About the Course
The goals and aspirations of teaching a digital design process vary widely between different design programs and educational institutions, as well as between academia and the profession. However, at the core of three dimensional design is:
- the ability to visualize and understand, manipulate and represent form and space
- a general understanding of the different tools (software and hardware) and techniques available to use to work up and present your designt.
The Course This course is intended to help students make more effective use of digital design tools as they explore and develop design ideas. It provides an opportunity to learn the process of digital design as an endeavor independent of the design studio and still closely linked to it. The use of ongoing studio projects will be integrated into the coursework wherever possible. "Interactive Digital Design" has six basic educational goals:
- To teach students to design using 3D modeling software as an alternative to the traditional plan and elevation process; to understand the value of a digital-based analysis and evaluation.
- To encourage students to think and design three dimensionally, using a variety of forms, materials and transformations.
- To encourage students to use digital design for their design studio projects.
- To teach students a comprehensive digital design process, beginning with site analysis and initial studies of form and space and ending with high-resolution presentation drawings.
- To expose students to graphic techniques that will assist them in the development of presentation graphics throughout the design and visualization process.
- To explore further the potential of different software applications, used as tools used to communicate conceptual and final design ideas.
The first two thirds of the class will introduce both some tools and processes that are important for effective digital design and design communication. Students will learn to design exclusively using the computer through a variety of methods. Design decisions are made on screen, using the 3D and 2D graphic software of their choice. In-class instruction will focus on the use of SketchUp, ArcGIS and PhotoShop as design tools however students can elect to work with other digital design tools through a proposal submission to be discussed in class. Other software possibilities include FormZ, Maya, 3d Studio Max. The last third of the course will apply 3D digital design principles learned earlier in the semester to a design project.