TforDesign
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Team
  • Services
  • SCHOOL
  • Design Purrs
  • First Step initiative
    • Stories Wall
    • first-step-challenge
  • Goodies
    • Frameworks & Tools
    • Study - Design Education
    • Books et al.
  • Contact

Design Purrs

A collection of articles, insights, and trends on Design Innovation

8 Methods to Easily Generate Promising Innovation

5/25/2022

0 Comments

 
Coming up with 'ideas' is sometimes a difficult task as it can be too abstract and lack structure. To make this easier, let us look at eight different ways or methods you can use to generate innovations with market potential quickly.

1. Find an alternative method to accomplish what an existing innovation accomplishes: The fact that a company or a firm started to produce a product that addresses a NEED can indicate that fulfilling that NEED is a viable opportunity. This is as if the other company has identified the location of a hidden treasure to you. Coming up with other innovations that would satisfy that NEED can yield a great opportunity.  
Picture
2. Follow what you like: list your passions and observe how technologies evolve around you. Then look for innovative opportunities that would keep you excited and happy. There is a good possibility if this passion got you super excited, there are many out there who can be excited about the same thing.
 
3. Tackle what annoys you: take another look at your daily life and see what annoys you. Do you get annoyed because of how the flour is being packaged? Do the methods available to find home-service providers annoy you? How about you spend time resolving those issues and make your life easier? There is a good possibility that you can also make other people’s life easier as well.   
 
4. Provide a better-quality commodity (and make it more expensive): In other words, make an existing product or service more premium.  Go to the market and find all the inexpensive commodities. Those have been commodities for long enough that you will find it difficult to distinguish the different brands as they all look similar with about the same price. Then, consider providing a deluxe version. Many customers might be willing to pay extra for better packaging or better quality.  
 
5. Make it cheaper: what are products or services that are considered to be premium? Can you provide a similar service or product at a considerably lower price? For example, have you noticed that a premium wireless keyboard costs at least a hundred dollars? Can you make it for fifty?  This does not have to be in tech. Many players in the food and beverage industry adopt this approach, too. For example, you might notice that Sushi in your city or country is relatively expensive? Can you create an alternative experience that can be more affordable and still maintain good quality?
Picture
​6. Move something from Industry-level to Consumer-level: have you noticed that some products are only available at an industrial level where only companies enjoy such products at a high cost? Can you make that product cheaper for home users or small companies with similar features? For example, 3D Printing has long been available for industries for about four decades. However, this luxury has become available to ordinary people in the last decade, giving rise to an industry worth more than half a billion US Dollars. In this, we are talking about consumer-level 3D printers.
 
7. Follow New Trends: what changes in technology, culture, and lifestyle happen around you? Are people in your community suddenly started to consider their personal health more? Can you use that trend to produce new products or provide new services? What new products can you provide given the trend of mobile technology? The Internet of Things? Blockchain? Web 3.0? NFTs? etc?
 
8. Manipulate existing attributes of a product: what attributes do marketers give to smartphones? Size, weight, battery life, screen display, processing power, etc. Now, which of those attributes can be eliminated, reduced, or raised above expectations? What new attributes can be introduced into the smartphone industry? Manipulating those attributes can quickly generate new products and services that serve a more specific or more general audience which can be an innovation of good market potential. 
Picture
​Here you go, those are eight simple methods to develop innovations with market potential quickly. Keep in mind they are best used as inspirations. You can use them to guide or spark new conversations within your organization, community, or network. So, they are not absolute methods. Carrying out any specific innovation would still require you lots of work at many different levels.
 
Back to you, which of the methods resonate most with you? How do you usually think about bringing new ideas? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. What innovations came to your mind after reading those eight methods? 

If you are looking to engage with a community of design innovators, join our online Facebook Design Innovation Community. ​
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar

Tayseer is a passionate designer and educator. He believes that innovation potential can be grown and natured within organizations with relevant design innovation processes. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
0 Comments

Why Should you Learn 3D Modeling?

5/3/2022

0 Comments

 
​If you are here, you must know about 3D modeling. You could have also had some thoughts about learning how to build 3D models. However, why would you want to learn 3D modeling? Let us talk about this here. I will share my point of view first. Then I would like to hear it from you in the comments where we can have a small discussion.

​Meet Gallon

​First, let me introduce you to Gallon, which you can see in the image below. Gallon was a character we conceived a while ago. If you follow TforDesign, you will surely come across Gallon. 
Picture
​In this blog, we will not talk about how we conceived Gallon. Instead, we will focus more on what happened after we did. After the Gallon character was designed, we made a 3D model of it. Then, we emailed the 3D model to a manufacturing facility. After a few days, we got a box back. Inside that box were little tangible Gallons that we could touch and feel. 

