Vivek Rao

Journal article Proceedings of Drs · January 1, 2026 The role of language in designing is manifold, including but not limited to representing all aspects of design, enacting roles in design processes, and establishing shared meaning. With the advent of large language models (LLMs), the role of language has f ... Full text Cite

Collaborative Project-Based Service Learning: What Motivates Students to Participate and What Do They Value After?*

Journal article International Journal of Engineering Education · January 1, 2024 Engineering design pedagogy has increasingly integrated project-based service learning (PBSL) across the curriculum for its promise of greater engagement of students, transfer of desirable skills, and improved student retention and persistence in STEM. How ... Cite

Understanding inspiration: Insights into how designers discover inspirational stimuli using an AI-enabled platform

Journal article Design Studies · September 1, 2023 Throughout the design process, designers encounter diverse stimuli that influence their work. This influence is particularly notable during idea generation processes that are augmented by novel design support tools that assist in inspiration discovery. How ... Full text Cite

Embedding Experiential Design Knowledge in Interactive Knowledge Graphs

Journal article Journal of Mechanical Design · April 1, 2023 Knowledge collection, extraction, and organization are critical activities in all aspects of the engineering design process. However, it remains challenging to surface and organize design knowledge, which often contains implicit or tacit dimensions that ar ... Full text Cite

Designing for Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural Nicaragua: A Case Study in the Informal Emergence of Complex Human-Centered Service Design

Journal article International Journal of Design · January 1, 2022 Global health access and delivery in low-and middle-income countries constitutes a complex challenge for service design. While previous studies have examined how human-centered design (HCD) methods can make an impact on global health challenges, how HCD is ... Full text Cite

Framing and tracing human-centered design teams' method selection: An examination of decision-making strategies

Journal article Journal of Mechanical Design · March 1, 2021 Designers' choices of methods are well known to shape project outcomes. However, questions remain about why design teams select particular methods and how teams' decision-making strategies are influenced by project- and process-based factors. In this mixed ... Full text Cite

Tracing stories across the design process: A study of engineering students’ engagement with storytelling in an undergraduate human-centered design course

Journal article International Journal of Engineering Education · January 1, 2020 Stories help design teams develop shared understanding and vocabulary throughout the process of developing solutions and prototypes. While stories are widely acknowledged to be essential to the design process, their use by novice designers in university se ... Cite