digital modeling. She thought

that to be able to express their ideas and to receive relevant feedback increases the

engagement of these types of students in the studio projects and the engaged students

make more progress. According to instructor C4, the facilitating and accelerating

features of 3D digital modeling media and its realistic visuals make 3D digital

modeling closer to 3D physical modeling to a certain extent in detailing phases

because 3D digital modeling media show the details of a form as they are in reality.

Instructor A4 and C4 emphasized the contribution of 3D digital modeling to

multidimensional thinking abilities of the students since related software makes


A4 B4 C4

Facilitates and accelerates design process 1 1 1

Provide more realistic representations 1 1 1

Contributes to multidimensional thinking in design process 1 1

Makes possible to work together with the engineers by providing common language 1

Makes more economical to represent design ideas 1

Hard to perceive the size of a 3D form 1 1

Directs students to the ordinary solutions_Standardize 1 1

Digital environments are intangible and isolated 1

Cannot provide sufficient information on physical user product interaction 1

May turn into an obstacle for the flow of the creative ideas - dm is not as practical as sketching 1

Not convenient for the creation of the complex forms 1

For the advanced phases of design processes - 1 1

For dimensional exploration 1

For generating and comparing alternatives 1

For detailing 1

Introduction of DM should be provided in the early phases of ID education 1 1

Introduction of DM should begin with 2D digital graphic design tools 1 1

Competence on DM requires competence on PM 1

DM should be employed in a continuous manner in the studio studies 1

The fourth year studio instructors' opinions on 3D digital modeling

Eff

icacie

sC

onstr

ain

tsW

hen

In industr

ial

desig

n

education

191

possible to design through highly detailed representations and this makes inevitable

for the students to think on v rious f ctors from the m teri ls‘ eh viors to the

joining of the parts of the forms. Both of the instructors, A4 and C4, noted that to

reach the level of the detailing provided by 3D digital modeling may not be possible

through traditional 2D and 3D modeling. Instructor A4 explained this positive effect

by comparing the present studio projects with the past on the basis of the levels of

the detailing of the projects.

That is, introduction of these programs to our life, to education environment,

their inclusion to the curriculum, and their usage in the studio environment

for the projects have dramatically changed the quality of things and the level

of sophistication of the projects. To be able to get technical drawings from

them, how its components are separated, even being able to separate it into its

components, let me say, you can check if it is convenient for molding. You

can make decisions about if the parts fit or how you should join them

together. In our times, everything remained in the conceptual level. (A12)

Besides previously explained significant advantages of 3D digital modeling, the

interviewed fourth year studio instructors also touched upon diverse advantages

provided by 3D digital modeling. Being familiar with or being competent on digital

modeling employed commonly in the industrial production field is considered by

instructor A4 as the factor which makes it possible for industrial designers to work

together with the engineers in the professional field and to improve the position of

the novice industrial designers in the early periods of their professional lives.

Instructor B4 found 3D digital modeling more economical to represent design ideas

contrary to physical modeling. According to her, the amount of the money the

students had to spend for modeling materials when she was a student in the

dep rtment w s signific ntly more th n tod y‘s ―You could see the all your

alternatives on the screen till the last minute, but in our case we had to spend money

and visualize each alternative.‖ (A13)

In the interviews conducted with the fourth year studio instructors, the difficulty to

perceive the actual size of an imagined form in digital environments and to direct the

students to develop ordinary solutions are emerged as the most mentioned

constraints of 3D digital modeling. For instructors A4 and C4, the students could not

perceive the actual size of their forms in digital modeling software because of their

192

scale free environments. They thought that it might be possible to solve this problem

to a certain extent by providing the internalization of the usage of the references such

as human figures in the digital environments. However, instructor C4 added that,

although they provide various advantages in design process, 3D digital models could

not provide sufficient information on the dimensional properties of the 3D forms.

Instructor B4 and C4 explained how 3D digital modeling direct the students to

ordinary solutions by referring modeling 3D organic/complex forms which entails

competence on 3D digital modeling media. The student interviewees said that they

mostly tend to develop basic forms which they can model by only using basic form

creation facilities of 3D digital modeling software rather than challenging both their

nd digit l modeling softw re‘s capabilities.

The isolated and intangible environments of digital modeling software are mentioned

by instructor A4 as one of the constraints of 3D digital modeling. According to her

to develop forms in such an environment may cause loss of control on the form

during the design process. She also found 3D digital modeling incapable of

providing information on the physical user product interaction, especially for the

students who have limited experiences on user product interaction.

For instructor C4, 3D digital modeling is not so practical as sketching to catch the

flow of the ideas, it entails focusing on the commands rather that the ideas and may

turn into an obstacle. He also found existing 3D digital modeling software

inconvenient for the creation of complex forms because of their working principles.

3D digital modeling is found convenient for the advanced phases of design processes

by instructor A4 and C4, they considered that 3D forms developed by the students in

the studio studies should be reached a certain level of maturity before transferring

them into digital models, then 3D digital modeling should be employed for

dimensional explorations or detailing on these forms. Unlike the others, instructor

B4 did not refer to the advanced phases of design process for digital modeling, she

considered that 3D digital modeling should be employed when the need to generate

and compare the variations of the forms appears.

193

Instructor A4 and C4 emphasized the necessity of the introduction of digital

modeling in the early phases of industrial design education. They thought that, the

students should be competent in 3D digital modeling in the advanced phases of their

education processes. Hence, according to instructor C4, 3D digital modeling should

be introduced as early as possible because being competent in 3D digital modeling

takes time. Instructor A4 and C4 also suggested that digital modeling tools could be

introduced incrementally starting from simplest 2D graphic software in the

beginning of the education process because, as they pointed out, the students also

need 2D graphic design software for the preparation of layouts of their presentation

boards.

For instructor C4, competence in 3D digital modeling requires also competence in

3D physical modeling because, according to him, without sufficient experiences on

physical manipulation of forms it is almost impossible to manipulate 3D forms in

digital environments. Another comment made by him on the integration of 3D digital

modeling in industrial design education is emphasized how intermittent employment

of 3D digital modeling affect negatively the skill development processes of the

students, hence, he concluded that it should be employed in the studio studies in

continuous manner from the beginning of their education processes.

As seen on Table 6.44, although the opinions of instructor A4 and C4 on the

integration of 3D digital modeling in industrial design education have been reflected

on the table, there is no node on the opinions of instructor B4, since, according to

her, the students are somehow sufficiently competent in 3D digital modeling and

they can utilize it whenever they need. Hence, she suggested that rather than

focusing on developing new approaches on the integration of a certain modeling

medium in industrial design education, the internalization of 3D models as sources

of information should be provided.

The required representations, demonstrated in Table 6.41, for the analyzed fourth

year studio studies are identified and introduced to the students mainly on the basis

of the objectives of fourth year studio studies.

194

The objectives of the fourth year studio studies that determine the position of 3D

physical and digital modeling in the studio studies can be considered as the

reflections of the opinions of interviewed fourth year studio instructors on 3D

physical and digital modeling and their teaching interests explained in the previous

paragraphs. Accordingly, by reviewing the opinions and teaching interests of the

interviewed fourth year studio instructors the following four significant objectives

has been identified.

The students should be equipped with sketching skills because of speed and

practicality of sketching in the visualization of the ideas.

The students should be equipped with 3D physical modeling skills because

only 3D physical models can provide sufficient information on the user

product interaction and the size of a form.

The students should be equipped with 3D digital modeling skills because 3D

digital modeling provides more realistic representations for the advanced

phases of design processes.

The students should be equipped with enriched representational abilities in

order to enable them to present and to justify their design ideas in a concise

way.

6.6.2 Interessement moment in the fourth year studio studies

When the identified studio projects, the set of criteria and the required

representations are introduced, the interessement moment of the translation

processes of the fourth year studio studies begin. In order to understand the

connections established between the interviewed students who narrated their fourth

year studio studies and 3D physical and digital modeling, the mentioned

representational media and their functions in the narrated design processes are

analyzed as clues of the established connections and the findings are demonstrated in

Table 6.45.

195

Table 6.45 Mentioned representational media and their functions in the fourth year

studio narratives

In the set of the required representations introduced through the studio briefs,

sketching and 3D physical sketch modeling are identified among the critical media

for idea generation phases of the narrated studio projects. Besides being identified as

one of the critical actors for idea generation phase, 3D physical models were also

promoted by the instructors on the basis of their potential to provide information on

physical properties of the forms. However, as demonstrated in Table 6.45, all of the

students who narrated their fourth year studio studies pointed to sketching as the

only employed medium in the idea generation phases of their studio projects.

As seen in Table 6.45, three main functions of sketching have emerged from the

students‘ n rr tives; to gener te ide s, to m ke form exploration, to generate the

form variations.

All of the interviewed students, except student SF4, commented on how they were

fond of sketching. Student SB4 and SC4 explained their sketching preferences on the

basis of its speed and practicality which make it convenient for idea generation, form

exploration and generation of the form variations. Besides potentials of sketching,

students SC4 and SF4 identified the time constraint in the narrated studio studies as

one of the underlying factors that channel them to employ sketching dominantly in

the narrated design processes.

Hand Held Massager Playground equipment Excavator Bachhoe Loader Workstation

SA4 SB4 SC4 SF4

Hand sketches

Idea generation

Form explorations


Idea generation


Idea generation

Form explorations


Idea generation

Form explorations


3D physical sketch models To test size of the form

To compare selected form

alternatives

Form analysis


Form analysis

To contribute DM


Sketches drawn on the

photographs of the 3D

physical models

Form analysis


3D digital models



To prepare final presentations


To generate finishing variations


Form analysis




Modeling tools

196

Although 3D physical sketch models are identified by the instructors as one of the

critical non-human actors for the early phases of narrated design processes and

promoted by them through negotiations, the three out of the four student

interviewees, SA4, SC4 and SF4, postponed employing 3D physical modeling to the

late stages of their design processes. The students mentioned four main functions of

3D physical modeling in their narrated design processes; form analysis, to test

physical user product interaction, to test size of the form and to contribute 3D digital

modeling.

Student SA4 started to generate her design ideas through sketching at the beginning

of the narrated design process. When the rough form of the massager was emerged,

he passed to digital modeling in order to see it in 3D, since he could not receive

sufficient information on the physical properties of the generated form from the 2D

sketches. Before the preliminary jury, he made a very simple cardboard 3D physical

model of the form for a studio critique. As told by him, it was the only 3D physical

model which he made except the one made for the final jury. Student SA4 explained

the underlying reason for the weak connection between him and 3D physical

modeling in his design process on the basis of two significant factors. Firstly, he

believed that when he made 3D physical model of a form alternative, he mostly

stuck in it, so he avoided making 3D physical models of his initial form ideas and

preferred to create his forms through mental models and sketches until he reached a

satisfying rough form. And lastly, the project was a four-week studio study, and he

identified time as a pressure to force him to select shortcuts.

Only student SB4 established connection with 3D physical modeling at a relatively

early stage of his design process. He made form explorations through sketching and

selected the best two forms among the alternatives created through hand sketching.

At that point, he wanted to know if there were any inconsistencies between the parts

of the forms or on its structure. He found sketches insufficient to provide the

required information on the 3D physical properties of these forms because of their

constraints such being 2D and scale free. Accordingly, he made 3D physical scale

models of these two forms by carving Styrofoam in order to analyze and compare

these forms.

