Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities
This study explores the role of sketching when designers are creating fast, preliminary prototypes during hands on design-and-build activities. Many studies have noted the value of both sketching and the building of preliminary prototypes in the early stages of the design process. In a typical desig...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
ASME International
2019
|
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120316 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6720-8880 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-8438 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7776-3423 |
| _version_ | 1811079061099773952 |
|---|---|
| author | Faas, Daniela Bao, Qifang Yang, Maria C. |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Faas, Daniela Bao, Qifang Yang, Maria C. |
| author_sort | Faas, Daniela |
| collection | MIT |
| description | This study explores the role of sketching when designers are creating fast, preliminary prototypes during hands on design-and-build activities. Many studies have noted the value of both sketching and the building of preliminary prototypes in the early stages of the design process. In a typical design scenario, exploratory sketches are made before prototypes are fabricated. However, in certain cases, the differences in the design exploration value of a sketch and a simple, preliminary prototype may not always be clear. In this study, three conditions for a design-and-built activity were compared: A control group (allowed to freely sketch throughout), a limited sketch group (only allowed to sketch at the beginning) and a no sketch group. The study was conducted twice, using two different prototyping materials each time. One that is assembly only (an Erector set) and one that requires both part fabrication and assembly (foam core). The performance of the prototypes, the type and quality of the sketches, and the relationship between sketches and prototypes were evaluated. Results for this study suggest that fast, preliminary prototypes are equally as useful for design exploration as sketching in building simple mechanisms, though results would likely be different for more complex design tasks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:09:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/120316 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T11:09:25Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | ASME International |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1203162022-10-01T01:41:24Z Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities Faas, Daniela Bao, Qifang Yang, Maria C. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society Faas, Daniela Bao, Qifang Yang, Maria This study explores the role of sketching when designers are creating fast, preliminary prototypes during hands on design-and-build activities. Many studies have noted the value of both sketching and the building of preliminary prototypes in the early stages of the design process. In a typical design scenario, exploratory sketches are made before prototypes are fabricated. However, in certain cases, the differences in the design exploration value of a sketch and a simple, preliminary prototype may not always be clear. In this study, three conditions for a design-and-built activity were compared: A control group (allowed to freely sketch throughout), a limited sketch group (only allowed to sketch at the beginning) and a no sketch group. The study was conducted twice, using two different prototyping materials each time. One that is assembly only (an Erector set) and one that requires both part fabrication and assembly (foam core). The performance of the prototypes, the type and quality of the sketches, and the relationship between sketches and prototypes were evaluated. Results for this study suggest that fast, preliminary prototypes are equally as useful for design exploration as sketching in building simple mechanisms, though results would likely be different for more complex design tasks. National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Award CMMI-1130791) Cummins-Tsomgjia Women Fellowship 2019-02-11T15:58:02Z 2019-02-11T15:58:02Z 2014-08 2019-01-14T17:48:18Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/ConferencePaper 978-0-7918-4640-7 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120316 Faas, Daniela, Qifang Bao, and Maria C. Yang. “Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities.” Volume 7: 2nd Biennial International Conference on Dynamics for Design; 26th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology (August 17, 2014). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6720-8880 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-8438 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7776-3423 http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/DETC2014-34928 Volume 7: 2nd Biennial International Conference on Dynamics for Design; 26th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf ASME International ASME |
| spellingShingle | Faas, Daniela Bao, Qifang Yang, Maria C. Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title | Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title_full | Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title_fullStr | Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title_short | Preliminary Sketching and Prototyping: Comparisons in Exploratory Design-and-Build Activities |
| title_sort | preliminary sketching and prototyping comparisons in exploratory design and build activities |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/120316 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6720-8880 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0663-8438 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7776-3423 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT faasdaniela preliminarysketchingandprototypingcomparisonsinexploratorydesignandbuildactivities AT baoqifang preliminarysketchingandprototypingcomparisonsinexploratorydesignandbuildactivities AT yangmariac preliminarysketchingandprototypingcomparisonsinexploratorydesignandbuildactivities |