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nike_1.jpgImage Courtesy of Michael DiTullo
A continuing issue in industrial design education is whe ...
Instead of setting constraints or limitations to dictate ...

CAD versus Sketching, Why Ask? by James Self - Core77
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nike_1.jpgImage Courtesy of Michael DiTullo

A continuing issue in industrial design education is when to allow students to move from sketch work to 3D CAD modelling during studio practice—or whether to let them use CAD at all! I've heard of first year undergraduate modules where students are 'banned' from the use of CAD in an attempt to encourage sketchbook work and more explorative conceptual design practice. In my view this approach is somewhat draconian and does little to deal with the underlying reasons that attract less experienced designers to the comparative certainty of 3D CAD.

Instead of setting constraints or limitations to dictate where and under what circumstances design tools must be used, design education needs to provide opportunities for young designers to reflect upon the nature of their own design activity and how this informs their use of design tools. Design students should consider the bigger picture that constitutes the various requirements of a design process in order to think about how tool use locates within and is informed by a requirement to design. This awareness will then provide opportunities for students to make more informed decisions when working with design tools; to be more critical in their use of CAD tools and more confident in their own sketching abilities.

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<p><img src="http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/2012/02/nike_1.jpg" alt="nike_1.jpg" height="309" width="468"><em><small>Image Courtesy of <a href="http://www.michaelditullo.com" target="_blank">Michael DiTullo</a></small></em></p> <p>A continuing issue in industrial design education is when to allow students to move from sketch work to 3D CAD modelling during studio practice&#x2014;or whether to let them use CAD at all! I've heard of first year undergraduate modules where students are 'banned' from the use of CAD in an attempt to encourage sketchbook work and more explorative conceptual design practice. In my view this approach is somewhat draconian and does little to deal with the underlying reasons that attract less experienced designers to the comparative certainty of 3D CAD.</p> <p>Instead of setting constraints or limitations to dictate where and under what circumstances design tools must be used, design education needs to provide opportunities for young designers to reflect upon the nature of their own design activity and how this informs their use of design tools. Design students should consider the bigger picture that constitutes the various requirements of a design process in order to think about how tool use locates within and is informed by a requirement to design. This awareness will then provide opportunities for students to make more informed decisions when working with design tools; to be more critical in their use of CAD tools and more confident in their own sketching abilities.</p>