Understanding the role of generative design in undergraduate students' design thinking
Barnaby-Brown, Alexandra Danielle
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/117654
Description
Title
Understanding the role of generative design in undergraduate students' design thinking
Author(s)
Barnaby-Brown, Alexandra Danielle
Issue Date
2022-12-08
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Background: Computer-aided design (CAD) is a standard design tool used in engineering practice and by students. CAD has become increasingly analytic and inventive in incorporating AI approaches to design with generative design to help expand designers’ divergent thinking. However, because generative design technologies are new, we know very little about generative design thinking in students. Purpose: The purpose of this research is threefold: explore how students engage in the design process when using generative design software, understand the relationship between students’ divergent and convergent thinking abilities, and investigate in what ways students’ divergent and convergent abilities are related to their generative design understanding. Design: This study was set in an introductory graphics and design course where student designers used Fusion 360. Data collected included a generative design CAD module and both divergent and convergent psychological tests. Results: The results suggest that students approach generative design decision-making similarly to how beginning designers approach standard decision-making and that students’ divergent and convergent thinking is not related to their generative design thinking. Conclusions: This study shows that new computational tools might present the same challenges to beginning designers as conventional tools. Instructors should be aware of informed design practices, should continue to encourage students to grow into informed designers by educating them on design practices without technology and, by introducing them to new technology such as AI-driven generative design.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
