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Look around you for just a moment. What do you see? Literally, everything you can see was at some point in time just an idea in someone’s head. From that abstract idea through a process of research and development, prototypes are developed, tested, brought back to the drawing board and revamped again as many times as necessary, until you get a working model. What many of today’s leading engineers are finding is that much time and money are wasted in the revamping of prototypes. They believe that early visualization is the key to developing great designs more efficiently and it all begins with the drawing board.
A Brief Look at 6 Graduate Engineering Specializations
Before discussing the drawing board and its relevance in design, let’s take a look at the six concentrations of study within the master’s program at UC-Riverside online. A student can major in:
- Bioengineering
- Data Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Materials at the Nanoscale
- Mechanical Engineering
Now think about each of those major areas of concentration. Each engineering specialization is relied upon for innovations within their respective fields. In other words, they are the movers and the shakers. They develop products and procedures for use within their industries. Some of their developments are for use within the private sector while others are used by commercial concerns; others yet for government entities like NASA, for one example. However, in order to develop, test, and launch their products, a great deal of funding is necessary.
Visualization Holds the Key to Several Doors
Let’s get back to that drawing board. No matter which specialization you pursue at UC Riverside, you will begin your project on the drawing board. In order to avoid going back again and again to the drawing board, which is a total waste of time, try putting pen to paper to envision your product’s design and functionality. The human brain works in mysterious ways, but the one thing which is known is that images help you to think more clearly. Although cliché, that old adage of a picture is worth a thousand words is never more appropriate than in the process of design development.
Somehow that graphic representation helps you see more clearly how something will or will not function as you had intended. Instead of building a prototype to find what you know to be true, forego that and continue drawing out your design. This can be done by hand or with the latest CAD software, but the important thing is to have a representation in front of you that can, and most often, will function as you intended. But that’s just one door unlocked.
One More Door to Unlock Before Going into Production
That visual representation you’ve finalized can also help others understand where you are headed with your design. This is where you’ll get the funding you need to develop your product. The clearer your imagery is, the easier it will be to build excitement in the people with those deep pockets. Use words and images that help visualize your concept for an effective pitch. The clearer you can ‘paint your picture,’ will yield the best results. In short, visualization is the foundation of great designs from concept to market. Get that right and everything else will fall nicely into place.