Physical or Digital: Alternative Approaches to Modelling for a Participatory Design Environment

Abstract

Many of those who are advocating the use of computers in planning and design are promoting the internet as a way of involving non-experts. Although there is a great deal to be said for such an approach, the role of direct face-to-face communications remains important and yet relatively little has been done to investigate how computers can be of assistance in such a setting.This paper will present the results of an experiment in which a commercially available, but relatively inexpensive, computer-aided architectural design (CAAD) package has been used to facilitate participatory design.The results indicate that such an approach can significantly improve the quality of design and also enhance the experience of those who have participated in the design process.

A Comparison of Learning Experience, Workload, and Outcomes in Interior Design Education Using a Hand or Hybrid Approach

“…The student survey was comprised of three parts. The first part was adapted from Dorta et al.’s (2008) and Day and Rahman’s (2006) questionnaires of the application of hand and digital tools in design education. The survey questions for this study (Table 1) had nine dimensions on the visualization and simulation capabilities of hand techniques versus the mixed use of hand and digital tools in assisting the design process.…”