THE ROLE OF SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION IN ENGINEERING DESIGN EDUCATION

This paper presents a definition of engineering design that stresses the importance of representation as the key element in design. Recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) provide new ways to represent design knowledge about designed artifacts and the design process. We provide illustrations from the fields of mechanical and architectural design of how the power and flexibility of AI-based, computer-aided design tools offer opportunities to better understand what designers do and for conveying this increased awareness in engineering education. We conclude that symbolic representation offers another language for engineering design that strengthens our engineering modeling capabilities.