Engineers, 3D objects, and Rhetoric
How do engineering students use 3D objects and other visual artifacts to develop their designs and communi-cate ideas to other stakeholders?Tom BurnsEng 5389
Marketing Communication is Changing
• Manufacturers and distributors increasingly are using 3DCAD models to entice potential customers
• Reid Supply• McMaster-Carr
Methods• Class Observations • Document Analysis • Contextual Inquiry• Survey of Students
Research Site• MTRE 4400 – Mechatronics
Capstone class at Southern Polytechnic State University
Participants –16 Engineering Students
3DCAD is a required literacy for engineering programs at
SPSU
Selected Survey Results• 50% of students responded to the survey
• 100% of the students use Solidworks Software(1 years license supplied by SPSU)
• 75% self-identify as experienced – 25% self-identify as novice users
Selected Survey Results• 75% of the students repurpose their CAD
models for use in illustrations.
• 38% of the students use the models to create animations.
• 38% of the students use the models to create marketing visuals.
• One student uses the models to fabricate parts using rapid prototyping equipment.
Class Observations• Five teams of students make four
types of design presentations.
1. Design Requirements2. Conceptual/Parametric Design3. Detailed Design4. Final Rollout
Students use imagery derived from a variety of sources to create a sort of visual equation to communicate their
design concepts
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Activity System Diagram
Genre Ecology
Document Analysis• Three sets of presentations from
five teams were analyzed1. Team usage of image vs. text usage
compared2. Total number of images used by all
teams compared with text usage3. Coding and analysis of rhetorical
images
Team Use of Image Per Slide Compared To All Text Use Per
Slide
Overall Image Use Per Slide Compared To Text Use Per
Slide
What are Engineering Drawings?
• Orthogonal or two-dimensional plan, profile, and section drawings are the acknowledged carriers of engineering product information.
• Isometric views are used in illustrations – as pretty pictures – for maintenance and operations manuals (Henderson 1999, pg 37).
What are Technical Illustrations?
• Technical illustrations offer realistic or semi-realistic views of an object or process (Brasseur 2003, pg. 11).
• The goal, of course, in a technical illustration is to convey information in a realistic yet simplified view (Brasseur 2003, pg. 45).
Modes of Representation for Design Artefacts
Adapted from Hisarciklilar and Boujut (2008).
Software provides default settings
Adaptation for Coding 3DCAD Imagery
Adapted with enhancements from Hisarciklilar and Boujut (2008).
Technical Artwork Continuum
• Ranging from contextually rich image to abstract concept
Schematic symbols adapted from (0000).
Conclusion• Data suggests that 3DCAD
provides a hybrid-genre that crosses the professional domains of Engineering and Technical Communication
ReferencesBrasseur, L., E. (2003). Visualizing technical information: A cultural critique. Baywood
Publishing Company, Inc., Amityville, NY
Henderson, K., R. (1999). On line and on paper: Visual representations, visual culture, and computer graphics in design engineering. Graphics Press, Cheshire, CT
Hisarciklilar, O., Boujut, J. F., (2008). Symbolic vs. iconic: How to support argumentative design discourse with 3D product representations. IDMME-Virtual Concept, Beijing
Students use 3DCAD to generate photo-realistic objects to persuade stakeholders of design plausability
