It’s a convergence of engineering design, traditional design applied to product design, design thinking being applied beyond web sites and physical products and AI, well beyond CAD (computer assisted design), mashed together as computational design. In the infographic below, created for Schneider Electric and shared courtesy of Visual Capitalist, we will see the ability to quickly scale design created through Design Thinking principles, placing end-uses needs/wants in the forefront, and using AI to both manage huge data sets and assist with the mechanics of drafting and executing product production. Now will you be able to run it all on your iPhone or tablet or in VR or Augmented Reality? Probably so!
Transformation in industries usually means borrowing or stealing from the best of each, and paring down specialization or one-off bespoke creations until it becomes a commodity. Though technology is easily applied to the mundane or repetitive tasks, or does a great job at creating uniformity, humans being humans will still have the decision-making control, often guided more by emotional response and sensitivity to cultural demands.
Notice also the heavy influence of biomimicry, where the bridge has a natural organic look to the structure, seeming more like trees and branches with many variations as opposed to the typically human-designed structure with hard straight lines, perfect curves and simpler geometry. Isn’t it ironic that AI-assisted design could look more “natural” then a hand-drawn one?
