The overall purpose of this study was to examine the nature of curriculum in college-level interior design programs, explore computer-aided design’s (CAD) place in these curricula, and examine pedagogy used to teach CAD in these programs. Specifically, the objectives of this study were to better understand (a) the nature of college-level interior design programs with regard to curricular conceptions, (b) how interior design programs integrate CAD into the curriculum, and (c) how interior design instructors adopt and integrate CAD into their teaching practices. A qualitative research methodology using case study design was used. Data at two college-level interior design programs were collected using document analysis and interviews with six interior design instructors, three from each institution. Previous studies (Hill & Anning, 2001b) examined and identified how other design fields such as graphic, engineering, architectural, and apparel design practice the design process. However, there is little research found on how interior designers practice design and their profession, or how they use CAD in design. Therefore, this research contributes to the literature on how interior design professionals design using CAD programs and more specifically how they incorporate AutoCAD software in their professional design practice and in their teaching of interior design curriculum. Findings revealed that participants referred to their own professional practice to conceptualize and teach the design process. The phases of the design process described by each instructor were context-specific to a design project and their use of CAD in the design process depended on their preferences, skills, abilities, and the context of their professional practice. Findings also revealed that CAD is an important tool in the field of interior design. Even though CAD may inhibit an interior design students’ creativity, it can save time, document drawings, and assist in better coordination with other professionals in the workforce. To enhance interior design students’ skills, it is recommended that CAD courses be placed at the early courses of an interior design curriculum concurrently with manual drafting courses. This research provides useful information for future interior design instructors and CAD curriculum planning. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-04-23 14:18:55.35

The shooting sport is one of the most widespread sports in the world and it is being practice in most countries. Based on their own experiences, in competition - and hobby shooting, the client M4Solutions found a demand and need for a shooting target that is manufactured in Sweden. The purpose of the project has been to develop, with the help of Marcus Walldén, two shooting targets from idea to finished product. These two shooting targets, Plate Rack Target and Dueling Tree, would each be equipped with a mechanical resetting system but will in the future have the ability to be provided with an electronic resetting system. The project from the client was divided into two theses. One of these two, written by Marcus Walldén, focused on the tripod parts and the overall design work for both Plate Rack Target and Dueling Tree. The thesis that is presented in this report have focused on resetting systems, the design of protective plates and other peripherals for both shooting targets. This work has primarily been in CAD environment where design, construction and development has been given free rein. Calculations, test shootings and choice of materials has been made in order to reach the best possible solutions. The thesis resulted in two complete 3D models and two full-scale prototypes of steel.

This thesis aims to explore the potential impact of Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD) as a conceptual design tool on the design methodology of final year students. Many design studies have focused on sketching and its relationship with creative thinking to validate CAAD programs as a design tool. On the contrary, this study argues that the continued primacy of traditional tools as the predominant conceptual tools needs more evidence in the contemporary design practices. That is to say, the relative importance of CAAD alongside other media, such as sketching, model making and verbalisation must be recognised before the forthcoming leap in CAAD programs development. To illustrate these ideas, the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment was used as a case study to explore CAAD’s role in the educational context, the studio in general and the final year studio in particular. A mixed methods approach was employed to carry out two studies: a case study and a protocol study. A case study approach was utilised to understand the modern context whereby CAAD is used by the students despite CAAD not being an integrated part of the project model. The case study was also used to document the reasons behind students’ tendency of using CAAD at the conceptual phases of the design process. Mixed methods were used to collect data at three different intervals of the two semesters; before starting the studio project, while working on the project and after submitting the final project. The methods used include a questionnaire survey, structured reflection interviews, and a focus group. A protocol study was conducted to understand the impact of CAAD on selfcommunication using the think aloud method under the same experimental conditions using CAAD program(s) as the only external representation. The case study findings clarified the effects of the traditional context of the studio and the project model on CAAD’s utility within students’ design processes and identified the lack of CAAD professional skills, and the integration of CAAD as a knowledge base. The protocol study findings provided a greater understanding of the cognitive processes in designing and design performance while using CAAD, as well as acknowledging the possibility of a cyclic conceptual process. The potential impact of CAAD on the design process was further categorised. The empirical exploration provides CAAD research with new insights, instigating more useful ways of teaching and learning by an appropriate integration of CAAD programs and design methods in a situated manner where students can enhance their design processes creatively. It is proposed that a more measured and disinterested approach is now required to investigate CAAD and their implications for education.

BACKGROUND. The relaxation of the global conditions, mainly but not reduced to the introduction of the Internet, and the demanding competitive pressures have triggered the expansionary phenomenon of startups that seek to compete internationally right after its birth. This urge for a mechanism to facilitate the internationalisation process, namely the business model. In this regard, there is a need to elaborate on the field of the business model in combination to the internationalization literature, which has tended to develop in isolation. PURPOSE. The purpose of this master thesis is to expand the knowledge about the process of designing the business model of a new international venture and how the drivers of internationalisation affect this process. METHODOLOGY. The research problem was identified by exploring two major streams of theory, the business model and the internationalisation, which were developed jointly in a visual representation. In the next step, from two Sweden-based international new ventures, named Againity AB and MIMSI Materials AB, empirical information was collected from diverse stakeholders. The technique was qualitative research method, which was scrutinized following a process model approach. Finally, a model proposition was constructed by analysing the realities of the practical and theoretical phenomenon to serve the purpose of enhancing knowledge. RESULT. The BMD process is composed by three stages, namely initiating, generating and refining, of iterative and interdependent nature. Each driver of internationalization, when scrutinized using the empirical realities of the INVs, tends to have different influential roles at different stages of the business model. This is integrated into a conceptual model of the key internationalization drivers and BMD stages, which reflects the strategic fit from which new ventures benefit.

