Learning about the many famous renaissance figures who were both creative artists and engineers showed the possible balance between the two seemingly different careers. Integrating art into engineering requires a different skillset and approach and creates a more well rounded individual. Today, engineering programs typically focus heavily on technical skills and mathematics. This way of teaching and learning validates the idea that there is only one right way to approach and solve a problem. Art teaches creativity, observation, and how to improve aesthetics. All of these qualities can improve the work of an engineer. Art also promotes flexibility and experimentation. This is the opposite of typical engineering, where in art there are many ways to get to the end goal, improving innovation and creativity. It is necessary to integrate art into engineering to produce engineers with a variety of skills that are overall better at problem solving.
Swanson School of Engineering 