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CAD versus Sketching, Why Ask? by James Self
This exchange has made me wonder if over concentrating on "state of the art tools" has hindered creativity. The ability to design is an art, not learned, a God given talent.
Enjoy your opportunity and savor the basic process.
Hand sketch is free, quick and expressive.
CAD is precise, displayed in 3D, managing mechanical constraint.
So the best is probably to take advantage of both being able to sketch in 3D Space as you do in software like CATIA Natural Sketch.
i wrote this in one of the first "practice" sections in ID magazine back in 92-3... i asked the question and posed the question of what was to become of design when the design process became reversed by these tools and the new medium they would create....
http://www.faqs.org/abstracts/Business/A-practitioner-asks-can-you-sketch-on-a-computer-Where-does-CAID-fit-in.html
would be nice to find a full copy of the article online....oh well.
the only reciepe for innovative design is "error" and unfortunately what's never abundant enough,"time".
So does drawing play in design? If you can't draw it -- put a 3D concept into 2D -- then the design is kaput.
Ask anyone, and they'll tell you it takes at least 2X longer to create a design by computer, as compared to putting it on paper.
Computers, like other machines, take the monotony out of the building process; but for the process of design, graphite gets it done, baby.
Aris, drop me a PM or email with what it is your most interested in and I'd be happy to provide reading.
I've come to the conclusion that there is no more fidelity to your ideas than hand sketching for yourself and many times also to others. I also agree with Harry Smith when he says students design what they can draw" but I also think this applies to anyone. I'm interested in any further writing on this subject if anybody knows of where one can find further reading, I would be pleased to find out.
I worked for many years for an automative supplier and even though we where modelling on high end packages, like IDEAS Catia and Unigraphics, I also used Alias and other surface modelling packages.
I still found that the quickest and easiest way to resolve 3D spatial issues was simply by drawing them down on paper first.
This is important because it achieves two fundamental things.
1. It lets you picture what you are modelling very quickly and you can iterate very very quickly (the more sketching practice you get the quicker you can smash through ideas)
2. When ever you model anything in 3D (either parametric or surface) you have to visualise the modelling procedures and process that you will have to go through to achieve the desired outcome, whether you use sweeps, lofts, boolens, a bunch of surface intersections and trims, when you sit down and draw it first you can start to actually critically think about how you might build it in 3D.
If you go straight to 3D you will not only have to resolve the spatial issues but you will also have to resolve the modelling process at the same time and this really is a waste of time, especially when I see young designers start messing around with lighting, composition and textures way before the final form has even been worked out.
As an aside note, the engineers who I used to work with would also never go straight to CAD, they would sit down and draw in their very clunky some times strange but effective drawings first and then go to CAD. So if its good enough for engineers then as a designer you should seriously be ashamed of yourself if you go straight to CAD.
While I agree that Solidworks, Pro-E, Inventor, Catia, and all other "clunky/clumsy" engineering-friendly tools are best left until after the idea is there, my use of Alias in the sketching phase has taken my work to a level far beyond what it would otherwise be.
By combining Alias into my sketching workflow, the proportions are better, my sketches look more real, and people are left scratching their heads, wondering how so much work was done so quickly. "Mock" surfaces can be built in seconds, and painted over many times, turning a sketch into a clay-like workflow, with constant refinement on the spot.
With the proper use of Alias in the sketching phase, i'd wager that any designer will double their ideation speed and quality, and produce more realistic solutions.
Great article I must add by the way!
The objective of design activity and the purpose of tool use shifts away from thoughts of the requirements of design practice towards the production of the CAD model as the motivation for design activity. This results in the, "This is what I did at the weekend" CAD model. "Doesn't it look good?"
The requirements should be put first and foremost regardless of the tool used. Even sketching can lead to the same "doesn't it look good?" place too. Some people are impressed by pretty pictures, whether they are computer generated or Sharpie on bond paper.
A tool is just that a tool, neither good nor bad per-say. The question is, is it appropriate to the task at hand. For me, and this may be my age, it is always pencil first to 'get the idea out' and then CAD to do what used to take forever on the drawing board the design layout to check dimensions and clearances etc.
I just find that CAD alone does not allow me to just let my ideas flow like sketching with pencil and paper.
Just what I found works best for me.
A sketching pencil and a cad software should always be considered as tools. Design education is another thing where conceptual and thematic designs are created. Transition of a design is always developed in the mind of a designer, and yes paper sketching is a fast way to express those feelings and thoughts and should not be skipped during the design development, once a concept is transferred on paper, Cad is a popular tool that would take the concept at its best level of skills and accuracy.
Both these tools are like a paint brush if picked by a thinking head could paint a MonaLisa, Otherwise blank... :)
So often designers get constrained by what is familiar. This is partly due to the fact that the clients and companies they work for already have particular channels set up. For instance, an electronics company might already have channels set up for injection molding, printed circuit boards and automated fabrication. So, instead of a new product being made of wood, aluminum or paper, it most likely will be made using the familiar channels.
This relates to sketching as CAD is usually set up for a particular type of fabrication, and sketching allows for an open exploration of alternatives. I'm convinced that in order for innovation to thrive (and I define innovation as being the incorporation of unique materials, forms and technologies) a product must be designed holistically. And in order to design a product holistically, a designer needs to have an open medium that allows original, out-of-the-box thinking.
Just my $0.02.
Harry