Different Ways Of Shape Expression During Conceptual Design - An Empirical Study

Human-computer interaction is often a bottleneck in the application of CAD during the conceptual phases of the design process. Current CAD systems generally are not able to support conceptual design in a convenient way. Effective human-computer interaction (HCI) should allow the performance of ideating activities. An empirical study was performed to observe which activities designers naturally use to exteriorise shape, that is, when they are not restricted by the limitations of CAD systems. The goal of this study is to explore the knowledge which is needed to implement a more effective user interface. The gained insights will be used to improve human-computer interaction for shape conceptualisation.