Engineering design using game-enhanced CAD: The potential to augment the user experience with game elements

Since the coining of the term ‘serious games’ by Clark Abt, practitioners in fields such as education, the military, medical science, as well as researchers from other disciplines, have investigated with interest game mechanics and the dynamics of games in non-gaming applications. Gaming has extended beyond what was initially its natural boundary of entertainment and is now associated with the process of problem solving while providing analytical questioning of scientific viewpoints through active game-play. The rules of game interaction or game mechanics include the concepts of usability and playability which are focused in a less complex environment which provides a more intuitive user experience (UX). In the process of CAD development and applications the effective use and support of the user’s perception and their UX have been compromised by the engineering design system’s functionality and step-by-step evolution. This article reviews gaming techniques and mechanisms that may potentially be beneficial to the future development of CAD systems in engineering, in particular to maintain cognitive engagement. In light of this, the article focuses on the fundamental activity of engineering using CAD systems with particular attention on CAD graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and how they can be potentially enhanced using game mechanics to provide more engaging and intuitive environments.