Paper short abstract:

Digitalization and automation are key words in contemporary manufacturing contexts, including simulation and visualizations. By using artistic experiences it is possible elaborate with, from the perspective of manufacturing and engineering, unconventional ways to present future scenarios

Paper long abstract:

Digitalization and automation are key words in contemporary manufacturing contexts, including simulation and visualizations. There are high expectations on virtual factory planning and virtual product development based on production simulations. But resulting data from simulations is often hard to interpret for various stakeholders with differing interest, therefore methods for how to visualize data from simulations is required.

In order to improve the design of visual presentations it is necessary to develop methods for visualizations, methods that includes theories about visual perceptions and what cognitive processes are involved in multimodal interpretations, in combination with social-construction theories and practice. In a cross-disciplinary project, the experience from artistic practise is combined with competences from visual studies and engineering design. In the project the artistic contribution is part of the core competence. From artistic experience it is possible to elaborate with, from the perspective of manufacturing and engineering, unconventional ways to present future scenarios; scenarios that will work as boundary objects for different stakeholders in different situations. The challenge is to go from conventional engineering drawings and 3D models to use visuals based on artistic and communicative aspects in order to facilitate decisions about factory layout, production development and services.