Abstract:
Industrial design is the creation and development of concepts concerning creating differences in external appearance of products by optimizing its function, value and appearance. This can be done through design communication process, the interaction between brain and hand to create a new and unique sketch on paper or on a computer. Practice sketching is an important aspect for communicating design ideas and presenting the ideas in the design communication process. Thus, an effective design process and an appropriate teaching-learning process are necessary, in order to be successful in industrial design program. This research studies the differences between the characteristics of students toward their aptitude in communicating a design by using hand or computer aided design, and compare the differences between the teaching and learning patterns influence, motive and inspire the students to create a sketch design. The sample groups in this research are the 4th years undergraduate students of the Industrial Design program from Rajamangala University of Technology Phra Nakhon. The students are divided into groups according to their GPA (Grade Point Average) and their aptitude in sketching process. Then the students were asked to create a design follow different design communication processes: hand sketch and computer aided design; and teaching ¬learning techniques, and submit their designs for evaluation.
The result found that not only hand sketching can increase the creation of ideas and the process of imagination of conceptual ideas, it also yields more sketches and variety designs compared to computer aided design process. Though, the quality of design between the two methods is similar. The students who have extensive cumulative grade point average in theoretical subject would prefer design communication process with given procedures and scoring criteria, since this type of students have systematical planning skills and prefer to work in sequenced order. In contrast, students with high cumulative grade point average in practical study subjects would have aptitude in design communication process that does not
indicate exact detailed procedures and scoring criteria, because this group prefers freedom of thinking. The result of this research will be use as a guideline for the teaching and learning of industrial design that will suit students with different characteristics and will increase their academic achievement.