“Design drawing: A means towards visual literacy and the exploration of ideas in the classroom”
Article accepted for publication in The Technology Teacher (TTT), the flagship journal of The International Technology Education Association (ITEA). It is a useful tool for technology education professionals from elementary teachers to junior high, middle, and high school classroom teachers as well as teacher educators.
October 2003 issue

“Connecting community to knowledge: A youth inspired library”
Anderson, Eric and Hughes, Kristin. Accepted for publication in the proceedings of the National Design Education Conference (proceedings as yet unavailable)
Industrial Designers Society of America, New York, New York. August 10 -12, 2003

“Enhancing Visual Literacy Through Cognitive Activities”
Proceedings of the International Colloquium, “Global Changes in Engineering Education.” American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) in collaboration with the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI), Berlin, Germany. October 1- 4, 2002,

Abstract

Visual literacy, for the three-dimensional designer, is a critical skill for understanding, developing and communicating physical concepts. In modern education and practice visualization is often acquired through the use of technology. While new technologies provide assistance and emerging technologies offer promise in many areas of the educational and professional processes, these new tools alone do not build the visual or cognitive understandings offered by traditional manual methods. Without a balanced effort towards visual education, technology can adversely affect development resulting in diminished perceptual understanding, confidence, and an increased reliance on technology. This paper looks at the visual literacy of three-dimensional designers and how education affects their understanding and communication of physical information. It builds on a prior study that examined entry-level industrial design students' cognitive ability to construct three-dimensional information through non-digital drawing methods and their challenges with technology. It suggests through experiences and reviews of relevant studies in cognitive psychology, that having the ability to represent three-dimensional information through drawing, prior to and in concert with the tool of the computer, increases visual understanding and produces greater efficiency, and communication. It further introduces a learning system that has shown to accelerate visual cognition and skill in industrial design and engineering students. Results of this approach is presented through examples from an elective industrial design course where engineering students are taking advantage of visualization methodologies utilized by industrial design to broaden their vision and compliment their technology skills.

Full paper - www.asee.org/conferences/international/posters.cfmb

“Form construction and exploration: Building confidence and vision in early industrial design education through drawing”
Proceedings of the First China-US Joint Conference on Design Education
Industrial Designers Society of America, Beijing, China. May 14 – 17, 2002

“A Square to a Circle: Teaching the Exploration of Form”
Proceedings of the National Design Education Conference “Designing Your Life”
Industrial Designers Society of America, Boston, Massachusetts. August 12 –14, 2001

Paper also electronically published at www.idsa.org/whatsnew/01ed_proceed/Anderson%20-%20Paper%202001.pdf

“Managing Visual Understanding Through Cognitive Actions”
Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Design Management, Research, and Education “Design and Knowledge Management - Forms, Process, and Tools” Design Management Institute, Frankfurt, Germany. November 16-18, 2000

Abstract

Visualization, in the realm of three-dimensional design, is a primary skill used to conceive, develop and communicate ideas. It involves the creative process of thinking, understanding, and exploring visual information. Traditionally design professionals, educators and students relied on pencil, paper and drawing methods as major tools to address such needs, and these tools were often enough to produce three-dimensional information. However, the advent of new and emerging technologies has proven to assist in many areas of the professional and educational design processes. While these new tools of technology may promote many benefits across a broad spectrum of the design process, they may not offer the benefits of traditional paper and pencil methods when it comes to learning to visualize. Further, if not properly managed, technology may reduce the development of visualization skills, resulting in diminished perceptual understanding, confidence, and increased reliance on technology.
This paper looks at the understanding of three-dimensional information in industrial design education, and how it effects the initial phases of the design process. It builds on a prior study that examines entry-level design students’ cognitive ability to construct three-dimensional information through non-digital methods (drawing using pencil and paper). It suggests further that having the ability to draw three-dimensional forms prior to using the computer increases visual understanding and produces greater efficiency early in the design process.

“Understanding objects through construction: Perspective grids in a first year drawing course”
Proceedings of the National Design Education Conference “Design Gumbo”
Industrial Designers Society of America, Lafayette, Louisiana. September 18-20, 2000

Abstract

Perspective drawing continues to be a valuable, useful, and necessary tool in design for visualizing, understanding and communicating ideas. However, many programs continue to be challenged in teaching first year students, who range in drawing abilities from novice to experienced, how to see, understand and communicate three-dimensional information quickly. Students who are unfamiliar with perspective drawing tend to struggle with learning the system rather than gaining clarity of an idea. Those who are familiar with perspective often “eyeball” form but can lack the structural understandings that lie behind their images. Perspective grids are tools that have shown to assist novice and experienced drawing students in developing their abilities faster than traditional methods. This paper looks at the benefits that perspective grids can offer and shares the results of using perspective grids in a design drawing course at Carnegie Mellon University. It references studies in psychology to support the idea that perspective grids are not only a useful tool, but also one that should be considered in a first year program.

Paper published electronically at www.idsa.org/whatsnew/00ed-proceed/anderson.pdf

“Seeing through drawing: A necessary tool, or convenience?”
Proceedings of the National Design Education Conference “Chicago ‘99”
Industrial Designers Society of America, Chicago, Illinois. July 1999

Abstract

The skill of drawing has always been a necessary component of the industrial design process. Design professionals and educators have used it as a practical tool for seeing, thinking and understanding their ideas, and for communicating them to others. Until recently drawing has had few challenges to its status in the process. In education it was expected that drawing would play a major role in student's ability in learning to see and understand form. Students routinely had a desire to, and were able to, develop a proficiency in drawing communication by the conclusion of their program. However, as more students are entering undergraduate programs, arguably with diminished drawing abilities, yet computer ready and more often literate, we have been faced with the challenge of technology. The advent of new and emerging technologies are proving to have, in some areas, the ability to assist in the design education process. As a result, some believe that it is no longer necessary to foster the use of hand drawing skills, and in some cases question its need altogether. We therefore find ourselves amid the process of evaluating the value of drawing in design education. Has it now become a convenience?

This paper focuses on the current status of drawing as a tool for teaching students to see and understand form. It also discusses in general whether drawing is in fact loosing its stature in the design process. Reviews of relevant studies in cognitive psychology, as well as the results from a recent study whereby design professionals and educators were surveyed and interviewed with regard to perspective drawing and its future, are used to support the discussion.

Paper also published electronically at www.idsa.org/whatsnew/99ed-proceed/papers001.htm