Picture

​Modern Manufacturing and the Making of Gallon

​To make Gallon, we went on a journey of making. Key elements of this journey were defining the requirements, building and verifying 3D models, then manufacturing. 3D modeling was right at the center of this journey. 3D modeling is growing to be both a virtual prototyping tool and a tool that enables us to make tangible objects. The final manufacturing can happen through different means like a 3D printer you have a home, a machine shop, or through outsourcing like we did in the case of Gallon.  
Picture
3D modeling is strongly related to manufacturing as manufacturing is becoming more digitalized, with manufacturing machines getting their input by interpreting 3D models. Examples of growing digitalized machines include 3D printers and CNC machines. This makes 3D modeling more essential to modern manufacturing. Thus, we can think of 3D modeling as a superpower. That super is the freedom to make tangible objects. Suppose you have that superpower, congratulations. If not, you can start learning it today.
If you are an organization or an individual, you can think of 3D modeling being all about this superpower. It enables the organization to visualize its products, prototype them, and communicate them with manufacturing. This is one big reason why we advocate 3D modeling.
 
How about you? Are you into 3D modeling? What made you start learning the skill? Make sure to let us know in the comments.
 
If you are considering starting learning 3D modeling, you can start with our Intro to 3D Modeling Program, which will build a strong foundation on what 3D modeling is all about. Suppose you want to start directly with learning a 3D modeling software. In that case, you can check out the different online SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling programs we have in the TforDesign School. 
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar

Tayseer is a passionate designer and educator. He believes that innovation potential can be grown and natured within organizations with relevant design innovation processes. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
0 Comments

How can Design Innovation Link to Environmental Sustainability?

12/16/2021

0 Comments

 
A few years ago, I was in a classroom around the topic of managing value creation. As part of that, the questions of stakeholders and how to define them were central to the discussion. As an exercise, the leading professor gave us the hypothetical exercise of building a new monument on campus which we had to identify the stakeholders for.

Attendants started shouting out different stakeholders, including the students, faculty, funders, visitors, construction workers, engineers, the designing architect, etc. The professor was still looking for one more particular stakeholder she had in mind. I raised my hand and said: “the birds.”

My classmates laughed as if I was telling a joke. That was not the sought-after answer, nor was it a rational answer in a room filled with corporate practitioners. The professor finally stated: “The fire department, an important stakeholder that many tend to forget in the early design stages.” While I agree that the fire departments and other emergency services deserve a more central seat on the stakeholder’s table. I also wanted the birds to have an important seat as well. Unfortunately, that did not exist in the human-centered design thinking paradigm. This is even though the existence and thrival of the birds are tied to that of our own. However, what would happen if the birds had a central seat?
Picture
Can the birds be major stakeholders in design?

Where the Human-Centered Thinking Went Extreme

The concept of human-centered design brought about tremendous benefits to us in developing better products and services. However, does it mean human convenience is more important than that of other life forms?
​
When the industrial revolution kicked off, many of that period made a mistake assuming that natural resources are unlimited as well as nature’s ability to digest our trash. Arguably that revolution brought about false human independence from nature and formed a tiny seed of a human-centered world. 

Questioning the Human-Centered Paradigm

We have come a long way since the industrial revolution in realizing that natural resources are limited. We also came to understand that we share a finite plant with other life-forms that have existed before us. More importantly, we realized that we could not exist on our own (even if, that might not be an enjoyable life). With this expansion of understanding, we might want to consider expanding our design thinking to match.

Adding Life to the Design Innovation Definition

​We define design innovation as the bringing of innovations that are humanely desirable, technically feasible, and business-ly viable. For too long, we have defined good innovations on what is good for us, human-centered. However, that might have pushed us towards an egocentric obsession with our own well-being, neglecting the system that hosts us. 
Picture
Our adapted Design Innovation model
Over the past decade, there has been a growing trend of organizations looking to minimize their negative environmental footprint. Minimizing is a good start, but the time will soon come when that is no longer enough. After all, minimizing damage is still damage, and putting forward the minimization question means that damage, in principle, is acceptable. 
​
Back to our initial question: what would happen if the birds had a central seat at the stakeholder’s table? Minimizing damage will no longer be acceptable. Instead of asking how much damage you are causing, the more acceptable alternative would be asking how much life you are promoting? 

Re-thinking the Design Innovation Mode

With the points above, an alternative model for design innovation would have to answer the following questions:
  • Is it viable from a business perspective?
  • Is it desirable from a human perspective?
  • Is it feasible from a technological perspective?
  • Is it life-promoting from an environmental perspective?
How do you see the presence of environmental considerations in design today? 

P.s. We are building a community of people interested in design innovation and related topics using a Facebook group. Join us to connect and explore more on the topic. 
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar

Tayseer is a passionate designer and educator. He believes that innovation potential can be grown and natured within organizations with relevant design innovation processes. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
0 Comments

Design Practice Past that One Day Design Thinking Workshop

11/18/2021

0 Comments

 
The term Design Thinking has become a global buzz recently for all the right reasons. This is very different from the first time I gave a speech about the topic in 2013 when very few people heard the term.

I hope you have had a chance to experience it through a short workshop already. If not, let us know, and we can organize one for your team and/or organization. If you attended or facilitated one, then let's talk. Not about the workshop, but about what is next!
Picture

What to take out of the workshop?