197

Student SC4 felt more confident at sketching and accordingly, he preferred to

communicate his ideas mainly through it. However, in his graduation project

narrative, besides his personal interest on sketching, two more significant underlying

factors that shape his connection with the representational media emerged. Firstly, to

be expected to design such a complicated product, excavator, in a short time can be

considered as the pressure compelling him to choose the less time-consuming design

media despite the potentials of 3D physical modeling. Lastly, he said that he was

expected to design the exterior of the excavator; physical user product interaction

related features were mainly developed on the basis of the standards of the product

type and this situation is identified by him as the factor which made him less

dependent on 3D physical models in the design process. Consequently, although he

was very aware of the potentials of designing through 3D physical modeling he

postponed to see his form through its 3D physical models until the advanced phases

of his graduation project. He made the first 3D physical model of the determined

main form of his excavator by carving Styrofoam, then took the photographs of the

model and generated the variations of the main form by drawing on the sketching

papers laid on the photographs. He added that those photographs also helped him in

the digital modeling phase. After the preliminary jury, in order to see the

relationships between the components of the form in physical world, he made two

more 3D physical models from Styrofoam by using cardboard templates gathered

from the 3D digital model of the form.

Student SF4 narrated a group project in which he and his group mates designed a

backhoe loader workstation mainly through sketching until the very advanced stages

of the design process. He said that he and the other members of the group influenced

each other and this made them to draw a lot of sketches especially in the form

exploration stage. Except the 3D physical model required for final presentation, his

group made two more 3D physical models from mainly corrugated cardboard

throughout the design process since they were identified by the instructors as must

for the critics in which each group was expected to demonstrate their physical user

product interaction solutions. When student SF4 explained the criteria on which the

feedbacks were given in the critics with physical models, he emphasized that the

198

instructors gave weight to the user product interaction and did not touch upon the

other properties of the forms.

When the connections between the students and 3D digital modeling are examined in

the fourth year studio narratives, it is seen that the students established connections

with it on the basis of four main aims; to generate variations of the main form, to

generate finishing variations, to prepare final presentations and surprisingly to test

physical interaction.

Three out of the four students narrated their fourth year studio studies, students SA4,

SB4 and SC4, employed digital modeling to generate variations of their form,

although there were significant diversities on the basis of various aspects of their

design processes. While student SA4 created his form mainly through digital

modeling, SB4 and SC4 employed 3D digital modeling after the determination of the

outlines of the rough main forms of their design solutions. While SB4 generated the

variations of the form on the basis of the finishing alternatives, student SC4

generated the variations of the intersections between the certain surfaces of the form

through digital modeling.

After the idea generation phase, student SA4 preferred to develop the form of his

hand held massager through digital modeling. For the size related decisions, he

referred to the dimension of the existing similar products. According to him, at a

certain moment of the design process, he was able to identify a size problem on the

screen by rule of thumb. He also preferred to test the physical user product

interaction in digital environment. He examined the curve of the surface that will

touch the user‘s ck y using digit l hum n figure s reference On the basis of

his explanations and narrative, it is possible to conclude that his learning interests

channeled him into shortcuts and his connection with 3D digital modeling was

established on the basis of its promises of bypassing 3D physical modeling in his

design process.

Student SB4 preferred to continue through only sketching and 3D physical modeling

in his design process until a certain moment at which the need to see the effects of

the imagined textures on the overall form emerged. At that point, because of the time

199

constraint in the studio project he converted his form into digital model for

generating the variations of the selected form mainly on the basis of the materials

and finishing alternatives without using any manual labor, time and material.

Although he found 3D digital modeling easier and visually more realistic than

physical modeling for that stage, he felt the need to mention again the significance of

physical interaction between the designer and the form such as to be able to size by

hand, to turn it around, etc. during the design process.

Student SC4 started to transfer his form to digital environment on the basis of the

outlines on the photographs of the first 3D physical sketch model of the rough main

form of his excavator. Although he developed his form mainly through sketching

until the late stages of the design process, the need to check how the surfaces are

intersected entailed the employment of 3D digital modeling. He explained that,

although the real scale 3D physical clay models are employed for the developments

of these types of detail in automotive design, neither 2D sketches nor rough 3D

physical sketch models made by the available materials and tools were convenient

for representing such delicate details. When the form was converted into digital

format, he had to make certain changes on the form. He made two more physical

models in order to be sure about the changed components of the form during the

transformation. In his narrative, each significant change entailed new representations

and, although he tended to minimize the employment of 3D physical modeling he

could not resist against its potentials because of his learning interests. He utilized 3D

physical and digital modeling on the basis of their complementary potentials;

furthermore he also generated certain details of the form by sketching on the

printouts of the digital models.

Student SF4 and his group-mates employed 3D digital modeling at the last moment

of the studio project process in order to prepare their final presentations because

realistic visuals of the designs were identified as must in the studio briefs. Student

SF4 felt himself lacking confidence in 3D digital modeling and found himself and

his group-mates insufficient in digital modeling. From his comments, it is possible to

conclude that their incompetence in digital modeling caused them to postpone

converting their form into digital format. To model their form in digital environment

200

on the basis of the 2D information provided by the sketches was identified by him as

another factor that made digital modeling process hard for them. He commented that

rather than to compel all the students to employ digital modeling, to provide the

students with the possibility to design through preferred representational media may

increase the enrolment of the students in their studio studies.

As mentioned above, unlike in the narrated early and intermediate studio studies in

which the students were channeled to employ certain modeling media for certain

stages of the design processes, there were limited negotiations to persuade the

students to act in a certain way in their design processes, since it was considered that

the central objectives of the previous studio studies were succeeded, the students had

internalized certain ways of acting in their own ways and they were expected to

bring their acquired skills, knowledge and abilities to the fourth year studio actor

networks.

Accordingly, as communicated in the fourth year narratives, the students brought

their acquired skills, knowledge and abilities into their fourth year studio studies and

they established connections with the actors on the basis of their internalized design

behaviors.

Based on the fourth year studio narratives, it is possible to conclude that the

interessement moments of the narrated fourth year studio studies were succeeded and

the interviewed students were persuaded to establish connections with 3D physical

and digital modeling in their design processes on the basis of the identified roles and

requirements which enabled them to present their design proposals in a compact

way. Then, accordingly, they established connections with the expected

representational media as non-human actors in their studio studies. These

connections can be summarized in the following ways.

The students established connections with hand sketching because sketches were;

The most internalized representational media because of their experiences of

the students in their previous studio studies and courses.

The most promising representational media because of their practicality

201

The students established connections with 3D physical modeling because 3D

physical models were;

The most convenient representational media to provide the required

information on both the physical user product interaction and the physical

properties of the forms

The allying representational media for 3D digital modeling because 3D

physical information provided by 3D physical models of the forms facilitates

3D digital modeling processes

Identified as must for the final presentations

One of the students established connections with the sketching on the photographs of

3D physical sketch models of his form because he internalized it in his second year

studio studies and brought it into his graduation project as the most promising media

to generate form variations on the minor changes.

The students established connections with 3D digital modeling because it was;

The most promising medium for generating variations of forms and surface

finishing because of its risk-free environment

The most promising medium for form analysis because of its virtual and

scale-free environment

Photorealistic visuals of the design solutions were identified as must for the

final presentations.

6.6.3 Enrolment moment in the fourth year studio studies

As in the other studio narratives, the most emphasized and valued aspects of the

n rr ted studio studies re n lyzed s clues out the students‘ eng gements in the

central objectives of the fourth year studio studies.

202

Table 6.46 The most emphasized aspects of the form development processes in the

fourth year studio studies

In all of the fourth year studio narratives, form analysis emerged as the most

emphasized aspect of the studio project processes. All of the students commented on

how they ev lu ted nd m de judgments on the consistency etween their forms‘

components.

For student SA4, the analyses of the proportional relationships between the

components of his hand-held massager led him to the satisfying final form. He made

these analyses mainly through 3D digital models of his form.

Student SB4, SC4 and SF4 attended the same studio studies and same must courses

during their industrial design education. On the other hand, each one analyzed their

forms in diverse ways on the basis of diverse representational preferences.

According to student SB4, he made the most critical form analysis on the possible

inconsistencies between the components of his playground equipment. For the

mentioned analysis, he preferred mainly 3D physical models carved from Styrofoam.

Student SC4 analyzed the form of his excavator in different stages. He analyzed the

relationships between different surfaces of the form on the photographs of its 3D

physical models and printouts of its 3D digital models. However, for analyzing

overall form he preferred to employ 3D physical scale models.

According to student SF4, he and his group-mates could maintain the consistency

between the components of their backhoe loader workstation mainly through

Hand Held

Massager

Playground

equipmentExcavator

Bachhoe

Loader

Workstation

SA4 SB4 SC4 SF4

Form analysis-consistency between the components of the form

Visual identity of the form

Developing form by moving between 2D and 3D representations


Significance of small details

Emphasis

203

iterative form analyses. He referred mainly to hand sketches and 3D digital models

of their form as the main representations employed for these analyses.

As explained above, all of the students became engaged in form analyses in their

fourth year studio studies. However their engagements occurred in diverse ways

because of their different inclinations and interests. These diversities influenced also

their enrollment with 3D physical and digital modeling media.

Each student was impressed by the advantages of certain types of form analyses

through certain representations. Consequently, their connections with the regarding

representational media and the way of form analysis were reinforced.

From this example, it is possible to conclude that there is a clear reflective evolution

between the form analysis abilities of the students and 3D physical and digital

modeling skills.

The forms‘ visu l identities were the second emph sized spect of the n rr ted

fourth year studio studies. Three out of the four student interviewees, SB4, SC4 and

SF4, commented on how they succeeded in developing their forms by focusing on

the details that determined the visual identities of their products.

Student SB4 aimed to provide visual compatibility between his playground

equipment and its physical environment, i.e. playgrounds. Hence, his form

explorations and generations of the form variations were mainly on the basis of

providing a natural appearance. He found hand sketching and 3D digital modeling

adequate for developing the visual aspects that could provide the aimed natural

appearance.

For student SC4, the most important details that determine the visual identity of his

form were the quality of the surfaces and intersections between them. According to

him to make form explorations on such details entailed generating numerous

alternatives. It would not be possible to conduct such a process through labor

intensive and time-consuming representations. Hence he employed hand sketching

and 3D digital modeling to develop visual aspects of the form of his excavator.

204

Figure 6.9 Student SC4‘s excavator

However, it should be mentioned that although both student SB4 and SC4 found

hand sketching and 3D digital modeling sufficient for developing visual aspects of

their forms, they controlled the most critical visual features on 3D physical models

of their forms in order to be sure about their accuracies and coherences.

Student SF4 expressed that he and his group-mates aimed to give their backhoe-

loader workstation a mechanical appearance with fluent lines. To achieve these aims

SF4 and his group-mates made iterative form explorations mainly through hand

sketching.

