Richard Wrote:
Some of the SD committee argued for a class in
sketching, using the "training the eye as well as the hand" argument.
While I was initially very skeptical of this I came around a little
bit towards supporting that.
My reply:
Sketching is the fastest way to develop form whether digital or paper. The process followed in almost all places where products are designed today is to explore form through developing a large number of sketches; Then to select one preferred form and mechanical relationship of parts for development into production. 3D models in contrast are slow to produce using existing methods and a far more limited range of exploration can take place and hence an inferior concept developed into production. With existing technology perhaps 300 sketches and alternative designs may equate time wise to four 3d models and four altenative concepts. The success of the final design rellies on both quantity and quality of ideas at this stage. Working designers are usually under a high degree of time pressure.
My school CCS is one of the schools which most focusses on sketching and one of the most advanced schools also in adoption of 3d design technology. In our process at moment this digital technology is only applied once a design solution has been developed through sketching. Car companies tell us that they are not likely to move away from clay modelling in the forseeable future which is essentially a craft skill. We would like to make greater use of our 5 axis milling capability but we have to realistic about what industry wants of our graduates.
Programs such as Macromedia Painter substitute digital media for paper but the hand skill is essentially the same.
This is the small survey which I mentioned in the last posting
> > From the 100 most recent Product Job advertisements on the
>Coroflot Web Site. This list shows the individual number of times
>each item is listed as a job requirement skill.
> >
> > Sketching skills 32
> > Concept Generation Skills 31
> > 3-D 29
> > Communication 24
> > Team Player 22
> > Management Skills 20
> > Adobe Photoshop 19
> > Alias 19
> > Marketing Liaison 17
> > Manufacturing Liaison 17
> > Adobe Illustrator 16
> > Bachelors Degree 16
> > Client Liaison 15
> > Motivated 12
> > Rhino 11
> > Solidworks 10
> > Problem solving 10
> > Independence 9
> > Presentation 9
> > Brand 7
> > 2-D 8
> > Human Factors 6
> > Thinking 6
> > Pro E 5
> > Asia Liaison/ Asian Language 5
> > Tool Liaison 5
> > Web 3
> > Mac Skills 3
> > Masters Degree 3
> > AutoCad 2
It shows that sketching skills are the most demanded skills today in industry. Digital skills should be taught in parallel with sketching and other problem solving skills. To equate sketching with fine art is a mistake I believe. In fine art the sketch is the end product; in design the sketch is the fastest way even given the best technology available to communicate 3 dimensional solutions to problems. Not teaching these skills to a high level would be limiting the graduates ability to find employment in every manufacturing industry into the forseeable future. For your model to be successful you would need to change the process model which industry is using. Not an entirely impossible task but an extremely difficult one currently determined by commercial pressures. This design process has evolved through trial and error over a long period. I believe that current technology is not efficient enough to replace sketching in the design process and probably not in another decade.
Please don't see me as a Ludite but I do have around 25 years experience working in some of the most technologically sophisticated global design organisations. There are some differences between what works in engineering and design. I would like to see your course succeed.
______________________________
R o b C u r e d a l e
Professor, Chair Product Design
College for Creative Studies Detroit
201 East Kirby
Detroit MI 48202-4034
Phone: 313 664 7625
Fax: 313 664 7620
email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.ccscad.edu
______________________________
|
