Conventional wisdom has it that the range of analyses of which a computer-aided design system is capable is the primary factor in assessing its value in the design process. However, it is becoming clear that far more attention needs to be given to what are termed the human factors of a CAD system. For example, one of the principal objectives of such a system is to enhance the designer's insight into the product he/she is designing. Considerable potential for so doing is offered by the computer, but the application of this potential is often conspicuous by its absence. Similarly, the designer should be able to engage in a man-computer dialogue that is so designed that he/she is essentially unaware of the computer or the medium in which the dialogue is conducted. Again, this criterion is rarely met.
The extent to which these two and other human factors requirements are satisfied will depend not only upon the skill of the CAD system designer, but also on the medium in which the man-computer interaction takes place. Since interactive computer graphics offers considerable potential in this respect, it is useful to be aware of the considerations and techniques that are pertinent to this medium. It is this potential which is demonstrated briefly in the paper, mainly by means of illustrative examples. No excuse is offered for selecting most of them from a CAD system with which the author is familiar, namely the MINNIE system for circuit design.