Create or revise? A comparative study on CAD rework after team-based engineering design review in virtual reality and desktop interface

While numerous studies have delved into the effect of virtual reality (VR) on design reviews (DR), this research study explores how the use of VR in team-based DRs influences the design work after the review. Thus, it explores the effects of VR on broader design contexts. The study employed an experimental case study involving 14 design teams working in CAD over several weeks, engaging in a design review with external reviewers, and subsequently revising the design based on the feedback. The experimental aspect involved randomly allocating teams to one of two conditions: low-immersion (desktop interface) or high-immersion (VR). Furthermore, the results indicate that teams that had DR in VR executed slightly more CAD actions compared to those that underwent DR in low-immersion. Furthermore, the VR group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of creation actions and assembly actions compared to the low-immersion group. These findings suggest that incorporating VR into DRs has the potential to change the course of the design process, making it a valuable tool for early design phases or agile methodologies, primarily due to an increased focus on creation during the rework phases. The findings also highlight the distinct focus of designers before and after the DR in terms of creation and revision, emphasizing the need for CAD tools to be more adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of designers, considering both the phase of design and the broader ecosystem of design support tools. In summary, this study serves as an initial step for implementing VR in the industry, demonstrating that its use can indeed change the course of the design.