Among the four students only SB4 and SC4 emphasized form development by

moving between 2D and 3D representations. Both of the students acquired diverse

information by transforming their representations into the other dimension. In other

words when they could not receive required information from 2D representations

they transformed them into 3D or vice versa. On the one hand, student SB4

transformed his hand sketches into 3D physical models when he felt a need to

control the physical properties of the form alternatives. On the other hand, in order to

205

see the relationships between the surfaces from a different angle, student SC4

tr nsformed his exc v tor‘s 3D physic l model into 2D side views y t king the

photographs of the model.

It can be assumed that being able to observe and experience immediate

consequences of the contribution of these transformations to the design processes

strengthen the connection between the students and the relevant representational

media. Consequently, student SB4 and SC4 became engaged in form development

by moving between 2D and 3D representations.


were made in the narrated fourth year studio studies

When the most critical and effective decisions regarding the forms of the products

and the representations they employed during these evaluations are analyzed it was

seen that, none of the four students referred to 3D physical models for their most

critical decision.

For student SA4, the most critical evaluation and judgment were made on the size of

the hand-held massager. In order to prevent size related problems resulted from

working in scale free environments; he checked the dimension of the massager

iteratively on its 3D digital model and compared with the average dimension of the

Hand Held Massager Playground equipment ExcavatorBachhoe Loader

Workstation

SA4 SB4 SC4 SF4

Hand sketches

In which way the

relationships between

the parts of the form

should be designed

In which way the

lines on the form

could be fluent but

also seemed

mechanical


Hand sketches on the photographs of the 3D physical

models

How the relationships

between the surfaces

of the form can be

harmonic

3D digital models

To which size the

hand-held massager

should be scaled

Modeling tools

206

existing hand-held massagers. Being aware of the constraints and advantages of 3D

digital modeling software allowed him to avoid size related problems in a scale free

digital modeling environment. To be able to cope with such a constraint turned his

connection with 3D digital modeling into a more stable state and he became engaged

in designing by moving between 2D and 3D representational media however by

excluding 3D physical modeling.

Figure 6.10 Student SA4‘s h nd-held massager

Student SB4 considered that the most important evaluation regarding his playground

equipment was on the relationship between the bottom and upper parts of the form.

While the form should have a robust base, the upper part should be thinner. Then, he

decided to bring them together in a fluent way so that the joint detail would be

concealed. According to him it was practicality of the hand sketching that made

possible the mentioned evaluation and judgments because it provided him with the

instant information on the joint detail. From his comments, it is possible to assume

that to experience how quick sketch models allowed him to make such a critical

decision impressed him and turned his connection with hand sketching into a more

207

robust form. In other words, for student SB4, hand sketching eliminated 3D physical

and digital modeling for evaluating certain visual properties.

Figure 6.11 Student SB4‘s pl yground equipment project

For student SC4, the most critical evaluations and judgments in his graduation

project were on the intersections between the surfaces of his excavator. He made his

evaluations through the hand sketches he drew on the photographs of the 3D

physical model of the form. This is the second appearance of this form analysis

method since it is mentioned in student SD4‘s second ye r studio iron project

narrative. Student SC4 and SD4 were classmates and they attended the same studio

studies. From their overlapping narratives, although student SC4 did not narrate his

second year studio project it can be concluded he internalized this form analysis

method and used it for compensating shortcomings of hand sketching and 3D

physical modeling. While the inadequacy of 3D physical rough models in

representing delicate details was compensated by hand sketches drawn on the

208

photographs of these models, 3D physical models compensated the shortcomings of

2D hand sketches in providing 3D information.

Figure 6.12 Student SF4‘s ckhoe lo der workst tion

The most emph sized form rel ted ev lu tions in student SF4‘s n rr tive were m de

on the lines of the form of the backhoe loader workstation. As explained in the

previous parts of the section, he and his group-mates iteratively evaluate the lines on

form variations on the basis of its overall shape in order to provide a mechanical

appearance with fluent lines. Because of the time constraint in the project process

they had to make evaluations and judgments on the overall shape in a short time.

Accordingly, they relied on the most familiar and promising representational

medium, hand sketching. Their expectation was met and their connection with hand

209

sketching was strengthened. Student SF4 became engaged in thinking through

sketching however he could not be persuaded to internalize designing by moving

between different 2D and 3D representations. Probably, he would be a representative

of thinking through sketching and bring it into the subsequent design processes.

6.6.4 Mobilization moment in the fourth year studio studies

Fourth ye r studio studies in METU re the fin l st ges of the students‘ industri l

design education. Accordingly, the mobilization moments of the fourth year studio

narratives are examined by taking into account this peculiarity. The fourth year

interviewees narrated their design processes just after completing them. Hence, it is

not possi le to e sure whether the students‘ 3D physic l nd digit l modeling skills

and regarding attitudes acquired in the narrated studio projects are stabilized.

Nevertheless, their opinions are interpreted as clues about the stabilizations of these

skills and attitudes in their professional lives.

Fourth year studio interviewees reflected their opinions on 3D physical modeling on

the basis of three main themes; advantages, conveniences and constraints of 3D

physical modeling. The summary of the opinions classified according to these

themes are demonstrated in Table 6.48.

210

Table 6.48 Opinions of students narrated their fourth year studio studies on 3D

physical modeling

The most significantly mentioned advantage of 3D physical modeling is its critical

role in preventing size related problems of the forms in design processes. All of the

interviewees employed 3D physical models of the forms of their design ideas in

order to check the size and proportion of their forms at certain moments in design

processes. Nevertheless, student SB4 felt the need to mention that there may be

exceptions for certain types of product entailing very limited physical user product

interaction. For him, it could be possible to evaluate size related properties of these

forms through their digital models by comparing their dimension with certain

reference objects.

Except for student SB4, all of the fourth year studio interviewees commented on

how 3D physical models provide real time information during the modeling and

affect their thinking process positively. Student SC4 and SF4 considered that this

advantage makes 3D physical modeling essential representational media for

industrial designers. SB4 and SF4 mentioned that only 3D physical models can

Hand Held

Massager

Playground

equipmentExcavator

Backhoe

Loader

Workstation

SA4 SB4 SC4 SF4

Prevents size related problems on the forms 1 1 1 1

Provides real time information during the modeling 1 1 1

Provides information on physical properties of the forms 1 1

Facilitates digital modeling process 1 1

Easy to modify 1 1

Increase designer-form interaction 1 1

For evaluating user product interaction 1 1 1 1

For checking essential problems on the forms 1 1 1

For the early phases of design process 1 1 1

For organic forms 1 1

For evaluating product environment relationship 1

Time consuming and labor intensive 1 1 1

Hard to represent finishing and materials 1 1

Modeling materials determine the form 1 1


Eff

icacie

sB

ett

er

Constr

ain

ts

211

provide 3D physical information about a form and facilitate the transformation of the

forms into digital format thank to this information.

Student SA4 and SB4 found it easier to modify 3D physical models according to the

required changes in certain details. They commented that to change a detail on a

digital model entails making all changes precisely or in certain cases to model the

entire form again. The potential of 3D physical modeling to increase designer form

interaction is mentioned by students SA4 and SF4 as one of its most significant

advantages. Both of the students emphasized the effects of mentioned interaction on

the progress in design processes.

All of the fourth year studio interviewees considered that user product interaction

has determining effects on the forms of products. Accordingly, they identified 3D

physical models as the most convenient representational media for evaluating user

product interaction. By internalizing user centered design approach and by putting

user product interaction among the central criteria which a design solution should

meet, they also stabilized their connection with 3D physical modeling because of its

potentials such as providing real 3D physical information.

Student SB4, SC4 and SF4 touched upon the necessity to check the potential

problems and inconsistencies on the imagined forms before detailing phases in

design processes and they found 3D physical models better for the mentioned

problem checks. The same students also found 3D physical modeling more

convenient for the early phases of design processes because of both the mentioned

potentials and constraints explained in the following paragraphs.

3D physical models are also identified convenient for evaluating the product

environment relationships by student SB4 because of its potential to provide physical

information on the form. Hence, he found it almost impossible to make these

evaluations without seeing the forms in the physical world.

Student SA4, SB4 and SC4 deemed 3D physical modeling labor intensive and time

consuming and explained why they postponed employing 3D physical models to the

relatively late stages of their design processes by referring mainly this constraint. For

212

student SB4 and SC4 this constraint also made it inconvenient for form exploration.

The second significant constraint, mentioned by student SB4 and SF4, is the

determining effects of modeling materials on the forms. According to student SB4

certain modeling materials such as paper and cardboard channeled them to generate

more plain forms if they made form exploration through 3D physical modeling. In

the last significantly mentioned constraint, student SA4 and SB4 touched upon the

difficulty of representing materials and finishing through 3D physical models. All

these mentioned constraints can be considered as the factors affecting their ways of

acting in their following design processes. Although it seems that they internalized

developing physical properties of the forms mainly through 3D physical modeling,

the mentioned constraints might prevent its frequent use in practice.

The fourth year studio interviewees reflected their opinions on 3D digital modeling

on the basis of four main themes; advantages, conveniences, constraints of it and

teaching 3D digital modeling. In Table 6.49, extracted opinions of the students are

demonstrated on the basis of these four main themes.

213

Table 6.49 Opinions of the students narrated their fourth year studio studies on 3D

digital modeling

All of the students narrated their fourth year studio studies mentioned the

contribution of 3D digital modeling to their 3D thinking abilities in two different

ways. They commented on how their perception of third dimension had been

improved by the introduction of digital modeling, they also expressed how they

employed 3D digital modeling when they could not imagine certain details of their

forms in third dimension even in the early phases of design processes. Hence, it is

possible to assume that they would bring 3D digital modeling as a 3D thinking

ability enhancer into their future design processes in their professional lives although

the mentioned potential is not promoted obviously by the instructors throughout their

industrial design education.

214

Except student SF4, all of the interviewees mentioned the potential of 3D digital

modeling to provide more clear and accurate visuals. Student SB4 and SC4

explained their opinions on this advantage mainly on the basis of its potential in

visualizing finishing and materials of the forms. For student SA4, the possibility to

miss a promising design idea because of misleading information provided by

incompetently produced physical models could be eliminated through this potential

of 3D digital modeling. According to the same students, SA4, SB4 and SC4, 3D

digital modeling media also facilitates to comprehend overall form by virtue of their

scale free environments.

The potential of 3D digital modeling in accelerating design process is emphasized by

student SA4, SB4 and SF4. For student SB4 and SF4, to be able to see the effects of

imagined changes on the whole in a short time without spending so much time and

hand labor even in the early phases of design process is one of the most important

advantages of 3D digital modeling.

Besides the shared opinions on the advantages of 3D digital modeling, student SA4

and SC4 mentioned two more advantages individually. While student SA4

considered that to model a 3D form through digital modeling software is easier than

to model it physically, student SC4 found it stimulating. According to him it is

possible to observe its stimulating effects only by comparing the forms designed

before and after the entrance of digital modeling media in design field.

All of the students narrated their fourth year studio studies found 3D digital

modeling significantly superior to physical modeling in visualizing surface finishing

and materials. For student SB3 and SC3, besides this advantage helpful for the

advanced phases of design processes, to be able to see the selected material on the

imagined 3D form and then to make decision about the overall form in the early

phases is also very important.

Three out of the four students, SB4, SC4 and SF4, mentioned the convenience of 3D

digital modeling for manipulating visual aspects of the forms of the products such as

high quality surfaces or delicate visual details. They commented that it is very hard

to represent and manipulate such aspects through 3D physical models although a lot

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of time and labor are spent because of accessible modeling facilities, materials and

their physical modeling skill levels.

