Based on the two readings, “Computing in Architectural Design,” and “The Pioneers of Digital Art,” it is obvious that design has evolved tremendously through out the century. In the first article, “Computing,” Leonardo Davinci thought about design and ergonomics as early as 1490, with the drawing of his Vitruvian Man. By looking at the scale of the human body and how it reacts to architecture ergonomically was a huge step forward in art and design.
One of the first men to approach computer-aided design and one of the founding fathers of digital media, was Ivan Sutherland in the 1960’s with his creation of the sketchpad. This program was a man-machine graphical communication system. This program was a way to integrate the evolving design and analysis programs. By using a light pen to sketch a design idea, the program would refine the sketch into a perfect drawing by straightening the lines and squares in the drawing using a built-in assumption about the shape the user intended to draw. This is a very relevant program for any design profession, which would be very helpful for those who may not draw well enough by hand to get their design across, well enough to be believable by peers.
In the mid-1960s, artists and engineers united to make an exhibition about art mediums and technology, and the computer demonstrates this radical extension. Technology and art have almost collided today to become an interface to display work, express ideas, and share design to the world. This step was huge for the design world and its future. However, the problem in the 1960s and 70s, was gaining access to the giant computer systems, which remained in only three main locations; military, industry, and research universities. So it was hard for the average designer to use these advancements; advancements that design students today can take full advantage of.
In the 1970s, computer-animation was beginning to interest designers. Advanced research and experimentation done by Charles Csuri, allowed him to pull up hand-drawn images from the computers memory and animate them on the screen with a light pen. This idea of repeated objects to form an action is similar to that of a flipbook or similar to today’s movies, commercials, virtual tours and so on. The advancements have made expressing design to the world a lot easier. Also in the 70s, the Aalto was invented, which is a notebook-sized computer. Before the Aalto, computers were machines housed in a central facility, as talked about above. So in essence, the Aalto was the first personal computer, however it was never successfully marketed.
In the 70s, computers began to appear in architectural practices used for computer-aided design. CAD took two different approaches or routes with its program. The first was geometric modeling, which was geared toward supporting the needs of the construction industry, a very useful tool in seeing and representing a designers work. Secondly, the program was used for complex curves, complex geometrics, building description, and space planning. Computer-aided design was becoming a prominent aspect of the design world. Architects during this time were fascinated by the ability of these computing machines, which were now capable of drafting, a skill that took many hours of concentration and tedious drawing by hand. Now drafting is just a click of a mouse away and can be completed in a timely fashion with less room for human error. Drafting was a key aspect of the new computer graphics program, but the ability to conceive and communicate ideas to other designers and clients had just gotten much easier.
Auto Desk, known as drafting and modeling systems has evolved over the past few generations. The first generation CAD software dealt simply with polygons, solids, NURBS, and blobs. The second-generation version of auto desk, the commonly used version, focused on building specific software objects as doors, windows, columns, and stairs. Today a 3rd version of Auto Desk is under development, which focuses on simulating dynamic behavior of buildings, the movement of people, and the natural environment; leading towards virtual environments, a challenge for the professions of architecture, town planning, and interior design of the future.
Finally, in the mid 1980s the personal computer was actually put on the market. The arrival of the Apple and Macintosh was a huge step in computer graphic-based machines. The Mac allowed flexibility for varying fonts, styles, and sizes, which played a crucial role in the new era of layout and design. Well into the 1990s, Macs were dominating the world of graphic design, multimedia and education. However, the problem with the original Mac is it was only available in a black and white display. Three years later, the Mac two hit the market, which had the advantage of color graphics and digital imaging. This was an important step for the world of design and graphics and how to best display the work of the designer.
Entering the 1990s, a whole new revolution of digital modeling and animation was introduced. Video games had hit the market, with the first arcade game, “Pong.” This led to the experimentation of web-specific art and virtual realities. As of today, the world of design lies in the hands of computer graphics and design programs. Computers and virtual environments is the next step toward the future of design and inhabitable physical environments. Computer programs are in the process of being able to control temperature, humidity, and lighting security systems all at the touch of a key or mouse. Virtual environments are the new, living “space.”
