A computational model of visual interpretation

From the very early phases of design conception, designers use sketches as a powerful design tool. Sketches are however ambiguous. Meanings are associated on fly as the designer 'comes up' with certain ideas while working with it. There is no hierarchy in a sketch. In fact 'structure' is established only after meanings are applied to the sketch. However even in such structurally and conceptually fluid territory, the designer solves most of his design problems and very often comes to quick resolutions. To understand this fascinating tool and how the designer interacts with it, we need to understand how we visually interpret sketches. The process of design is also a reflective act. The designer keeps changing his perspectives and focus based on the unexpected opportunities that emerge from such reflection. Computational systems used today in design exploration are not capable of doing so. On the contrary these systems model the world in a very rigid structured way and cannot produce design ideas beyond what their preset description anticipates.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• De Biswas, Kaustuv Kanti

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Terry Knight.

• Architecture.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35129

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/35129