Emerging Issues In Spatial Reasoning And Engineering Design: Call for Papers

ASME Journal of Mechanical Design

Special Issue - Call for Papers
Full Paper Submission Deadline: 15 September 2025

Description

Although spatial skills are recognized as a critical ability for designers, research exploring the connection between spatial proficiency and design ability (novice vs. expert) has been comparatively limited. This lack of understanding affects our ability to improve spatial reasoning and develop effective interventions to support designers. While it may be potential evidence to associate design practices with spatial proficiency, significant questions about this relationship remain. These include, for example, how spatial thinking affects design ability, how designing affects spatial thinking, which factors affect spatial thinking (e.g., experience, type of artefact, various diversity dimensions), and how all of this is affected by recent technological advances, e.g., XR/VR/AR, Gen-AI, computer graphics. In addition, the development of metrics for measuring spatial abilities pertaining to design is a crucial area of research that must be advanced to address these questions.

Invitation

Although spatial skills are recognized as a critical ability for designers, research exploring the connection between spatial proficiency and design ability (novice vs. expert) has been comparatively limited. This lack of understanding affects our ability to improve spatial reasoning and develop effective interventions to support designers. While it may be potential evidence to associate design practices with spatial proficiency, significant questions about this relationship remain. These include, for example, how spatial thinking affects design ability, how designing affects spatial thinking, which factors affect spatial thinking (e.g., experience, type of artefact, various diversity dimensions), and how all of this is affected by recent technological advances, e.g., XR/VR/AR, Gen-AI, computer graphics. In addition, the development of metrics for measuring spatial abilities pertaining to design is a crucial area of research that must be advanced to address these questions.

The editors of this special issue invite the submission of original research papers that address issues pertaining to spatial reasoning within the context of engineering design. Contributors are invited to emphasize implications for engineering design research, practice, and education. Comparative analyses that highlight diversity, individual differences, and develop assistive tools for spatial reasoning in both individual and group dynamics are highly valued. We seek contributions that address questions related to the following issues

• Understanding the link between spatial reasoning and designing and the factors that influence this association (e.g., sketching, visualization, generative design, and prototyping of spatial structures).
• Analyzing the effects of recent technological advancements (e.g., XR/VR/AR, Gen-AI) on this connection and the elements that contribute to its influence
• Clarifying the measurement of spatial thinking in engineering design, and potential influencing factors.

For questions about the potential fit between your submission and the scholarly standards of JMD and this Special Issue, please reach out to one of the guest editors. 

Publication Target Dates

• NEW Paper Submission Deadline: September 15, 2025
• Initial Reviews Completed: October 31, 2025
• Publication: April 2026 (in print); immediate online publication upon acceptance

Guest Editors

• Lucienne Blessing, MIT, blessing@mit.edu
• Yakhoub Ndiaye, UCAD, yakhoub.ndiaye@ucad.edu.sn
• Christine Toh, University of Nebraska Omaha, ctoh@unomaha.edu
• Jessica Menold, Penn State University, jdm5407@psu.edu
• Kwan Hui Lim, SUTD, kwanhui_lim@sutd.edu.sg
• Sylvain Luc Agbanglanon, UCAD, luc.agbanglanon@ucad.edu.sn