Student SB4 and SC4 found 3D digital modeling more convenient for detailing. For

them, zooming and coordinate system based form manipulation features of the

software make possible to develop real like details on the forms. Accordingly, the

same students, SB4 and SC4, identified 3D digital modeling as convenient for the

advanced phases of design processes.

Student SC4 and SF4 emphasized that digital modeling software enable the

designers to imitate certain environments hard to represent in physical world. Hence,

according to them, this potential makes 3D digital modeling convenient for

evaluating form-environment relationships.

The last emphasized convenience of 3D digital modeling is mentioned by only

student SB4. For him, 3D digital modeling is more convenient for evaluating

relationships between the components of a form than physical representational

media. He commented on how being able to see all side views on a single screen

make it possible to analyze these relationships from different angles without drawing

all these side views. In his comments on the mentioned convenience, he compared

3D digital modeling with only sketching and did not touch upon 3D physical

modeling.

Except student SA4, all of the interviewees narrated their fourth year studio studies

mentioned the limiting effects of 3D digital modeling on their creativity especially in

the early phases of design processes. However, they related most of the mentioned

limiting effects to their incompetence in 3D digital modeling.

Student SA4, SB4 and SC4 found 3D digital modeling inconvenient for form

creation. For student SC4, to create forms through digital modeling software can

channel the designer, especially for the novice ones, to the easy and usual solutions.

Student SA4 and SB4 commented on the inadequacy of 3D digital modeling in

providing information on physical user product interaction and product environment

relationship by referring virtuality of digital models. Although student SA4 preferred

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to evaluate the physical user product interaction through 3D digital models of his

hand held massager in his narrated design process, he mentioned the inability of

digital models to provide information on physical user product interaction. He

explained the emerging conflict between his opinions on representational media and

modeling practice in the narrated design process on the basis of two underlying

reasons. Firstly, he admitted his laziness in physical model making although he was

totally aware of all of the contributions of 3D physical modeling to design processes.

Secondly, as explained in the section regarding the mentioned advantages of digital

modeling, he worried about the possibility to miss a promising design idea during

the idea generation through sketching and physical modeling because of his

insufficienct competence in these representational media.

Student SB4 and SC4 found 3D digital modeling time consuming. They commented

that, in certain cases, to correct certain failures made in the early phases of digital

modeling or to change a small detail entail to model entire form over again. Hence,

they prefer to ignore to correct the failure or to change a detail for a better solution.

Student SF4 problematized the 2D nature of digital modeling media although they

are named 3D. Accordingly, he found difficult to comprehend certain 3D physical

properties of the forms through digital models.

During the interviews, only student SC4 and SF4 touched upon teaching of 3D

digital modeling and mentioned the need for the instructions and exercises on

different digital modeling software. Both of the students considered that familiarity

with different modeling software can prevent limiting effects of digital modeling.

Although most of the interviewed instructors and students mentioned the constraints

of 3D digital modeling they hardly mentioned the advantages of 3D physical

modeling which meet this constraints as the contraries.

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Table 6.50 Summary of mobilization moment in the fourth year studio studies

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CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSION

Technological advances have changed the field of industrial design immensely

during the last couple of decades by providing the designers with highly

sophisticated tools and equipment. Although these changes have created new

opportunities for designers, it is also clear that the relationship between technology

and designers is not without its problems. In so far as industrial design field is

concerned one of important areas where technology enters into a complex

relationship with designers is the modeling which involves both physical and digital

ones as we do not yet satisfactorily understand the dynamic interaction of 3D

physical and digital modeling and such a gap calls for theoretically informed and

empirically oriented research in this underexplored area.

This dissertation makes an attempt in this direction to fill the gap. It explores the

existing role and position of 3D physical and digital modeling in the skill acquisition

processes of industri l design students from the instructors‘ nd the students‘

viewpoints by problematizing mutual dependency and conditioning between them.

The empirical research designed as a part of this thesis has aimed at understanding

the current dynamics of using 3D physical and digital modeling in industrial design

education in METU by focusing on the design studios and then, by drawing on the

existing stock of knowledge and findings of the research, to develop suggestions in

order to contribute to the development of new approaches leading to the integration

of 3D physical and digital modeling in industrial design education.

220

To this aim the field study has placed two objectives at the center of the research;

To reveal the facts about the employment of the digital and physical

modeling practice in the skill development processes in industrial design

education.

To examine the factors shaping the position of digital and physical 3d

modeling practice in the early phases of the form development processes in

studio studies in industrial design education.

Within the scope of the aim of the dissertation the following main question guided

and structured the study.

How can digital and physical 3D modeling be employed more effectively

and efficiently to contribute to the development of form creation related

skills of the students in the studio studies in industrial design education?

As mentioned in section 1.2, in order to provide a satisfactory and convincing

answer to this vital question, the field study was conducted on the basis of the

following research questions.


develop 3D forms in the design process in their studio studies?

What are the existing roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling


What are existing inclinations of the students for the employment of 3D

physical and digital modeling in the 3D form development phases of design

processes?

Which factors affect these inclinations?

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While problematizing these issues and questions, the dissertation is built upon a

conviction that neither social actors nor technology intensive; on the contrary, all the

parties plays some part in shaping the position of 3D physical and digital modeling

media and they should be analyzed through a lens that can fit to this approach.

Theoretical sections put a claim that the Actor-network Theory could be an

important ground for the field study by providing theoretical, methodological as well

as empirical insights. Hence, the answers to all the research questions were sought

through these insights.

As the main concern of the dissertation revolves around the effective and efficient

employment of 3D physical and digital modeling in form development related skill

acquisition processes in industrial design education, industrial design studio actor-

networks in METU are examined around the four moments of the translation process

of an actor-network:

Problematisation: Formulation of the studio studies as knowledge and skill

development processes and their introduction to the students

Interessement: Persuasion of the students to design in the expected way

through negotiations etc.

Enrollment: Internalization of the proposed way of design and relevant

knowledge and skills

Mobilization: Reflections of the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities on

the su sequent st ges of the educ tion process nd the students‘ design

practice

By examining industrial design studio studies as the translation processes, the aim is

to understand how 3D physical and digital models and modeling take place in the

skill acquisition processes of the students in the complex studio assemblages and

how their positions and roles in these skill acquisition processes are affected by the

human and non-human actors.

222

In Figure 8.1, tr nsl tion processes of the students‘ skill cquisition processes re

demonstrated. Then, in what follows a brief summary of the answers provided to the

research questions, how this dissertation contributes to the field of industrial design

education, its limitations and suggestions for further studies are presented

223

Figure 7.1 Translation processes of the development of 3D physical and digital modeling skills in the studio studies

225

7.1 What skills and abilities do industrial design students need to

create and develop 3D forms in their studio studies?

The answer to this question drew on the existing literature review and findings of the

field research reflecting the existing approaches of the interviewees to the essential

skills, knowledge and experiences that an industrial design student should have for

their studio studies. By answering the question the aim is to understand the positions

of 3D physical and digital modeling among the essential skills, experiences and

knowledge for industrial design students.

In the literature, the following abilities are identified as the core ones that a designer

should have:

The ability to analyze and reframe design problems

Multidimensional and solution focused thinking ability

Non-verbal graphic/spatial modeling abilities

Although representational abilities are identified as separate, the other core abilities

entail conversations with design problems and their solutions and these conversations

cannot be conducted without representational abilities.

As mentioned in section 2 2, Schön defines design process by focusing on the

"reflective conversation with the materials of a design situation" ongoing throughout

the process. In this conversation, designer develops specifications of design ideas

through iter tively gener ted represent tions (Schön, 1991; Goldschmidt, 2004;

Visser, 2006). In the mentioned conversation, a designer employs representations:

To represent design solutions for testing their specifications

To make decisions by making inner conversations with these representations

To determine gaps and inconsistencies between the different forms of

representations

To transform uncertain specifications of design solutions into certain and

concrete specifications through representations

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To represent design solutions in a convincing way to the decision makers

through representations in different forms

To narrow the working space for understanding hidden problems on design

solutions through abstracted representations

To catch serendipity moments in design process through different form of

representation

The mentioned conversation is a cognitive activity. Representing 3D physical

specifications of design ideas and evaluating them throughout this activity require

certain cognitive abilities such as to be able to think in 3D (Lawson, 2004; Oxman,

2004; Eastman, 2001).

Throughout the industrial design education, students learn to design by developing

design solutions in their studio studies. In order to conduct the mentioned iterative,

incremental and reflective conversations in their ever complicated studio studies, an

industrial design student needs ever increasing cognitive abilities and competencies

on representational skills over the years as well as ever increasing theoretical and

technical knowledge. However, the importance of representational skills in industrial

design education does not result only from their potential in making possible the

mentioned reflective conversations between the students and their design solutions

but also from their potential in the developments of certain cognitive abilities of the

students although there is very limited number of the studies focusing on these

potentials.

The reviewed literature indicates that an industrial design student should have the

following five cognitive abilities and three essential representational skills for

developing 3D forms in their studio studies as well as for their professional lives.

Essential cognitive abilities:

Visual thinking abilities

3D thinking abilities

3D form manipulation abilities

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3D design knowledge

Ability to read and evaluate representations of design ideas

Essential representational skills:

Sketching especially for the early phases of design processes because of

practicality and speed of the sketching facilitating to catch flow of ideas as

well as its creativity boosting ambiguity.

3D physical modeling, for evaluating certain 3D physical properties of an

imagined product form such as its volume and geometry, user product

interaction, etc.

3D Digital modeling, especially for the advanced phases of design processes

because it enables the student to model every detail of the forms even they

are micro scale and to prepare high quality realistic visuals of design ideas

etc.

These abilities and skills are frequently emphasized in the literature with reference to

their potential for practicing. Accordingly, their positions as the essential

competencies in profession l industri l design field m kes ‗to equip the students with

these skills nd ilities‘ inevit le for industri l design educ tion

In most of the studies, sketching and its influences on visual thinking abilities are

frequently emphasized. However, there are few studies focusing on the contribution

of 3D physic l nd digit l modeling to the development of the students‘ relev nt

knowledge and cognitive abilities such as 3D design knowledge, 3D thinking and 3D

form manipulation abilities. This thesis points to this gap and emphasizes the need

for more studies investigating these complex relationships between 3D modeling and

development of cognitive abilities of the students.

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7.2 Existing roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in

the studio studies

After the examination of the studio studies as translation processes, it is possible to

conclude that there are two types of positions and roles of 3D physical and digital

modeling.

The identified / intended positions and roles

The actualized positions and roles

The identified / intended positions and roles

The positions of 3D physical and digital modeling and their roles in the studio

studies are identified in the problematization moments of the studio studies by the

instructors in relation with the other identified critical representational media and the

criteria the students are expected to meet.

Sketching and 3D physical modeling appeared as the most appreciated

representational skills in almost all of the interviews conducted with the studio

instructors. They are identified as the core abilities for an industrial designer that

make possible to visualize and evaluate design ideas. Accordingly, in all of the studio

studies, sketches and 3D physical models are identified as the essential

representations.

