eCAADe: Lisbon

Digital Design: the quest for new paradigms
As the field of computer-aided design evolved over the last thirty years or so, it has witnessed five changes of emphasis in research direction.

In the first stage, the use of computers in architecture focused on the development of computer-aided design (CAD), that is, systems that simulated the use of drafting tools, and research was mainly concerned with the satisfaction of designers’ ergonomic needs.

In the second stage, there were efforts to use computer tools in non-graphical aspects of designing, such as the use of Data Base Management Systems (DBMS) in the quantity survey of buildings. The concern was to satisfy the cognitive needs of designers by focusing on the way information and knowledge were perceived, acquired, stored, and processed.

In the third stage, the focus shifted to the development of realistic models of buildings to permit the assessment of design proposals.

In the fourth stage, the focus was on studies concerned with the encoding of architectural knowledge into design tools (KBMS), and the discussion was whether to go towards design automation or design supporting tools.

In the fifth stage, with the advent of the Internet and the development of communication tools, research became focused on the collaborative and social aspects of design activity. In recent years, research also became concerned with the exploration of the physical implications of digital media in the production of artefacts. Today, there is a vast range of research interests and approaches, but the quest for new, unifying paradigms continues.

In addition to these main topics for the eCAADe 2005 conference other topics include but are not limited to: