Technological allusivity: appreciating and teaching the role of aesthetics in engineering design

Is there an aesthetic dimension to engineering design? Is aesthetic sensitivity a characteristic that ought to be cultivated by prospective engineers? Does aesthetic sensitivity enhance or impede the engineering design effort? The answer to these questions will largely determine the answer to the broader question, “what is the role of the humanities in undergraduate engineering education?” Toward that end, the paper offers some answers to those more specific questions regarding aesthetics. After surveying a portion of the relevant literature, the issue of how we recognize and distinguish the aesthetic dimension is investigated. This is followed by a discussion of the nature of engineering design and how it differs from what is often called “applied science”. With that distinction clarified, the question of terminology is addressed. A definitional context for questions such as “what is aesthetics?” and “what is good engineering design aesthetics?” is developed by rehearsing the meaning of well-defined terms and by suggesting meanings for those terms that often litter the linguistic landscape with their ambiguity. Equipped with these definitions, the role of aesthetics in engineering design is fleshed out, aesthetic allusion is distinguished from symbolic signifying, and examples of aesthetics in technical products as well as in the process of design are discussed. The paper concludes with some thoughts and recommendations about teaching aesthetics to undergraduate engineering students