Sketches are identified for every stage of design processes on the basis of its

potentials such as its speed and practicality in visualizing generated ideas and its

contri ution to the students‘ visu l thinking ilities However, their role in the e rly

phases of design processes, especially for idea generation, emerged as the most

emphasized one.

3D physical models are identified for almost every phases of the design processes in

which 3D physical information is required for evaluating 3D physical properties of

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design solutions. The most mentioned 3D physical information entailing properties

of design solutions are:

Structures of 3D forms

User-product interface / interaction

Product-environment relationship and

Certain types of physical properties such as volume and size of the products

In addition to their potential in providing 3D physical information, especially in the

early phases of the education process, 3D physical models are also identified among

the critical actors in order to provide the students with hands-on experiences in

manipulating 3D forms and shaping certain materials such as wood and cardboard.

The findings shows that, along with their identification as the required

representations, the instructors intended to make their employment inevitable by

identifying physical modeling and sketching entailing criteria that the students are

expected to meet.

Importance of 3D digital modeling as a representational skill and its integration in

industrial design education has been acknowledged by the instructors with reference

mainly to its potential in providing realistic visuals of design solutions, preparing

production related representations etc. and its appreciated position in the professional

field. However, unlike sketching and 3D physical modeling, it has a relatively

secondary position among the representational skills that a designer should have.

Furthermore, 3D digital modeling is considered by some of the instructors to be

avoided in the early phases of industrial design education because of the concerns on

its potential negative effects on the students‘ design approaches and on preserving

the essential position of 3D physical modeling in the education process. Hence, while

3D digital models are excluded from the basic design and second year studio studies,

in the third and fourth year studio studies, they are identified among the required

representations especially for the advanced phases of design processes.

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The actualized positions and roles

All of the student interviewees identified sketching as their fundamental and favorite

representational skill and they employed sketches as the essential representations

during their studio projects. Accordingly, it is possible to assume that the findings

address sketching as the most robustly positioned representational medium. From the

findings, the most significant underlying reasons for its robust position can be

identified in the following way:

1- Identification of sketches among the required representational media

2- Positioning of certain criteria entailing the employment of sketching within

the criteria set the students are expected to meet during the studio project

process

3- Negotiations between the instructors and the students about the potentials of

sketching such as its speed and practicality in the visualization of the ideas

especially for the early phases of design processes

4- The weighted place of the courses developing sketching ability in the

curriculum (there are three must courses and two elective courseson free-

hand drawing and 2D visualization, supporting development of sketching

skills in the program and they are given regularly)

Similar to sketching, 3D physical modeling has been recognized by all of the student

interviewees as the other essential representational skill that they should have. As

demonstrated in Figure 8.2, they employed 3D physical models in their narrated

studio projects mainly on the basis of their roles identified by the instructors in the

formulation of the studio studies.

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Figure 7.2 Intended and actualized roles of 3D physical modeling

From the findings, it is possi le to conclude th t the students‘ opinions on 3D

physical modeling and overlapping intended and actualized roles of 3D physical

models in the narrated studio studies are influenced mainly by the following factors.

1. Identification of 3D physical models among the required representations

2. Positioning of certain criteria entailing the employment of 3D physical

modeling within the criteria set the students are expected to meet during the

studio project process

3. Negotiations between the instructors and the students about the advantages of

3D physical models such as their potential in providing 3D physical

information and convenience for representing user-product interaction

These f ctors re sic lly the instructors‘ str tegies for providing the internalization

of designing through 3D physical modeling mainly on the basis of the identified roles

of 3D physical models in the formulated studio studies. The match between the

232

intended and actualized roles of 3D physical modeling shows that the instructors‘

strategies worked.

However, s indic ted y the findings it is h rd to identify 3D physic l modeling‘s

position as robust as sketching. While almost all of the student interviewees found

their competencies in 3D physical modeling insufficient, the instructor interviewees

pointed to inefficient use of 3D physical models as thinking medium. Although there

may be various factors influencing the relatively weak position of 3D physical

modeling in the department, from the findings, the following two factors emerged as

the significant ones:

1. Lack of extensive instructions and exercises on 3D physical model making in

the program

2. Lack of exercises on using 3D physical models as thinking media and

information resource for design processes

Interviews show that 3D digital modeling is consciously avoided in the first half of

the education process, in order to prevent the potential negative effects of 3D digital

modeling on the students‘ design ppro ches Hence, 3D digit l models re identified

as the excluded representations in the first and second year studio studies. However,

some students admit that in certain cases, they used 3D digital modeling to

complement representational media for their studio projects without instructors

consent. Accordingly, as demonstrated in Figure 8.3, the roles of 3D digital modeling

in the students‘ design processes differed from its identified roles

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Figure 7.3 Intended and actualized roles of 3D physical modeling

The findings addressed three more actualized roles of 3D digital modeling in

addition to its intended roles identified in the formulation of the studio studies. In

these roles, 3D digital modeling worked together with 3D physical modeling rather

than competing with it nd contri uted to the students‘ knowledge nd skill

acquisition process. Digital modeling strengthened the connections between the

students and physical modeling by providing alternative ways facilitated by digital

modeling even for the very early phases of the design processes. The students

enhanced their 3D form manipulation abilities and control on the forms by working

together with 3D digital modeling without disregarding form development through

3D physical modeling. 3D digital modeling contributed to the development of the

students‘ 3D thinking ilities y providing the students with coordin te system

based 3D environments imitating physical world.

By exploring these unintended roles and their effects on the students‘ engagement in

the development processes of the aimed knowledge skills and abilities in the studio

studies, it is demonstrated that the students and 3D physical and digital modeling

234

could work together by complementing each other. These demonstrated

collaborations between the human and non-human actors of the studio studies also

highlights the complexities of the relationships in the studio assemblages.

7.3 Existing inclinations of the students for the employment of 3D

physical and digital modeling in their design processes and the

factors affecting these inclinations

Sketching has emerged as the significantly appreciated and promoted

representational tool for the early phases of design processes. As mentioned in

section 8.1, the studio instructors have identified sketching as the most convenient

medium for the early phases of design process because of its potential to keep up

with the speed of the flow of ideas.

However, in certain cases especially in which the subject is a novice designer who

strives to develop her / his form development skills, sketching could not provide

adequate information regarding 3D physical aspects of imagined forms that have

significant effects on the following stages of form creation. Consistent with this

concern, most of the student interviewees asserted that when their limited sketching

abilities come together with their limited 3D thinking abilities, they could not

imagine certain details of their forms and they tend to employ the most promising

and existing modeling media.

As explained in the previous section, the roles of 3D physical and digital modeling in

the studio studies are identified by the instructors in order to provide their

employment on the basis of the aimed professional acquisitions for the students. For

instance, all of the interviewed instructors identified 3D physical sketch models as

the most convenient modeling medium for representing user-product interaction.

Accordingly, user-product interaction is placed in the studio project briefs among the

most critical criteria. By doing this, the instructors intended to provide the students

with hands-on experiences on the determining effects of user-product interaction on

the form development process. However materials and their physical properties could

235

not be represented through abstracted 3D physical models. Additionally, they could

not provide the possibility to experience how materials and their physical properties

influence form development. In order to provide hands-on experiences on the

determining effects of materials and their physical properties on form development,

the instructors determined the prototypes as the must representation for final jury in

certain studio studies.

Although at first sight, it seems that the students tend to establish connections more

easily with the must modeling media, it is seen that in certain cases they preferred to

ignore the must modeling media by taking the risk to get low grade if their interests

and inclinations channel them to behave in this way as in the comments of student

SD3 narrating her third year studio study and student SA4 narrating his fourth year

studio project. Accordingly, the findings pointed to certain types of representational

media with which the students tend to establish connections more easily. These types

can be categorized in the following ways;

The most promoted representational tools,

The most familiar representational tools,

The easy reach representational tools,

The most promising representational tools.

However, it should be added that definitions of these categories may change

according to learning interests and inclinations of the students. For instance, in the

third year studio coffee maker narratives, while student SE3 identified sketching as

the most promising representational media in her form development process, student

SD3 commented on contributions of 3D physical modeling to her progress.

The roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling are experienced by the

students on the basis of the established connections between these media and them.

Hence, the actualized roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling are

identified on the sis of the students‘ eng gements in them

The students engaged in new representational skills and attitudes in their own

ways because of their diverse learning interests and inclinations

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Hands-on experiences that allow one to see the results of the actions instantly

have significant effects on the engagement of the students in the experienced

way of acting or medium.

7.4 Employing 3D physical and digital modeling to contribute to the

development of form creation related skills of the students in

industrial design education

The existing literature on the role of 3D physical and digital modeling provides us

with considerable knowledge and insight on the potentials and pitfalls of their

complementary and combined usage. However such an accumulation of knowledge

is far from providing a satisfactory guidance on how and in what ways they should

be used to minimize the drawbacks and maximize the benefits in the skill acquisition

process in industrial design education.

In so far as educational field in Turkey is concerned, a pragmatic approach

dominates the studio environment. Instructors have considerable experience and

knowledge they accumulated in their educational life. In most cases, these

knowledge and insights are well informed and guide the students in their experience

with 3D physical and digital modeling. In the case of students, while they try to

follow the framework and rules provided by the instructors in the studio and other

relevant courses environment by using these modeling strategies, they are also

tempted to develop their own strategies in the face of concrete situations, at times by

violating the rules imposed on them. Even if such interactions between the

instructors and students produce some good results in effective usage of 3D digital

and physical modeling, it is still fair to argue that we are still far away from a

convincing comprehensive framework that inform the instructors and guide the

students on this issue.

237

Each modeling medium either physical or digital has its particular constraints and

advantages. The constraints they pose should not minimize their usage; it would be a

wise strategy to encourage their utilization by taking their constraints into account.

Various form manipulation exercises through digital and physical modeling

conducted as part of the studio studies even in the early phases of the form

development would give the students with the chance to become aware of their

advantages and constraints since knowing in action also involves being aware of the

constraints of the media which a practitioner may face during the practices as well as

the advantages. When this awareness turns into an intuition and becomes invisible

for the designer, it is possible to assume that the designer has internalized 3D

physical and digital modeling as complementary design media.

As mentioned by various scholars in the field and the instructor interviewees in the

research site, the aimed 3D physical and digital modeling competencies for the

students should not be reduced to the abilities to produce models both in physical and

digital format. To be able to think through 3D modeling and to use these models as

information sources for evaluating imagined solutions should be placed at the center

of the mentioned competencies.

In line with such an educational approach, providing the students with 3D physical

and digital modeling competencies requires to equip the students with the abilities to

think through 3D modeling and to use 3D models as information sources besides to

equip them with the abilities to produce 3D models in a certain quality.

An industrial design student starts to internalize her/his attitudes and to establish

her/his 3D design world through various basic design exercises at the beginning of

her/his industrial design education and then continues to evolve through ever-

complicating design processes in the studio studies. As explained in the previous

sections, 3D physical and digital modeling has been positioned in different phases of

design education. These separated positions of 3D physical and digital modeling

result partially from the concern about the potential negative effects of digital

modeling media on the development of the students‘ physic l represent tion l skills

and attitudes.

