Visualizing Information in the Early Stages of Engineering Design

The early stages of engineering design are the most crucial for successful product development, yet they are not well supported with computer tools compared to other, downstream stages. This paper will discuss recent efforts by the authors to create visual representations of, and tools for, the non geometric, qualitative information typical in the early stages of engineering design. It appears evident that there is tremendous opportunity to improve the capacity of designers to think both critically and creatively through diagramming in early design, but the field is still embryonic and much work remains to be done.