Design in the community
An ongoing study, in collaboration with Professor Kristin Hughes (CMU - Design) and working with community partners, to discover how design thinking and methodologies can be used as a creative and inspiring tool for teaching youth new ways of learning. Our developing model BEAM (Building Environments for Active Minds) has been embraced by Hill House Association, a local community resource center. The approved proposal is found in the Supplemental section of this package.

Visualization as a rehabilitation tool
Throughout my research and teaching of visualization through design drawing, students of varied disciplines have contributed new knowledge by how they engaged with my methods and tools to solve perceptual complexities. In this process, data have emerged which raised the question for me whether design and it’s process of visualization can offer similar value to persons identified with perceptual challenges. Professor Marlene Behrman of Carnegie Mellon’s department of Psychology, an expert in cognitive perception, found this idea interesting. As a result of my initiative, were are currently exploring a new collaboration to study design drawing as a rehabilitation tool. A pilot test with student volunteers from my from my fall 2003 Industrial Design Fundamentals course is currently underway.

Visualization across disciplines
Building on my direction to develop visualization tools and methodologies that bridge the communication gap between disciplines that collaborate with industrial design, such as engineering, I initiated a collaboration with Professor Blaine Lilly of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Ohio State University. Our initial goal is to enhance the visualization skills and strategy of mechanical engineers. Towards this, I have designed and will deliver (through direct lecturing and distance learning tools) a drawing module in their ISE 682 course. This new component titled “Visual Thinking” represents about one-third of the course content and will begin September 30, 2003. This collaboration will help to further define opportunity and refine my knowledge and tools for teaching those connected with design. The experiences gained will also benefit new courses planned for the New Product Development masters program at CMU.