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In the judgment of design engineers, the ordinary means of…

“In the judgment of design engineers, the ordinary means of communicating with a computer are entirely inadequate. [...] Graphical communication in some form or other is of vital importance in engineering as that subject is now conducted; we must either provide the capability in our computer…” quote by Maurice Wilkes
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“In the judgment of design engineers, the ordinary means of communicating with a computer are entirely inadequate. [...] Graphical communication in some form or other is of vital importance in engineering as that subject is now conducted; we must either provide the capability in our computer systems, or take on the impossible task of training up a future race of engineers conditioned to think in a different way.”

Maurice Wilkes

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Design engineers find current computer interfaces insufficient, urging graphical communication to become essential in engineering education and practice.

In simple terms: Engineers need better visual tools to interact with computers.

Key Takeaway

Adopt graphical interfaces for engineering work.

Themes

engineering communication technology education

Mood

critical forward‑looking

Type

lecture persuasive

When to use this quote

  • software development
  • CAD training
  • engineering curricula
  • collaborative design

Key Concepts

human‑computer interaction visualization design methodology

Questions to Reflect On

  • What visual tools could improve your engineering tasks?
  • How can education adapt to new interaction paradigms?
A Different Perspective

Transition to graphical tools requires significant training and resources.

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