This practicum is an exploration of the role of the “visionary community designer” described by Randolph Hester in his recommended participatory design process “a refrain with a view.” The question of this practicum is simply this: what lessons can be learned about how to function as Hester’s visionary community designer while conducting a participatory design process as a service learning project? This practicum is both pragmatic and transformative in philosophy. It uses a subjectivist research strategy in which research outcomes are qualitative and the knowledge generated is subjective. This practicum includes a case study comparison of seminal approaches to the participatory design of public spaces in the United States; records a brief participatory design process conducted as a service learning research project in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia; and culminates with lessons learned during the participatory design process with regard to acting as Hester’s visionary community designer. / May 2017

Semi-Solid Metal (SSM) casting is a promising technology offering an opportunity to manufacture net-shape, complex geometry metal components in a single operation. However, the absence of foundry guidelines and limited design data for SSM casting makes it challenging to predict the performance of both process and components. The objective of this research was to develop and offer new solutions to material processing-related issues in the electronics industry. By investigating the opportunities afforded by the recently developed RheoMetalTM rheocasting process, a better understanding of the critical factors needed for an effective manufacturing process and optimised component characteristics was achieved. A study of the evolution of microstructure at different stages of the RheoMetalTM process demonstrated the influence of multistage solidification on the microstructural characteristics of the rheocast components. The microstructure of a slurry consists of the solute-lean and coarse globular α-Al particles with a uniform distribution of alloying elements, suspended in the liquid matrix. Additional solute-rich α-Al particles were identified as being a consequence of discrete nucleation events taking place after the initial slurry production. In the final components, macrosegregation was observed in the form of variations in the ratio of solute-lean coarse globular α-Al particles and solute-rich fine α-Al particles in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The relation between microstructural characteristics and material properties was established by determination of the local properties of a rheocast component. The fracture of a rheocast telecom component was strongly affected by microstructural inhomogeneity. In particular, macrosegregation in the form of liquid surface segregation bands and sub-surface pore bands strongly affected the fracture behaviour. Thermal conductivity measurements revealed that regions of the component with a high amount of solute-lean globular α-Al particles showed higher thermal conductivity. The effect of the local variation in thermal conductivity on the thermal performance of a large rheocast heatsink was evaluated by simulation. The results clearly show the importance of considering material inhomogeneity when creating a robust component design.

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Content 01. Prototypen im Design Anwendung im Designprozess Einordnung und Kategorisierung 02. Hybride Prototypen Beschreibung Potenziale Einordnung Fragestellungen 03. Aktuelle Projekte Interdisziplinäres Sommerprojekt 2015 VR Concept Cab Interfaceprototypen Agrar 04. Untersuchungen Anwendung Forschung

The role of visual communication design continues to increase in importance around the world. In Bahrain, organisations are increasingly considering visual communication design as a means of accomplishing organisational goals. The research aims to understand the process by which design managers in organisations in Bahrain manage and evaluate visual communication designs to gain strategic advantage. Even though the management of visual communication design has not yet been recognised as a separate category of design management in Bahrain, its processes and approaches may differ from other management applications. This research opens with a contextual overview of the visual communication design management field, before presenting an understanding of how visual communication design can be utilised as an innovative approach to the strategic structuring organisational thinking. Methods have been developed for investigating how Bahraini client design managers manage visual communication design projects. Observational studies and interviews with client design managers and creative directors have been conducted to obtain an understanding of the visual communication design process, together with evaluation procedures in the Bahraini context. These empirical investigations have led to the development of a conceptual framework that describes the visual communication design management process and the evaluation procedure that is carried out by client design managers in Bahrain. The remainder of this thesis explains the outcomes of each phase of the research. The unique contributions of this study are embodied in a discussion of the findings together with reflections and recommendations for those involved and interested in design management in Bahrain.

An emerging trend of the healthcare industry is the huge increase in the number of medical devices being used by lay people at home. Home use medical devices range from simple inhalers to very complicated devices such as defibrillators. This research aimed to assist designers in developing home use medical devices by providing information and suggestions regarding lay users and how to address their needs and expectations. For this purpose a qualitative and inductive approach was adopted and several studies were carried out, including: (1) a comprehensive literature review to understand the background of the phenomena; (2) observational studies with 40 lay users (i.e. 10 younger lay users, 10 older lay users, 10 users with mobility and sensory disabilities, and 10 users with cognitive disabilities) in order to identify their characteristics when interacting with products; (3) an online questionnaire survey with 53 designers to understand designers‟ requirements when designing home use medical devices, as well as their expectations for a proposed design support tool; (4) the development of the design support tool; and (5) an evaluation study with 12 professional designers in order to assess the effectiveness of the tool (in a format of a design guidance). This research adopted an inclusive approach which investigated both lay users‟ characteristics and designers‟ perspectives. It has, for the first time, outlined lay user characteristics based on empirical studies with different groups of people. It is also one of few studies focussing on designing home use medical devices; the requirements of professional designers have provided an in-depth insight into the challenges of designing medical devices for use in the home environment. The design guidance, as commended by the designers in the evaluation, was the first comprehensive information source in the UK for the emerging home use medical device field where little support is currently available.