One day to learn something new is not much. You were probably introduced to a process and one or two tools that can aid that process. You moved a lot, used sticky notes, laughed, and hopefully had fun while at it.

After a fun day, you might go back to your office job and start thinking, what now? Suppose you are not in a leadership position. In that case, you might not have the authority to introduce new processes to the workplace. Was it all a waste? Hopefully, the answer is NO. 

Focus on the greater goal

The idea of Design as a method of problem-solving has a very central idea behind it. It is that we should keep the human at the center of our thinking. All the processes and tools used by design innovators lead to that. Luckily, as humans ourselves, we can relate to each other naturally without processes leading us. 

So, if nothing else, drop the processes and the tools in your everyday work and start thinking about people as humans beyond the established status quo. If you can sneak in a tool or two, that is great. If not, the mindset of thinking about human needs is most important. 
​
In a one-day workshop, this mindset of Design is all you need to get. It is simple and surly within your power to think of our fellow humans as such.

Think of chess or checker – It takes time

Whether you are looking at the design mindset or applying other design innovation processes, practice makes better (not perfect). You can think about design innovation like all other skills, the more you do it, the better you will get at it. Attending a one-day workshop is a great start. But, there is a huge world out there relating to Design Innovation. A one-day workshop is more like scratching the tip of an iceberg, again just all other fields. 

If you are going beyond the design mindset to follow up with processes, don’t be a fundamentalist in following them verbatim. Often, that only repels people away from engaging with the process. Instead, always remember that the design mindset is more fundamental to the design processes. 
Picture

How to infuse design innovation processes into your organization

Beyond the design mindset, design innovation methods, tools, and frameworks can greatly accelerate and enhance generating sustainable streams of innovations with higher success chances. The more serious an organization is about design innovation, the more it can include it in its operation. Integrating design innovation processes can be demanding. Thus, having an individual or a team responsible for guiding the innovation process adds considerable value. This could be an internal or external individual or team. 

A good duty for that person duty is not to generate ideas but rather to guide the organization to innovate with its own mind power. S/he can get familiar enough with the organization to tailor innovation processes that would work for it. S/he can then walk the journey with everyone avoiding common issues that can take place like unintended biases or stagnations.  

Let us summarize

Here are three main points you can take away from this: 
  • The design mindset about giving focus to human needs is at the center of design innovation.
  • Design innovation processes and frameworks can greatly enhance innovation by building a structure to generate insights and translate them into tangible ideas.
  • Infusing design innovation methods and frameworks can be demanding, and it's an area where a dedicated external or internal consultant can add significant value. 
We are passionate about design innovation and love helping out. If you are looking to chat about it or for help implementing design innovation processes in your organization, contact us, and let's start a conversation. 
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar

Tayseer is a passionate designer and educator. He believes that innovation potential can be grown and natured within organizations with relevant design innovation processes. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
0 Comments

Do Employees Hate Innovation?

10/21/2021

0 Comments

 
The term innovation is has become one of the buzziest terms in the last century. We can hear every product announcement and find it listed on just about any organization's website. If we are outside stakeholders, this can be one more reason to admire that organization. However, employees can have a very different perception, a negative one. This is especially when innovation is being applied to their work practices.
​
In one of my earlier work experiences, I recall my first-hand experience of the despise employees (my colleagues) had for innovation. To us, the popular management term meant confusion and extra work for no apparent reason. The term was overused to a level where no day will pass without sarcastic comments about anything called ‘innovation’. 
Picture
In an article published by Harvard Business Review, the author presents survey data on knowledge workers' drive to innovation varying between 14 to 28% in the US and Canada. Two economies are ranked 3rd and 16th respectively in the 2021 global innovation index. This is in contrast to a 2010 McKinsey global survey result showing that 84% of executives say ‘innovation is extremely very important to their companies’.

The term 'innovation' is not bad in itself. In fact, it is easy to agree on how vital and central innovation is to both survive and thrive.  However, applying and implementing innovations has been misdone, giving it a negative connotation internally in many organizations. A big reason for that is that innovations are developed without the active participation of employees. Thus, it ends up being viewed as direct orders masked as innovations. This is especially the case when the new practice involves employees like new HR policies or new work practices. 
​84% of executives say ‘innovation is extremely very important to their companies’.
Picture

Moving Forward:

What is often missing is the deep involvement of employees in the whole innovation process. At the heart of applying any innovation to an organization are employees who are directly affected by it. As obvious as this sounds, having that thought applied to generate innovations is not as obvious. For an innovation to be employee-accepted, we must look toward our employees as major stakeholders and their input and drive to generate and shape innovations starting for the early stages. Only then can we hope for innovations that are liked and not forced.

We would love to have a chat about supporting the innovation system within your organization. Feel free to get in touch to schedule a call to chat with us. 
​What is often missing is the deep involvement of employees in the whole innovation process that will impact their work practices.