238

To a certain extent, this is an understandable concern. However, internalization of 3D

physical modeling as the main ability cannot be realized by eliminating the

competing media and practices. As seen in the findings, the instructors employ very

effective and working strategies to provide the students engagement in the aimed

knowledge and skills. Accordingly, by identifying 3D digital modeling as an ally for

3D physical modeling or vice versa and positioning it by using certain strategies such

as identifying certain project criteria that make inevitable the complementary

employment of 3D physical and digital modeling through ever-complicating studio

studies can provide their internalization as complementary representational media.

In addition to their communicative and information providing potentials, 3D physical

and digital modeling also have important influences on 3D design knowledge of the

designers. Representations are cognitive artifacts evolved in an interactive process in

which their producers re lso evolved reflectively (Schön, 1991; Visser, 2006) This

also involves co-evolution of representational skills and cognitive abilities. Hence,

the reflective evolution of 3D physical and digital models and cognitive abilities of

their producers (the students) adds another dimension to their role in industrial

design education in general and in the studio studies in particular. Accordingly, co-

evolution should be taken into account in the integration of 3D physical and 3D

digital modeling in industrial design education.

The students should be introduced with 3D design world and to develop their 3D

thinking abilities through combined 3D physical and digital modeling exercises.

In reality, although 3D physical and digital modeling have been positioned separately

on the basis of the concerns mentioned in the previous paragraphs, the students

employ 3D digital modeling as a complementary tool for sketching and 3D physical

modeling and enhance their 3D thinking abilities. Accordingly, rather than

positioning 3D digital modeling mainly on the basis of its representational potentials

it is possible to employ it to facilitate the development of 3D thinking abilities of the

students by benefiting from its potentials such as three dimensional coordinate

systems of digital modeling software. Transformations between 3D physical and

digital models throughout the exercises targeting the development of 3D thinking

abilities can make possible their complementary internalization.

239

The dissertation has been concerned with the existing roles of 3D physical and digital

modeling in the knowledge and skill acquisition processes of industrial design

students through the lens of Actor Network Theory. The findings have shown

emerging complexities in knowledge and skill acquisition processes in industrial

design education and highlighted the critical roles of 3D physical and digital

modeling and their mutual dependencies. However, findings of the research do not

allow identifying a step-by-step detailed procedure for the integration of 3D physical

and digital modeling in industrial design education by providing their internalization

as complementary media. Nevertheless, such a limitation does not prevent to propose

a general framing model for the procedure as provided in Figure 8.4.

240

Figure 7.4 Complementary instructions and exercises in 3D physical and digital

modeling in industrial design education

241

In Figure 8.4, the foreseen approach for the combined and complementary

development of 3D physical and digital modeling skills through hands on exercises is

demonstrated. In such an approach, the students should be introduced with 3D design

world in both physical and digital environments by also emphasizing their

complementarity on the basis of the exercises on the manipulation of simple 3D

forms in the beginning of the education process.

In the subsequent processes, similar to the ever-complicating studio studies, the

combined and complementary development of 3D physical and digital modeling

skills should continue through ever-complicating exercises on thinking through 3D

modeling in physical and digital formats as well as 3D form manipulation exercises.

In order to provide the students engagement in the exercises and introduced

knowledge and skills, in the exercises the students may be provided with the

opportunity to manipulate the forms that they develop in the studio studies. Year by

year, while the instructions become more advanced and forms become more

complicated; various constraints should also be added to the formulated exercises.

In addition to their complementarity, 3D physical and digital modeling should be

introduced to the students as their allies with which they work together throughout

their education as well as their professional lives. To allow the students to conceive

modeling practice and media as the actors that are capable of shaping their

knowledge and skill acquisition processes and the development of their various

cognitive abilities may increase the students engagement in the complementary

employment of 2D and 3D modeling practice.

7.5 Analyzing studio studies through Actor Network Theory lenses

Industrial design studio is a dynamic environment where different human and non-

human actors come together. Industrial design students develop their knowledge,

skills and attitudes through interactions among these actors in the studio studies. In

analyzing such a dynamic environment Actor Network Theory provides us with a

highly sophisticated framework.

242

Existing studies on design education acknowledge the significant roles of 3D

physical and digital models and modeling in knowledge and skill acquisition

processes of the students. However, in most of the studies the researchers approach

social (human) and technological (non-human) aspects of these processes by giving

priority one of them. Accordingly, they could not demonstrate deeply enough the

complexity of the relationships among the actors (human and non-human), their

potentials to act upon each other and the influences on knowledge and skill

acquisition of the students. In this thesis, human and non-human actors in the studio

studies, in other words the instructors, students, studio briefs, physical and digital

modeling media, etc. are approached symmetrically as entities capable to act upon

each other, to work together and to shape the translation processes of the aimed

professional knowledge, skills and attitudes from a novel perspective provided by

Actor Network Theory lenses. To approach all the actors in the studio studies in such

a way;

1. allows the author to analyze the studios as networked environments where

different actors work together by establishing connections with each other

2. provides a unique opportunity by joining human actors with non-human

actors as complementary elements of knowledge and skill development

processes in industrial design education

3. allows us to understand how actors are integrated into actor-networks such as

interessement and enrollment

7.6 Limitations and suggestions for further studies

The research has shown how the insights from Actor Network Theory provide a

framework through which the analysis of knowledge and skill acquisition processes

in industrial design education could be carried out in a novel way.

243

In this attempt, the main focus was placed on the translation processes of the

students‘ knowledge nd skills in studio contexts. Translation of the targeted

knowledge and skills to the students and their development processes are analyzed

by focusing on the flow of the studio studies. On the other hand, the research had

some shortcoming in observing the translation of the internalized skills to the

subsequent stage, namely mobilization in a detailed way. Such an evaluation requires

more comprehensive information going beyond the students narratives regarding

their best studio studies in terms of their outputs and their current opinions of 3D

physical and digital modeling as the clues about the mobilizations of these

acquisitions. Hence, a deep understanding of the existing roles of 3D physical and

digital modeling in the knowledge and skill acquisition processes of the students

requires a further research study which would repeat the very same research carried

out by this thesis but adding the subsequent studio narratives of the students as a new

dimension. As shown in Figure 8.1, there is also another kind of flow between the

studio studies and such a research would capture this flow as a translation process.

To evaluate applicability of the generated frame model for the integration of 3D

physical and digital modeling as complementary modeling media could not be

possible because it is generated at final stage of the research. Accordingly, another

required further study would be to explore the applicability of the generated frame

model.

In Chapter 2, it is mentioned that certain new technologies such as haptic modeling

tools are excluded from the scope of the thesis because they are still in the

development stage and their cost is too high to integrate into industrial design

education at least in Turkey. Nevertheless, in the future, when these technologies

become available, a further study would be required to understand their effects on the

roles and positions of 3D physical and digital modeling in the skill acquisition

processes in industrial design education.

In addition to these limitations and further studies, there were various study

limitations faced with throughout the research process. One of these limitations

concerned the number of the student interviews. In the initial phases of the research

244

process it was intended to conduct at least twenty interviews with the third and fourth

year students. However, because of their course schedule only twenty interviews

could be conducted although more students accepted to participate to the research.

The research study is conducted in METU, however there are different industrial

design departments following different schools in Turkey. Accordingly, the findings

and conclusions are limited to similar situations and cannot be generalized.

245

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN TURKISH

Bu ç lışm ODTÜ End stri Ür nleri T s rımı Böl m eğitim progr mı k ps mınd

y r t len st dyo derslerinde; form geliştirme ile ilgili yetkinliklerin

k z ndırılm sınd 3 oyutlu fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin rol , mevcut progr md

n sıl kull nıldığı ve öğrenciler ve st dyo y r t c leri t r fınd n n sıl lgıl ndığını

r ştırm yı m çl m kt dır

Bu ç lışm d n elde edilmesi m çl n n veriler; end stri r nleri t s rımı eğitiminde

form geliştirme ile ilgili yetkinliklerin k z ndırılm sınd dijit l ve fiziksel 3 boyutlu

modellemenin ir r d ve etkili kull nımın od klı ir öğretim y kl şımı

geliştirmeyi m çl y n ve t r fımd n y r t len doktor ç lışm md kull nıl c ktır

Eğer k ul ederseniz gerçekleştirilecek gör şme ses k yıt cih zı ile k ydedilecektir

Meht p Özt rk Şeng l

Ort Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi

End stri Ür nleri T s rımı Böl m

3. St dyo ç lışm l rın içinde sence en y r tıcı ve ort y çık n form ile seni en çok

memnun eden form geliştirme y d oluşturm s recin h ngisi idi?

a. Hangi tekniklerle ç lıştın?

b. H ngi m lzemeleri kull ndın?

c. S reç oyunc t s rl dığın form ile ilgili değerlendirmeleri n sıl y ptın?

Formunu değerlendiren şk kimler oldu?

d. En iyi değerlendirmeyi formunu geliştirirken kull ndığın görselleştirme

yöntemlerinden h ngisi ile y ptığını d ş n yorsun?

4. Form y r tm y d form verme ç lışm l rınd fiziksel y d dijit l modelleme

r çl rınd n h ngisini kull nm yı tercih ediyorsun? Neden?

a. Bu tercihin formun k rm şıklık d zeyine y d org nik olm sın göre

değişiklik gösteriyor mu?

b. Tercih ettiğin modelleme r çl rının r n geliştirme s recinde ç

oyutlu form geliştirmek için yeterli olduğunu d ş n yor musun?

c. Yeterli olm dığını d ş n yors ; Neden? Sorunu n sıl ve h ngi

t m ml yıcı uygul m l rl gideriyorsun?

260

5. Form yaratma ya da form verme ç lışm l rınd değişik teknikleri ir r d

kull nıyor musun? N sıl?

a. Bu gidip gelmeler şeklinde mi yoks elirli ir sır ile ve doğrus l

geçişler h linde mi oluyor?

b. H ngi duruml rd y d sorunl rl k rşıl şıldığınd u geçişlere ihtiy ç

duyuyorsun?

c. Bu geçişler form oluşturm s recine sence ne gi i k tkıl r y pıyor?

6. Form oluştururken kull ndığın model y d görselleştirme m lzemesinin s rece

ve ort y çık n form etkisi olduğunu d ş n yor musun?

a. En çok h ngi m lzemeyi kull nıyorsun? Neden?

b. En çok h ngi m lzemeyi kull ndığınd r h t ç lışıyorsun?

7. End stri r nleri t s rımı eğitimin s resince k tıldığın dersler, etkinlikler, tölye

ç lışm l rı, ç lışt yl r v k ps mınd y pıl n egzersizler içinde uz ms l

ecerilerinin gelişmesi zerinde senin için ç rpıcı etkisi olduğunu d ş nd klerin

oldu mu?

a. Bunl r ne t r egzersizlerdi? b. H ngi yöntem ve r çl rl ç lışıldı?

c. S re ne k d rdı? (Bu sorud hsedilen uz ms l eceriler kişinin iki ve ç oyutlu ir formu zihninde c nl ndırm ; onun

her çıd n ve değişik pozisyonl rd n sıl gör ne ileceğini, p rç l rı r sınd ki ilişkileri v ve y pılm sı

pl nl n n değişikliklerin formu n sıl etkileyeceğini zihninde kurgul y ilme ecerilerini k ps m kt dır )

8. End stri r nleri t s rımı eğitimin s resince k tıldığın dersler, tölye ç lışm l rı,

ç lışt yl r v k ps mınd y pıl n egzersizler içinde ç oyutlu form geliştirme-

oluşturm ecerilerinin gelişmesi zerinde senin için ç rpıcı etkisi olduğunu

d ş nd klerin oldu mu?

a. Bunl r ne t r egzersizlerdi? b. H ngi yöntem, r ç ve m lzemeler ile ç lışıldı?

c. S re ne k d rdı?

