The role of symbolic representation in engineering design education

A definition of engineering design that stresses the importance of representation as the key element in design is presented. Recent developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) provide new ways to represent design knowledge about designed artifacts and the design process. Illustrations are provided 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. It is concluded that symbolic representation offers another language for engineering design that strengthens engineering modeling capabilities.< >