Join the TforDesign Design Innovation Community

​We are building a global community of professionals striving to design better innovations and better innovative environments. Join the TforDesign Design Innovation Community to learn more. 
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar

Tayseer is a passionate designer and educator. He believes that innovation potential can be grown and natured within organizations with relevant design innovation processes. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
0 Comments

Don't tell me, show me! – A Case for Rapid Prototyping

9/23/2021

1 Comment

 
"Interesting" is the word we often hear when telling others about our innovative ideas. Unfortunately, this is mostly the last thing we hear about it before it soon dissolves in the busyness of both working and personal lives. Unless formed, shaped, and colored, ideas by themselves are defenseless and mostly worthless. How can an idea be more than just "interesting"?
​Unless formed, shaped, and colored, ideas by themselves are defenseless and mostly worthless.
One way to get past the "interesting" point and get more attention is to make your audience 'feel' the idea. This is guaranteed to give you more of their attention for a longer time. Prototyping is the best way to have your audience feel your idea.
​
In a broad sense, a prototype is whatever can give your idea a visible/tangible form and/or feeling. This can be with simple drawings, 3D printed or virtual models, videos, interface mock-up, etc. Depending on your situation, a prototype does not have to be functional or attractive. However, building a prototype does require more investment and effort than to just speak of the idea.
Picture

More Reasons for Why Prototyping:

Here are some reasons that can partially illustrate the power of prototypes:
  1. It is much more likely for people to remember a prototype than an idea.
  2. Prototypes are a stronger means of communicating your ideas compared to just speaking about them.
  3. Having a prototype indicates your seriousness to your audience. It shows that you have invested resources to produce that prototype.
  4. Going through making a prototype forces you to refine your idea to a clearer and more precise form to deliver to your audience.
  5. A prototype helps your audience imagine the impact your idea can bring.
Whether you pitch an idea to your management, investors, or teammates, having a prototype will increase your chances of taking your ideas to the next level. 

Everything is Prototype-able:

​Prototyping is becoming an essential and central practice working in design innovation. The shapes and forms of the prototypes can be very different depending on the field and purpose of the prototype. The commonality is that everything is prototype-able. For example, a user interface can be prototyped with a series of hand sketches on paper, an interactive dashboard can be prototyped with linked PowerPoints slides, a video advertisement can be prototyped with a cellphone camera, a physical product can be prototyped with 3D printing, etc. With that, it would be worth it to have rapid prototyping as a key part of your innovation processes. 
Picture
In an earlier blog post, we discussed 3D Printing and product design and how prototyping can play an important role in the field. You can also check out the 3D Printing Opportunities and Applications course that dives even deeper into 3D printing for prototyping and other fields.
​
Do you use prototyping to support your ideas? What types of prototypes do you often build, and for what reasons? Share your thoughts in the comments section. 
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar, TforDesign Founder

Tayseer is the founder of TforDesign.  He has a passion for learning design and making all learning digestible and exciting.  ​​
​
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
1 Comment

How to Get an Affordable SOLIDWORKS License?

8/26/2021

2 Comments

 
If you are reading this, you probably know that a SOLIDWORKS license is expensive! A standard commercial license of the 3D CAD tool might cost USD 2000+ / year. The professional and premium versions would cost even more going to USD 8,000/year. The cost makes lots of sense if you are a business taking advantage of it commercially, as the software can generate much more value than that.  

​However, suppose you are planning to use SOLIDWORKS for your own side projects at home or just looking to access the software for learning. In those cases, USD 2000+ is too much to be considered reasonable. So, let us look at the alternative, more affordable options going from the more general to the more specific. Specifically, we'll talk about the maker license, the EAA license, and the student license. For each, we will briefly address what it includes, how much it costs, how to get it, and the major limitations that come with it.  

Maker/Hobbyist License

SOLIDWORKS announced the maker license in 2021 for USD 99/year. It includes the primary standard 3D CAD tool that you will most likely use for maker or hobbyist projects. The maker license is the most generic version that is open to many regardless of their backgrounds.  
​

  • Cost: USD 99/year 
  • More information: https://discover.solidworks.com/makers  
  • Major limitation: not suitable for commercial use  
tool for 3dexperience solidworks user

Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Membership Benefit

EAA members get a 50% discount to access the SOLIDWORKS for makers license originally at USD 99/year. The trick is that you will need to be a member of the association, which costs USD 40/year. Thus, a membership and SOLIDWORKS cost a total of 89.5/year.  

So, if you are interested in aviation, this would be a great option as you will also access many related resources. If not, this longer path can save you ten bucks.  
​
  • Cost: USD 49.5/year for the maker license (+ USD 40 for membership) 
  • More information: https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-membership/eaa-member-benefits/solidworks-resource-center/eaa-solidworks-standard    
  • Major limitation: Not suitable for commercial use  
join solidworks community

Student License

Students that are enrolled in academic institutions have their own license. The student version is equivalent to the Premium commercial version, which includes more features than the maker license. Those include simulation standard, CAM tools, PV 360 for rendering, and more.  

