Design to Experiment—Experiment to Design: Tool- (User, Breaker, Designer)

This study aims to present a curriculum with threefold experimental modules in the field of digital modeling and discuss the reflection of the module on students’ learning and making processes. The paper proposes an experimental approach to address introduction of CAD/CAM tools in design education, enhanced by constructivist theories of teaching. The submodules we call tool- (user, breaker, designer) allows students to make digital modeling by experiencing a variety of tools. We introduce the outcomes of the course and interrelations between submodules and students’ engagement in students’ learning process. Initial findings suggest that the students’ personalization of the design tools in the tool-breaker phase and associating them with their own experiences contribute positively to the development of a unique perspective in the design process.