From invisibility to transparency: Bringing the need for increased designer-user interaction in civil works projects to the forefront

Open Access
- Author:
- Paskewicz, Mary Elizabeth
- Area of Honors:
- Civil Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Richard J Schuhmann, Thesis Supervisor
Eric Todd Donnell, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- design methods
empathic design
civil and environmental engineering
infrastructure projects - Abstract:
- The civil engineering design process has met the most fundamental needs of the end user without cause for increased user-designer interaction for hundreds of years. While most other engineering disciplines can more easily integrate end users in the design process through empathic design methodologies, infrastructure design frameworks are complicated by many factors including the systems nature of most projects, and the invisibility of necessary infrastructure to most end users; because of this, civil engineers have been slow to adopt empathic design methods. This hinders innovation in civil and environmental engineering. Modern day challenges such as increasing population, land use, and focus on sustainability and climate change demand redefinition of the relationship between infrastructure designers and end users. There is a growing need to more directly involve and educate communities at the beginning of the design and decision-making process. This thesis explores and expands on this need by first exploring the history of engineering design, and how design methodologies have evolved over time. Following the discussion on the evolution of user-centric, empathic, engineering design, the prevalence and success of empathic design as applied to civil and environmental engineering is discussed through the analysis of four case studies, both local and global in nature. Based on this investigation, am empathically-based design framework is recommended to encourage innovative solutions in civil and environmental engineering design because it results in more effective community engagement and education, encourages the design of appropriate technology within a local context, emphasizes the development of community-based incentives to accompany undesirable construction (e.g. landfills, wastewater treatment plants), and educates designers and engineers who are better able to address socially complex, systems-based problems.