  • Cost: USD 99/year 
  • More information: https://www.solidworks.com/product/students   
  • Major limitations:  
  • Not suitable for commercial use 
  • Only available for students who are enrolled in an academic institution ​
solidworks student license
So, here you have it. Those are your main options to easily access SOLIDWORKS if you are an individual and looking to use the software for personal applications. This also includes accessing the software to learn it and gain professional certifications. 
 
Other than the major options listed above. Some other organizations might be able to provide free access to the software to their members. Those can include private and public organizations like universities. There is no comprehensive list for those. However, so it's something you will mostly like to find out about with the perks. So, suppose you are a member of an organization that is affiliated with SOLIDWORKS, you should ask around in case you can access the software through them.    
​

Now that you have access to the software, it is crucial that you have the skills to capitalize on it as quickly as possible. For that, you can check out the bundle of online SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling programs at the TforDesign School.  
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar, TforDesign Founder

Tayseer is the founder of TforDesign.  He has a passion for learning design and making all learning digestible and exciting.  ​​
​
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
2 Comments

SOLIDWORKS Custom Views, Why Use Them and How to Create Them

7/29/2021

0 Comments

 
3D models need to be moved around and oriented to do various tasks like viewing them properly, adding features, taking measurements, etc. Therefore, proper model orientation is essential and should be easily accessible. This is where Orientation Dialogue Box comes to our help which can be accessed by simply pressing Space Bar or from the top of the canvas. It lets us select from standard views like Front, Right, Top, Isometric views, activate View Selector, and use viewports. Most of the time, we need more orientations for ease of navigation. For example, maybe we need a close-up on a cut, or an angle not included in the default views.  For this, we can create Custom Views
Picture

Creating Custom Views

Custom views are views that are added and saved in the Orientation Dialogue Box as per our needs. They come in handy when we want a specific orientation and zoom level of the model at any time.
​
To create a custom view, click on the New View icon in the Orientation Dialogue Box (as shown in the below image) > Name the view in Named View pop-up > Click Ok. This will capture the current orientation and zoom level of the model. The named view is now added in the Orientation Dialogue Box and can be accessed by pressing the space bar and selecting it from the list.
Picture

Adding a Custom View to all SOLIDWORKS Documents

Recreating the same custom view orientations in each SOLIDWORKS document is time-consuming. To save time, you have to save them. Open Orientation Dialogue Box, hover over a custom view from the list and click on the Save icon. This will make these views available for all the parts, assemblies, and drawings.
 
If you are looking to learn SOLIDWORKS with a bundle of learning support services, make sure to check out the TforDesign school online SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling courses.   
Picture

By Mohsina Zafar, Technical Lead at TforDesign

Mohsina is a Mechatronics engineer who is passionate about 3D design and artificial intelligence. She specializes in SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD and loves to help students solve their SOLIDWORKS problems. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohsina-zafar/ 
0 Comments

Explaining Finite Element Analysis Without Equations

7/15/2021

1 Comment

 
​In this post, we will try to make sense of what is finite element analysis (FEA) and how it works without getting into talking about equations or much technical terms. SOLIDWORKS Simulation (and other software) use FEA to solve designs. Thus, knowing a bit of background about FEA will help us understand many of the settings to optimize our results.
​
To explain FEA in simple terms, we can try simplifying FEA with a story the progression of the elements from one dimension to 3 dimensions.

One Dimensional Beams:

​It all started with the classic problem of a beam. The beam is fixed on a wall from one end, and there is a force on the other end. Experts came together and made up an equation to find the deflection at the outer end. What the equation looked like is none of our concern for now, so we can just call it THE EQUATION.
Picture
​Here is what concerns us: To be able to calculate the deflection on the outer end, we had to know beforehand what the deflection is on the inner end connected to the wall. In this classic beam case, we know that the inner end is fixed to a wall. Thus, there is no deflection, or the deflection is zero. With that known to us, we can apply the equation and find the deflection.
Picture
​Now the question is: What if we want to know the defection in the middle of the beam?

To find this, we can split the beam into two and redo the whole calculation. We can start with the first half, in one end we know the deflection is zero, so we can apply THE EQUATION to find the deflection at the end of the first half. Then, we can move to the second half and apply the same equation. Again, we already know the deflection in one end because we just calculated It , then the equation will give us the other end.
​Finite Element Analysis is dividing a structure into a smaller, finite number of elements which we can analyze one by one, then putting all those elements together gives us an understanding of the whole structure.
Picture
What if we want to know the deflection in every quarter of the beam?
​

In this case, we can simply redo the same procedure the same way, splitting the beam into four parts. We can go the same approach every tenth of the beam, every twentieth, and so on.
Picture
​Now let us stop here for a second to name things, we can all those little beam divisions: ELEMENTS,, at the end of each element, there are points that we can all NODES.
Picture
​This approach we just used or described in analyzing our beam is Finite Element Analysis.
It is dividing a structure into a smaller, finite number of elements which we can analyze one by one, then putting all those elements together gives us an understanding of the whole structure.

