Design Patterns: Augmenting Design Practice in Parametric CAD Systems

Candidate: Zhenyu Cheryl Qian
Type: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D), School of Interactive Arts and Technology
Date: July 29, 2009
Senior Supervisor: Rob Woodbury
Thesis: Download Thesis Document

Abstract

Parametric Computer Aided Design systems facilitate complex design activities through generating, representing, and storing parametric relations and variations in design.  The systems' increasing complexity impedes the ability of designers to explore and develop their work.  Pattern, as a rhetorical structure, is a generic solution to a well-described problem.  I hypothesize that a designer's learning and working process in parametric modeling applications can be well modeled by patterns, and making such patterns explicit can result in improved expert work parctices, better learning material and support for collaborative design in parametric design environments.  To achieve these goals, I designed and conducted a series of qualitative studies to search, gather, elicit, author, and communicate patterins in the context of a parametric modeling system - Bentley's GenerativeComponentsTM.  Applying parametric patterns can augment and support design practice.

Keywords:
Design Patterns, Parametric CAD System, Cognitive Design Framework, Participant Observation, Augment Design Practice