In recent years, design and manufacturing industries have been media-blitzed with the notion that ''engineering nirvana'' could not be reached without a ''feature-based, parametric, variational, object-oriented, NURBS-based, solid modeling system.'' Engineering departments have been ''peer-pressured'' into believing that their companies cannot be competitive without such a software product. Sales hype has placed CAD modeling technology on a pedestal so high that it is now seen as driving the design process instead of facilitating it. We have essentially lost sight of the fact that creativity and competent design engineering are not replaced by software. Instead of worshipping: the CAD system, companies should place more emphasis on the value of innovative design engineers.