Two Dimensional Shells / Surfaces:

​Just now, we were looking at a straight beam, which we were able to split into straight little elements of lines and nodes.
​
The next step would be to go to two dimensions. We can call those shells or sheets. A shell is anything that is relatively thin and of uniform thickness. Those include the common structures of sheet metals.
Stools made out of sheet metals
Figure 1. Stools made out of sheet metals
​Sheet metals can take many different shapes and forms. Also, unlike one-dimensional beams, there is no ‘THE EQUATION’ that to solve for deflections on complex formations.
​
To go around this, we can simply split the whole sheet into many nodes and lines. However, now that we are working in 2 dimensions, our elements can’t be a line. So, we can switch the elements into something like a triangle.
Picture
​Now, we can split our sheet into little triangular elements. Each has three little lines and three nodes. Just like how we started with beams, we must know the actual solution values somewhere in the design because it is fixed or restrained to something else. From there, we solve for each little line and each little element until we can solve for the whole model. Basically, we transformed the whole shell into many small one-dimensional beams. The collection of all the elements together is called Mesh.
​
The more elements we have, the more accurate our results will be, but also the more calculations we will have to do.

3-Dimensional Solid Objects:

​At this point, we can jump into 3 Dimensional objects. which can be complex-looking turbines, gears, casings, consumer products, etc. We can refer to those as SOLIDS.
Many of the artifacts around us have irregular shapes
Many of the artifacts around us have irregular shapes
​As solids can take many different shapes and forms, there is no ‘THE EQUATION’ for all kinds of irregular shapes. However, that is not problem because we can just split the whole thing into small elements to end up with a bunch of nodes and lines. Our element shape this time will have to be 3D dimensional shape, like a Tetrahedral, which is the shape of elements used in a software like SOLIDWORKS.
Picture
​As always, with one location of the design is known to us, so we can use THE EQUATION to solve what is happening in the next nodes, and move from there to the rest of the model. Generally talking, the more elements we have, the more nodes and lines we have, the more accurate our results can be, and the more work we will have to do to solve it.
Picture

Summery:

​In a nutshell, Finite Element Analysis is the idea of splitting any model into smaller elements that we can solved one at a time, then putting all those elements together can give us a good understanding of what is happening the whole model.
The power of FEA is that it enables us to understand and simulate how a specific design reacts to different conditions regardless of how complex the design is. Throughout this post, we gave a bit of focus to analyzing deflections. However, the same approach applies to analyzing and understanding many other parameters like stress distribution, the factor of safety distribution, etc.  
 
This post does not represent factual background on Finite Element Analysis and should not be taken as such. Rather, you can take it as a way to simplify our understanding of what Finite Element Analysis is all about.
If you are looking to have a dive in the use of FEA-based simulation tool like SOLIDWORKS simulation, you can check out SOLIDWORKS Simulation Associate course.
Tayseer Almattar

By Tayseer Almattar, TforDesign Founder

Tayseer is the founder of TforDesign.  He has a passion for learning design and making all learning digestible and exciting.  ​​
​
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
1 Comment

Why are FEA Simulations so Hard and so Easy?

7/1/2021

1 Comment

 
When asking about FEA simulations, you will likely find two groups of people: one calling it straightforward easy and the other calling it complex and challenging. You will also find lots of young people sharing colored images and more experienced people talking equations and strange terms. What is behind all that? [it is not a cross-generational thing, at least I hope] 

​Most of that comes from the introduction of software simulation tools. There is no doubt that Simulation tools, including SOLIDWORKS, Ansys, and others, brought in tremendous benefits and enhancements to simulation. However, they made simulation look super easy. But is it? 
Yield Strength
Beautiful Simulation Animation

​So, let us try to break that further down to figure out some of the issues with the simulation software? 
​

First, one area to clarify is that most simulation studies are applied by following a similar overall procedure. You can check our previous blog on 8 steps to conducting FEA static studies for more information. Now, we did a simple study, let us talk about the complications.  This blog will discuss the meaning behind the results, results verifications, and the overwhelming available options. 
​

What do the Results Mean to Start With? 

Simulation software are famous for their colorful plots, usually ranging from red to blue, and accompanied by numbers. While it is easy to get numbers and plots, the more important question would be: what do those numbers even mean? Von Mises, stresses, strains, the factor of safety, stiffness, etc.   

More importantly, what do those numbers mean for us specifically in whatever project we are working on? How can they be used to drive/guide meaningful design iterations?  
​

Answering those questions would often require more in-depth knowledge and experience on topics that go beyond the apparent software application and into principles of design and mechanics of materials.  

Verdict:
  • Getting numbers and colorful plots: Easy.  
  • Being able to understand those numbers and reflect them on our projects: Not as easy.  
Getting attractive and colorful plots can be pretty exciting when you start with simulation, but there is often more than meets the eye. ​

How do You Know the Software Gave You Correct Results? 

