ABSTRACT

As engineers, most of us see ourselves, in some way, as creative designers, or at least as creative people that can innovate and devise original engineering solutions that meet the needs of our clients. Creativity is the ability to come up with original and innovative ideas when needed. Design expertise, in particular, relies on a vast memory of design ideas. Every time the engineers see an engineering artefact, whether it is a culvert under a road, a bridge, a machine, an optical waveguide, a special connector, or any one of hundreds of other artefacts, the engineers can potentially store this in their mind. ‘Seeing’ is an active process that the engineers can improve with training and practice. It is a state of mind that requires discipline and the ability to put aside distractions and preconceived ideas. The quality of our sketching, therefore, reflects our ability to see.