9. Geleneksel t s rım r çl rının uz ms l eceri ve yeterliklerinin gelişimi zerinde

etkisi olduğunu d ş n yor musun? N sıl?

a. En etkili olduğunu d ş nd ğ n r çl r h ngileri? Neden? (Bu soruda kull nıl n geleneksel t s rım r çl rı ile t sl k çizimleri, ç oyutlu t sl k modeller,

kull nımd ol n o jeler v k stedilmektedir )

10. Dijit l t s rım r çl rının uz ms l eceri ve yeterliklerinin gelişimi zerinde

etkisi olduğunu d ş n yor musun? N sıl?

a. En etkili olduğunu d ş nd ğ n r çl r h ngileri? Neden? (Bu sorud kull nıl n dijit l t s rım r çl rı ile ilgis y r destekli t s rım progr ml rı, t let v

r çl r k stedilmektedir )

11. Bir o jenin fiziksel özelliklerini dijit l ort md k vr m k konusunda ne

d ş n yorsun? Neden?

a. Eğer sorunlu uluyors : Bu sorunl rın neden k yn kl ndığını d ş n yorsun?

261

b. Eğer d h kol yl ştırıcı uluyors : H ngi f ktörlerin kol yl ştırdığını d ş n yorsun? (Bu sorud ir o jenin fiziksel özellikleri ile k stedilen; o o jenin formu y d içimi, p rç l rı

r sınd ki ilişkiler, oşluk doluluk v dir )

12. T s rl n n ir o jenin kull nıcısı ve çevresi ile fiziksel etkileşimini dijit l

ort md k vr m k konusund ne d ş n yorsun? Neden?

a. Eğer sorunlu uluyors : Bu sorunl rın neden k yn kl ndığını d ş n yorsun?

b. Eğer d h kol yl ştırıcı uluyors : H ngi f ktörlerin kol yl ştırdığını d ş n yorsun?

263

APPENDIX B

STUDENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH

This research aims to investigate the role of 3D physical and digital modeling in the

acquisition of form development related competencies, in which ways they are

utilized in the existing educational program and approaches of the students and

studio instructors towards them in the studio studies in the Department of Industrial

Design at METU.

The data and information obtained in this research will be used in my PhD thesis

which aims to contribute to the development of an educational approach focusing on

the employment of 3D physical and digital modeling in form development related

skill acquisition processes in industrial design education.

The interviews are to be recorded depending on your consent.




1. In your view, in which form development process among your studio studies

did you develop the most satisfying and creative form?

a. Which techniques did you employ?

b. Which materials did you use?

c. How did you make the evaluations regarding the form during the

development process? Was there any one evaluating your form?

d. Through which representational media did you make the most critical

evaluation?

2. Do you prefer physical or digital modeling media in your form creation or form

giving processes? Why?

a. Do your preferences change according to the level of the complexity of

the forms?

b. Do you think these preferred modeling media are adequate for

developing 3D forms during product development process?

c. If not, why? How do you cope with this problem? Which complementary

media do you use?

264

3. Do you use different techniques during the form creation/form giving processes?

How?

a. Do you move constantly between them or do you follow a linear process?

b. In which situations or problems do you need such moves between these

techniques?

c. How do these moves contribute to your form creation processes?

4. Does the modeling or visualization material that you use during the form creation

process influence the created form?

a. Which materials do you use most often? Why?

b. What modeling materials do you feel at ease in working with?

5. Is there any exercise conducted during the courses, workshops and activities etc.

in which you participated during your education process that you think made a

significant impact on the development of your spatial abilities?

(In this question, spatial abilities means a person’s abilities to imagine a 3D

form in her/his mind, how it looks like from different point of views, the

relationship between its components and how the intended changes affect the

form.)

a. What types of exercises are they?

b. Which methods and materials are employed during them?

c. How long did it take?

6. Is there any exercise conducted during the courses, workshops and activities etc.

to which you participated during your education process that you think made a

significant impact on the development of your 3D form creation skills?

a. What types of exercises are they?

b. Which methods and materials are employed during them?

c. How long did it take?

7. Do you think traditional design tools influence the development of your spatial

abilities and competencies?

(In this question, traditional design tools involve sketches, 3D physical

models and sketch models, ready-made objects, etc.)

a. What are the most effective ones? Why?

8. Do you think digital design tools influence the development of your spatial

abilities and competencies?

(In this question, digital design tools involve CAM (Computer Aided Design)

software, tablets, etc.)

265

a. In your point of view, which digital design tools are the most effective

ones?

9. What is your opinion on comprehending the physical properties of an object in a

digital environment? Why?

(In this question, physical properties of an object involve its form/shape,

relationships between its components and full and empty parts, etc.)

a. If s/he found it problematic: what could be the reason?

b. If s/he found it facilitating: what makes it facilitating?

10. What is your opinion on comprehending the physical interaction between a

product and its user and a product and its environment?

a. If s/he found it problematic: what could be the reason?

b. If s/he found it facilitating: what makes it facilitating?

267

APPENDIX C

INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN TURKISH

Bu ç lışm ODTÜ End stri Ür nleri T s rımı Böl m eğitim progr mı k ps mınd

y r t len st dyo derslerinde; form geliştirme ile ilgili yetkinliklerin

k z ndırılm sınd 3 oyutlu fiziksel ve dijit l modellemenin rol , mevcut progr md

n sıl kull nıldığı ve öğrenciler ve st dyo y r t c leri t r fınd n n sıl lgıl ndığını

r ştırm yı m çl m kt dır

Bu ç lışm d n elde edilmesi m çl n n veriler; end stri r nleri t s rımı eğitiminde

form geliştirme ile ilgili yetkinliklerin k z ndırılm sınd dijit l ve fiziksel 3 boyutlu

modellemenin ir r d ve etkili kull nımın od klı ir öğretim y kl şımı

geliştirmeyi m çl y n ve t r fımd n y r t len doktor ç lışm md kull nıl c ktır

Eğer k ul ederseniz gerçekleştirilecek gör şme ses k yıt cih zı ile k ydedilecektir




11. T s rım eğitiminin temel m çl rı konusund ki fikirleriniz nelerdir?

Sizce u m çl r nelerdir? Geleneksel ve yeni görselleştirme

r çl rının u m çl r ul şm d ki yeri nedir?

12. T s rım öğrencilerine k z ndırılm sı gerektiğini nc k mevcut eğitim

progr mınd yer lm dığını d ş nd ğ n z yetkinlikler v r mı?

Bunl r neler? N sıl geliştirile ilir?

13. Fiziksel ve dijit l modelleme ecerilerinin mevcut end striyel t s rım

eğitimi progr ml rınd ki yeri nedir sizce?

a. H ngi ş m l rd verilmeye şl nm lıl r?

b. H ngi d zeylerde?

14. St dyo derslerinde y pıl n ç lışm l r d ş n ld ğ nde Sizce ir

t s rım öğrencisi –t s rım s recinin ilk ş m l rınd - form

geliştirirken h ngi yetkinliklere s hip olm lı? (Bu soruda yetkinlikler terimi

ile form geliştirme ç lışm l rı sır sınd kull nıl n ilgi, eceri ve d vr nışl r

kastedilmektedir.)

268

15. Form geliştirirken s hip olm l rı gerektiğini d ş nd ğ n z

yetkinliklerin öğrencilere k z ndırılm sı s recinde 3 oyutlu

modellerin rol olup olm dığı konusund ne d ş n yorsunuz?

a. Görselleştirmede fiziksel y d dijit l r çl rın kull nılmış

olm sı ç oyutlu forml rın lgıl nm sı ve geliştirilmesinde

f rk y r tır mı? Açıkl r mısınız?

16. T s rımcının kull ndığı görselleştirme r çl rın ne k d r h kim

olduğu/ r çl rın ilişkin yetkinlik d zeyi, t s rl dığı r n

olgunl ştırırken sizce ne k d r etkilidir?

a. Bu etkiyi -t s rım s recinin erken ş m l rınd form

geliştirme söz konusu ise n sıl değerlendirirsiniz?

17. Yeni (dijit l) görselleştirme r çl rı t s rım pr tiğini n sıl etkiledi?

Bu konud geleceğe d ir ir öngör n z v r mı?

18. St dyo derslerinde, öğrencilerinizin (kendilerinin ve) sınıf rk d şl rının t s rıml rını değerlendirmedeki ecerileri ve eğilimleri

konusund ne d ş n yorsunuz?

a. Bu durum t s rım s recinin erken ş m l rınd ki form

geliştirme ç lışm l rı için de geçerli mi?

b. Bund görselleştirmenin fiziksel y d dijit l görselleştirme

r çl rı ile y pılmış olm sının ir etkisi olduğunu d ş n r

m s n z?

19. Sizce fiziksel ve dijit l görselleştirme r çl rını kull nm

ecerilerinden h ngileri end stri r nleri t s rımı eğitiminde

k z ndırılm lı? Sizce n sıl/ne şekilde irlikte verilmeleri daha etkin

olur?

20. Kendi t s rım s recinizi d ş nd ğ n zde, geleneksel ve dijit l

görselleştirme r çl rının u s reçteki yeri ve v rs f rklı

ş m l rd ki öncelikleri h kkınd ir z ilgi vere ilir misiniz?

269

APPENDIX D

INSTRUCTOR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS IN ENGLISH

This research aims to investigate the role of 3D physical and digital modeling in the

acquisition of form development related competencies, in which ways they are

utilized in the existing educational program and approaches of the students and

studio instructors towards them in the studio studies in the Department of Industrial

Design at METU.

The data and information obtained in this research will be used in my PhD thesis

which aims to contribute to the development of an educational approach focusing on

the employment of 3D physical and digital modeling in form development related

skill acquisition processes in industrial design education.

The interviews are to be recorded depending on your consent.




21. What is your opinion on the main objectives of design education in

general, industrial design education in particular? What would be the

role(s) of traditional and digital visualization media in the realization

of these objectives?

22. Are there certain new competencies which should be integrated into

the design education but not yet so? What are they and how could

they be developed?

23. What should be the role and position of digital and physical modeling

skills in the current programs in industrial design education?

a. At what stage should they be introduced?

b. At what degree and sophistication?

24. As far as studio studies are concerned, what kinds of competencies the

design students should have for form development in the early stages

of design processes? (In this question, competencies means the knowledge, skills and attitudes

of the students that they employ during their form development processes)

270

25. Is there any role of 3D modeling in the development processes of the

students‘ from cre tion rel ted competencies?

a. Does using digital or physical modeling media creates a

difference in the perception and development of 3D forms?

26. How important, in your opinion, are the level of competence / level of

mastering of the designer in visualization media in improving the

design of the product?

a. What would be this effect in the early stages of form

development?

27. What is the impacts new digital visualization tools have made on the

design practices?