Perhaps one frequent and more challenging question you can get working with simulation is: How do you know you got usable/correct results?  

Simulation software nowadays are very capable; they are also growing rapidly. However, they are by no means a complete, accurate tool. Issues in results can be caused by anything from setting the simulation conditions wrong, software deficiency, to issues with our input to the software.  

Being able to spot those errors would often require both experience and depth of engineering knowledge. Some methods used to help can range from quickly spotting nonsensical results to benchmarking with hand calculations or other means.  
​

 Verdict:  
  • Getting results: Easy 
  • Verifying the results: Not as easy 

All the Options Out There!

As simulation tools grow, so is the number of options they provide to help you get optimal results for your usage. Those include more variety in conditions setting, more options in refining the mesh, more plots, etc.  
Being able to navigate all those options to produce a usable study can range in difficulty according to the complexity of the study.  
​

The complexity comes from the number of options and having to understand what each option means in an absolute sense and what the option means to the specific study you are working in. For example, meshing refinement has several options, from setting a global mesh density to auto-adaptive meshing to manually adjusting the mesh in different areas of the design. Knowing about those options is the easy part compared to uniquely applying them to best fit each project.  

Verdict: 
  • Running a study: Easy 
  • Running an optimized study: Not as easy 

So, is Simulation Easy or Complex? 

All the writing above might have made you more confused than not. Is simulation easy or complex?  
​

The reality is simulation is just like other expanding fields of study. It has a surface, but beneath that exists a great depth. The deeper you go, the more complex things can get. Thus, do not be surprised when you meet people spending 20+ years using simulation and are still learning.  

While software applications came as great enablers for simulation, they can give some a false sense of knowledge, neglecting the depth of the field. Getting attractive and colorful plots can be pretty exciting when you start with simulation, but there is often more than meets the eye.  

Should I Learn Simulation? 

In terms of software application, a structured course can give you the best value for your time. You can check out the TforDesign SOLIDWORKS Simulation Associate course. This will build you a strong foundation in the practical software application using SOLIDWORKS.  ​
TforDesign SOLIDWORKS FEA simulation course
Another part is to equip yourself with a theoretical background in Mechanics of Materials and Finite Elements Analysis. Both fields are well established in academia. Thus, browsing academic resources can give you the best value.  

 When pursuing both directions, it is essential to know that growing in the area can take lots of time and patience.  
​

 Are you a user of simulation tools? How was/is your experience? Let us know in the comment section.   
Tayseer Almattar

By Tayseer Almattar, TforDesign Founder

Tayseer is the founder of TforDesign.  He has a passion for learning design and making all learning digestible and exciting.  ​​
​
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
1 Comment

Eight Steps to Conducing FEA Static Studies in SOLIDWORKS

6/17/2021

1 Comment

 
If you ever wondered how to use the SOLIDWORKS simulation tools to conduct Static Finite Element Analysis, this blog is for you. This blog will explore what Finite Element Analysis Static studies are and how to do them in SOLIDWORKS. 

What are Static Studies/Analysis Simulations? 

Static Analysis Simulations is the most common and most basic type of analysis done in computerized tools like SOLIDWORKS Simulation. Another term for it is Static Equilibrium Simulation. They relate to bodies that are in an equilibrium state. In other words, the loads do not constantly change over time.  

Thus, most of the objects around us on an everyday basis can be simulated using static analysis. Those include chairs, desks, bottles, beam bridges, constructions, etc.  

To know more about the different types of simulation, why and who should use them, check out our article on What is Finite Element Analysis and why you should use it.

How to Do a Static Analysis in SOLIDWORKS? 

Static simulations have a common uniform process that you can expect to repeat every time you conduct a new study on a part. Let us list those steps here and then apply them together in the SOLIDWORKS.  The part's simulation procedure is as follows:   
  1. Have our 3D model prepared for simulations: This could be to build the 3D model to start with or adjust an existing model as needed for simulation. 
  2. Assign the structural materials: The material is important because it will be a big factor in determining the outcome of the simulation as different materials will behave differently to different conditions.  
  3. Start a simulation study: This is to load the SOLIDWORKS Simulation tool for the study we are planning. 
  4. Apply the fixtures: This is important to have restricted the degrees of freedom of the 3D model to enable us to solve it. 
  5. Apply the load: This will allow us to determine what will our 3D model be exposed to. Will it be exposed to a force, a pressure, torque, or others.    
  6. Generate the mesh: the mesh will generate the nodes, which the software will use as a base to calculate the stresses, movements, and other calculations. 
  7. Run the simulation: This will ask the software to start computing the study results. 
  8. View and interpret the results: after the study is completed, we will get our chance to evaluate the data resulting from it and start extracting the required data out of it.  
To see how those steps are applied and how to follow up with them, check out the following video:  ​
This is the procedure for parts simulations. When we simulate and assembly or a multi-body parts, an extra step would be to identify to the software how each part interacts with the other.  
​

Do you have any experience with SOLIDWORKS Simulation? Share your experience with us in the comment.  

