How can CAD software boost your industrial design creativity?

For an industrial designer, CAD software offers; 1. The ability to sculpt freeform fluid shapes which evoke desire in the minds of consumers. 2. Create industrial art through parametric patterns and texturing. 3. The ability to visualise through photorealistic renderings to get an idea of what your product will look even before you make it. Would love to learn more on this????

CAD software is a tool. Any tool, like a pencil, hammer or paintbrush, requires a certain amount of training to be used effectively. Once you reach a level of proficiency using the tool, the benefits begin to emerge as the tool is used more regularly and for more complicated tasks. One of the critical differentiators of digital tools is the ability to save multiple versions of your work with little effort. When CAD software is used properly, making changes to your model or design intent is super-charged. The ability to test variations of form, concept or detail with minimal input is one of the critical benefits of CAD.

One of the beauties of CAD software is the ability to test form and function in a simulated environment quickly and effortlessly. For example, if you have a crucial part-line to your product and want to visualise a filleted edge compared with a chamfered edge - you can do so with the click of a button. You can change the size of the feature with a button press. In no time, you can create multiple variations of a concept or feature and compare them against each other. The speed with which you can make these changes, when used effectively, is one of the vital creative benefits of CAD software.

Budgetary concerns aside, chose your CAD software depending upon 1. How involved you are in the product development process.e.g. if you are limited to design, go with programs like Rhino or Alias. Beyond that a full suite like Creo would be better. 2. Your Industry Standard. e.g. for transportation, Alias rules. Rhino if you are into sports or cycling. 3. CloudCAD such as Onshape if you have a team across different locations and firmly believe in WFH! Those were my top 3 reasons. ?? How about yours? We use PTC Creo at my company as I get: 1. A Nurbs surfacer with the ISDX extension. 2. A full MCAD software for engineering. 3. Simulation extensions to validate our designs.

IMHO, Youtube is currently the best medium to learn most CAD softwares. Here's a workflow I like: 1. Look up a tutorial you like and then make the same model with your CAD platform. 2. Now look up a short video with few or no steps. 3. Break this into small time segments. 4. Prepare a plan of attack to model the same in your software. 5. Complete the tutorial and compare results by posting on LinkedIn or Youtube to get feedback. Happy Modeling!

If you have access to the software and the internet - anyone can learn how to use CAD software. I am a self-taught Certified SolidWorks Expert with no formal training. At university, my class spent 12 weeks (36 hours) learning the software, but following that, all of my learning has been self-driven. I did this by developing my projects, turning my ideas into CAD models and learning the tools from online tutorials. Most software will have its own set of online resources. Later in my design career, I used YouTube and online forums to answer modelling questions or methods I needed to learn or work independently. You become unstoppable once you teach yourself the ability to learn (find your answers).

Tell a story with your designs. Run it like a flashback. 1. Show your finished renders first. 2. Then the guts with cutaways or exploded views. 3. Wireframe and shaded CAD screenshots such as Zebra to allow for a more analytical evaluation. Behance is the best platform by far to showcase your skills. Its interactive allowing for long slides, carousels and even video clips. I have written a post on how to get your folio noticed. Do take a look and let me know what you think.

Please always think about your target audience. If you post work to a portfolio or site, include your best CAD work and try to tell the story of your project and CAD model. However, when you are targeting a specific audience, such as a Design lead or Hiring Manager, could you consider what role you will apply for and tailor your showcase to that role. If it is for detailing and assemblies, show that work. If it is for a creative modeller, showcase your best surfacing and concept models. You can either hide or archive the projects or images that are not relevant - but have them available to you again if they are called upon.

To improve your CAD skills, it's essential to follow a structured approach. Dedicate time to practice and refine your abilities. Treat CAD as a hobby, investing more of your time and energy into it. Repetition is a key element of skill development. As an example, if you design the same part through multiple iterations, you'll notice that with each repetition, your speed and accuracy improve significantly. This iterative process is instrumental in honing your CAD skills. Therefore, it's beneficial to practice the features in your CAD program frequently to improve your skills. Additionally, don't hesitate to seek feedback from others. Collaborate with fellow designers or mentors who can provide valuable insights.

Dedicar tiempo es la primera prioridad para que a las diferentes herramientas CAD podamos sacarle el mayor provecho, es cuestión de TIEMPO Y DEDICACIóN. Lo demás son técnicas aplicas que se obtienen de la práctica. Puedes aplicar tus CAD Skills en todos los lugares que la imaginación te lo permita, ingeniería, arquitectura, animación o simplemente puro entretenimiento y ganas para crear.

Here's how I get my team to improve their skills: 1. Look for interesting CAD tutorials on Youtube in softwares other than Creo Parametric. 2. Model the same using Creo Parametric which we use. This forces them to think how to use the software beyond the commands available. Once they have completed the tutorial, I ask them to create their own version of the design with what they have learnt. This improves their design as well as CAD skills! Win-Win !

Do more! Seek out experts. Seek out tutorials and challenges. Look back at your previous models - how could you do them better? Can they be made with fewer features? Are there redundant features or references that could be removed? I am certain the answer will be yes. If the answer is no, contact me - I will have a job for you (SolidWorks only) Even an expert has room to improve. CAD is a tool. One can always find more ways to use it.

In my opinion, CAD software with integration in design guideline, package study, past lesson learnt is crucial in boosting your industrial creativity related to CAD. Actual product build up consideration is a must to be included in design process. Practically, it boost design confidence, reduce bottleneck and avoid cost of poor quality/poor design consideration.

From my experience, everyone should learn basic CAD skills. Its not only an industrial tool but also a way to showcase your ideas in a more realistic and practical form. I think that CAD models add technical depth to project proposals.