Usability in CAD—a psychological perspective

Abstract

Abstract This article reviews recent research on design and computer aided design (CAD) from a psychological perspective. Our focus is on how CAD affects design and on how more efficient computer support can be provided. Design tasks of the adaptive and of the original type are considered. Different descriptions and approaches to design are reviewed and discussed. Next, we review research on design with and without CAD and research discussing how creativity and usability in CAD can be improved. Finally, we suggest topics for future research. Different studies show a great variability among engineers both in non‐computerized design and in CAD with respect to strategies and methods used in the work. Novices appear to encounter special difficulties and can be helped, for example, to achieve a developed task understanding and to see similarities between the present task and other tasks. Interestingly, more complex CAD programs appear to be less effective than less complex CAD programs when solving simple problems. This may have to do with problems in the human‐computer interface. Important questions for future research include better understanding of the design process as such, how to make the computer interface more informative without disturbing the design process, and how databases can interact with, and be accessed by, the designer in efficient and allowable ways.