The design process, Ideation, and computer-aided design

Abstract

Largely due to engineering design applications such as computer-aided design, most engineering graphics curriculums have changed significantly since the middle 1980's. The content of an engineering graphics course is governed by the needs of students taking the course. This paper focuses on the engineering graphics curriculum at Western Washington University. The Engineering Technology Department at Western Washington University has changed its graphics focus from design communication to design development. Within the curriculum, topics covered include the design process, ideation sketching, conceptual modeling, documentation drawing, parametric design, and tolerance specification. This paper discusses these topics plus student outcomes and future developments.