28. Wh t do you think out the students‘ ilities nd inclin tions to

ev lu te their own nd piers‘ design solutions?

a. Is this valid for the early stages of form development studies?

b. Do you think physical or digital visualization tools make a

difference on this situation?

29. In so far as your opinion is concerned, which of these digital and

physical visualization skills should be integrated into industrial design

education.

a. In what ways/ how would they be introduced more

effectively?

30. If you take your own design processes into consideration, could you

tell us about respective places of traditional and digital visualization

media in your design process and employment priority of them in

different stages of your work?

271

APPENDIX E

IMPORTANCE AND CROSS-TABULATION TABLES FROM

THE PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE DISSERTATION

Table E. 1 Importance table of the four elements of the preliminary study

Table E. 2 Rel tionship etween university nd ‗closeness to re lity‘

272

Table E. 3 Chi-square Test for University-‗Closeness to re lity‘

Table E. 4 Rel tionship etween University nd ‗Inter ction with the form‘

273

Table E. 5 Chi-square Test for University- ‗Inter ction with the form‘

Table E. 6 Rel tionship etween University nd ‗incre sing the skills‘

Table E. 7 Chi-square Test for University- ‗Incre sing the skills‘

274

Table E. 8 Rel tionship etween University nd ‗control on the system‘

E. 9 Chi-square Test for University- ‗ control on the system‘

275

APPENDIX F

MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL

DESIGN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

279

APPENDIX G

BRIEF AND DOCUMENTS OF STUDENTS SE3’S AND SD3’S

COFFEE MAKER STUDIO PROJECTS

285

APPENDIX H

BRIEF OF STUDENT SB4’S PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

PROJECT

287

APPENDIX Ġ

BRIEF OF STUDENT SC4’S GRADUATION PROJECT

295

APPENDIX J

BRIEF OF STUDENT SF4’S BACKHOE LOADER

WORKSTATION PROJECT

297

APPENDIX K

ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THE NUMBERED QUOTATIONS

REFERRED IN CHAPTER 7

A01 V kit h rc m k istemiyor, h ni ir t ne y p c ğım ve ol c k duygusu

olduğu için ir t ne y pıyor Onun zerine olm dı deyince u sefer iyice

morali bozuluyor.

A02 Elle y pıl m y n şeyleri y pıyoruz or d Çok d h y k ş nsl r,

k z l rd n ile ilginç ir fikir çıkıp ir şey oluştur iliyor Y d fiziksel

ol r k elinde hş pl oyn rken unu kmek klın gelmeye ilir, k lse

n sıl dururdu, y p mıyor Oys dijit l ort md sınır yok, her şeyi

yapabiliyor. (A02)

A03 Y ni istediği k d r dijit l olsun, istediği k d r y ksek teknoloji olsun

Teknoloji şeyi ezemiyor, fiziksel ol nı ezemez ç nk or d sic ir core

v r, siz ins nı Y ni t ht yl uğr ş n ir d mı… T ht nın ir kokusu

v rdır, f rklı cins t ht nın ğırlıkl rı v rdır Y ni fiziksel property‘i dijit l

ort m hiç ir z m n size vermez ‖ (A03)

A04 İzin vermiyoruz, ç nk dediğim gi i, diğer şeylerde olduğu gi i t rihsel

s m kl rı çıkm sı l zım… Ben ilk önce hep eskinin verilmesini sonr

yeninin girilmesini öylece m ymun-ins n gi i progressin nerede olduğunu,

nerede yeninin eskiyi y p m dığını vey nerede eskinin rtık niye yeniye

geçtiğini nl tm k çısınd n sır l m nın d ynı t rihsel ir şeyi t kip

etmesi… (A04)

A05 Y ni işte şimdi siz de iliyorsunuz, ıhl mur s pelliden f rklıdır, meşe

g rgenden f rklıdır, k v k işte u ing d n f rklıdır (…) Bunu siz ilirsiniz,

298

t ht ile uğr şırken ilirsiniz (…) Y ni dol yısıyl unl rın hepsi ‗physic l

property‘ ve iz nesnelleştirme ile uğr şıyoruz, An uğr şımız u ve

m lzemeyi t nım k dijit l ort md m mk n değil Y ni, siz o malzeme ile

neler y pıl c ğının örneklemelerini göre ilirsiniz m ir şey y p c ks nız

o m lzemeyi önce ir hissedeceksiniz ( ) Dol yısıyl en özellikle de

t s rım eğitiminin şınd fiziksel tem sı çok d h önemseyen ekoldenim

diyeyim. Yani simdi ilgis y rın pek çok şeyi kol yl ştırm dın surecin

dışın sidiğini ve o ilginin ir şekilde k y olduğunu d ş n yorum ‖(A05)

A06 (…) neyle y p c ksın? M lzemeyi hen z d ş nmedim Simdi kin o k d r

komik şeyler ki unl r N sıl l n diyorsun, unu n sıl y ptın m lzemeyi

d ş nmeden? H ni urun y pılır, m lzeme t nır, yni ilgis y r, dikk t edin,

photoshop‘d m lzeme tıyorl r y Y ni urun t s rl nıyor, m lzeme

r nıyor O urunun m lzemesine göre t s rl n c ğını ilmiyor 3DMax de

malzeme atayan zihniyet ( ) Evl dım m lzemesi ne unun diyorum Hen z

onu d ş nmedim Y ni n sıl diyorum, P z rtesi g n urunu y p rsın ş li

g n m lzeme mi d ş n l r, u er er y pılır diyorum, h tt on göre

y pılır u ‖ (A06)

A07 Ç nk zı ins nl r doğ l ol r k y p iliyor, onu o jeye dön şt rme

silkintisi çekmiyorl r Onl rın h ricindekiler için ir konsens s oluşuyor

sınıft , ―z ten kimse y p mıyor, en de y p mıyorum‖ Eğer sivrileşmeye

ç lış n yoks ir sorun yok Mesel or d hemen sınıf içinde ir konsens s

oluşuyor, ―n sıl ols kimse s per y p m y c k‖, ve y p nı d y ptırtm m k

zerine ir konsens s oluşuyor Öyle g rip ir lgı, y p n t kdir edilmiyor,

dişleniyor O d çok g rip ir şey, onun sosyolojik ir f ktör ol r k yrıc

incelenmesi gerekli Bir şey y pıl ilir mi h kkınd ilmiyorum m durum

bu. (A07)

A08 Dol yısı ile demek ki izim unu 1 den iti ren k z ndırmış olm mız

gerekiyor, temel bir beceri ve mock-up dediğiniz şeyde t ii y ni hiç

y pm zs nız gelişmez, y ni y pm zs nız t ii ki z m n lır m onu s recin

ir p rç sı ol r k en şınd n iti ren d hil etmiş ols ydık d h hız

299

k z n c kl rdı, d h etkili kull n c kl rdı, k ğıdı n sıl kull n c k,

muk vv yı, oluklu muk vv yı f rklı m lzemeleri unl rı…‖ (A08)

A09 Bunun d zı temel t s rım eğitimi ile ilgili şeyleri v r, m çl rı ile ilişkisi

v r Örneğin 2 oyutlu, 3 oyutlu modelleme, mock-up yapma, model

y pm , eskiz y pm , t n işte gözlem y pm T m u şeylerden

f yd l n r k, r çl rd n f yd l n r k t s rım fikirlerini geliştiriyorl r,

pro lem l nını t nımlıyorl r, fikirleri geliştiriyorl r ve unu 3 oyut

t şım y şlıyorl r Eğer u s reçten geçmezsek öğrencilerin doğrud n

modellemeye geçerlerse slınd şt ki ölç tleri y nsıtm l rı konusund

sorunl r y ş y c ğımızı d ş n yoruz Y ni, yine çöz m önerileri çok

y zeysel k l ilir y d mevcut r nlerden çok f rklıl şm y ilir Y ni

yeniden sorunu ele lm mız engel ol n ir şey gi i de göre iliyoruz T ii

u d t rtışm y çık ir konu (A09)

A010 Ben bunu birinci sınıft n iti ren ldım, h l lıyorum 3 yıl oldu Su n

seçmeli m iki donemde ldım seçmeliyi Bu eşinci lışım‖ (A10)

A011 Bir t ne profil dol şıyor fil n, o profilin zerine m s oturuyor, ir yerde

koltuk onun zerine oturuyor şeklinde ir şey getirdi Ve tek profil, yani

m s şu tek şeyin zerinde duruyor, u‘nun zerinde duruyor Bunu ir de

modellemiş, n sıl modellemiş, işte d md z dikdörtgen k rtonu kesmiş,

çu ukl rı şöyle tutturmuş, t ii m s y kt durm mış, s ll nıyor m onu

d g zelce yere y pıştırmış zorl mış Şur d ntl rl tutturmuş onu

Diyoruz ki ‗ k durmuyor, unu ir def d ş n r m s n? Model s n unu

söyl yor Bu demektir ki m s dediğin şey en z ç y klı ol c k (A11)

A012 Y ni u progr ml rın h y tımız girmesi, eğitim ort mın girmesi,

eğitiminin veriliyor olm sı ve st dyol rd h ni projeler için kull nılıyor

olm sı işlerin niteliğini çok değiştirdi, ort y çık n projelerin gelişim

d zeylerini çok etkiledi Onl rın teknik çizimlerini l ilmek, y p ilmek,

iste p rç l rın n sıl yrıştığını, p rç l rını ile yır ilmek, iste k lıpt n

çıkıp çıkm dığın k iliyorsunuz İşte irleşip iyi oturup oturm dığın

300

n sıl irleştireceğinize d ir k r rl r vere iliyorsunuz Bizim z m nımızd

her şey çok k vr ms l d zeyde k lmış

A013 Son ana kadar t m ltern tiflerinizi h l ekr nd göre iliyorsunuz, m iz

her ltern tif için o p r yı h rc yıp görselleştirmek zorund ydık (A12)‖

301

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Surn me, N me: Özt rk Şeng l, Meht p

Nationality: Turkish (TC)

Date and Place of Birth: 8 July 1969, Ankara

Marital Status: Married

Phone: +90 312 2107282

Fax: +90 312 210 7963

Email: [email protected]

EDUCATION

Degree

MS

BS

Institution


Department of Architecture, Trakya University

Year of Graduation

2009

1992

WORK EXPERIENCE

Year

1992-1993

1993-1995

1995-1996

1996-2000

2001-2002

2002-2004

2004-2006

2006-2008

2009- …

Place

Ekol Architecture, Ankara

Pemos n A Ş , Eskişehir

Tepe Mutfak, Antalya

SMT T s rım, Ant ly

T rz T s rım, Ank r

B rmek A Ş , Ank r

MG İnş t, Ank r

Adore Mobilya, Ankara


Enrollment

Architect

Furniture designer

Architect

Owner-Designer

Furniture designer

Architect

Architect

Furniture designer

Specialist

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Advanced English

PUBLICATIONS

Özt rk Şeng l, M., 2009, K ç k ve Ort Ölçekli Mo ily End strisinde T s rım

S reçleri ve T s rımcının Konuml nışınd K lt r Boyutu, Er, H.A. et.al (Eds)

Proceedings of 4. National Design Congress 2009: Design or Crisis, ITU

Department of Industrial Product Design, Istanbul, 341-354

integrating 3d physical and digital modeling into 3d …

Documents