Design Pad: Software to Enhance Collaborative Design Processes

TitleDesign Pad: Software to Enhance Collaborative Design Processes
Faculty/College/UnitApplied Science
StatusCompleted
Duration2 Year
Initiation04/01/2009
Completion03/31/2011
Project Summary

Design practice is the heart of engineering. In much the same way that keyboard practice is key to becoming a concert pianist, design practice is key to becoming a competent and professional engineer. In our existing mechanical engineering design courses, we teach our students about a variety of design techniques which are used in industry, but in the industrial setting engineers are usually supported by complex documentation systems which are not readily available to students. In the learning stages, such systems are overkill; what students really need is a system pared down to the basics to emphasize the most essential elements in the design process. Currently, students attempt to use ad hoc paper-based processes to emulate what they have been taught, but they typically lack sufficient design experience to implement such a system correctly. We propose to continue developing and testing a simplified but correctly structured computer-based design environment we call ‘Design Pad’.

Funding Details
Year 1: Project TitleDesign Software to Enhance Collaborative Design Processes
Year 1: Project YearYear 1
Year 1: Funding Year2009/2010
Year 1: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 1: Principal InvestigatorAntony Hodgson
Year 1: Funded Amount10,000
Year 1: Team Members

Antony Hodgson, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Philippe Kruchten, Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Peter Ostafichuk, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Jim Sibley, Applied Science Centre for Instructional Support, Faculty of Applied Science

Year 2: Project YearYear 2
Year 2: Funding Year2010/2011
Year 2: Project TypeSmall TLEF
Year 2: Principal InvestigatorAntony Hodgson
Year 2: Funded Amount20,230
Year 2: Team Members

Antony Hodgson, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Philippe Kruchten, Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Peter Ostafichuk, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science
Jim Sibley, Applied Science Centre for Instructional Support