​Suppose you are looking to get a deep dive into SOLIDWORKS Static Simulation. In that case, you can check out our 
SOLIDWORKS Simulation Associate Course, which will get you a strong foundation on the subject.  
Picture
Picture

By Tayseer Almattar, TforDesign Founder

​Tayseer is the founder of TforDesign. He has a passion for learning design and making all learning digestible and exciting.  ​​
​
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsjmattar/​
1 Comment

My Journey to Becoming a Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional – CSWP

6/3/2021

0 Comments

 
Suppose you are considering learning SOLIDWORKS and wondering what it was like for someone to start from scratch to become a certified professional. In that case, this story is for you.  SOLIDWORKS is an easy-to-learn 3D software, but that does not mean that you will learn it overnight. In this post, I will talk about my beginning, progression, and tricks for taking the official certification exams.

My Beginning: ​

After installing SOLIDWORKS, I looked at the first video I found on YouTube and tried to learn how to begin with it. I will always recommend trying all the tabs in the standard menu bar. Just put the cursor at the top of it, read what is written, and try it. You will gain an initial idea of the different features that will help you afterward in learning. Through my little experience, one of the best ways to learn SOLIDWORKS is to do a small Project. In doing so, you will search on the internet whenever you face up a problem, watch some videos and in time you will learn new skills and features. During my first Project, I gathered some experience and a first overview of the software, but that was not enough to learn it in an organized way.  ​

Past the Starting Point: ​

Like anything else, and to learn something new, you need to make an effort and organize a plan. An easier way is to follow a well-structured course. That saved me a lot of time and made me learn SOLIDWORKS in an easy-to-understand and effective way. I was in the finishing phase of my studies. I thought It would be better to start learning the associate, beginner level and get a certificate to increase my chances afterward to get a Job.  
​
The first step was to find the right course and choose the best one. I searched in Udemy, and I found the “SOLIDWORKS: Become a Certified Associate Today (CSWA)” made by TforDesign. It was granted best-selling and highest-rated Course in Udemy, so I went for it, and that was the best choice to make. The course took me from a beginner Level to an Associate Certification Level. What I really like about TforDesign was their teaching method. They made short and concentrated videos for every topic or feature, making them easier to understand and follow. Even afterward, when you need to review a topic, you can directly go for that one focused video without remembering which minute the point was mentioned. Like I mentioned in the beginning that the best way to learn is through projects. During the course, you will take exercises and do projects. Through them, you will notice fast growth in your skills. The learning-by-doing method followed in the TforDesign courses is one of the most effective learning methods, especially when learning SOLIDWORKS. TforDesign have since established their own platform with more content which you can check out to learn SOLIDWORKS online.

​After finishing the course, I have obtained all the necessary knowledge and skills needed to pass the SOLIDWORKS Associate Certification exam – CSWA. Those included skills in sketching, features, and assemblies. I took the CSWA exam and passed it. After passing the CSWA Exam, I was motivated to do the next level exam, the CSWP Exam. I needed to purchase a course to help me prepare for it. This time the choice was easy. Based on the Proverb “never change a winning team,” I purchased the TforDesign SOLIDWORKS Professional Level Training, gone through it, and finished it.  

​At the moment, I have obtained both the CSWA and CSWP certifications. So, let us talk more specifically about the official CSWA and CSWP certification exams.  ​
Ahmed solidworks professional certificate

About the Official SOLIDWORKS Exams:

The CSWA exam lasts 3 hours and must be done continuously at the same time. This means once you start, you can’t pause it in the middle and need to complete the whole exam in 3 hours. The CSWP exam is divided into three separate segments, Segment 1: 70 Minutes, Segment 2: 50 Minutes, and Segment 3: 80 Minutes.  

​Dividing them into 3 Segments allows you to take each segment at a different time, but you can also do all three in a row. That seems a lot of time, but in reality, it is not. Most people fail the CSWP exam because they run out of time. To speed up your work and gain time, you must learn shortcuts and Mouse Gestures. In a previous post, I discussed the 7 most  essential shortcuts to speed your SOLIDWORKS  workflow. Make sure to check it out and start using those shortcuts.  

Tips When Taking the SOLIDWORKS Official Exam:

At this point, you are ready to take the exam. Here are some tips for you to keep in mind when doing that.  

  1. Take time practicing daily by doing exercises to get used to SOLIDWORKS. This will help you work faster. Otherwise, you might run out of time during the exam.  
  2. Set a deadline to take the exam. Otherwise, you will keep postponing it indefinitely.  
  3. Use the Practice Test in the Official SOLIDWORKS Site. It helps a lot.  
  4. While taking both the CSWA and CSWP exams, I used 2 Screens. One with SOLIDWORKS and the other with the Questions of the Test. That will save you a lot of time, and you won’t constantly be changing windows.  
  5. Use the features design tree and roll back and forth to control and understand the part you are making or modifying. 
  6. Always make sure that your sketches are fully defined. ​
  7. Whenever it is possible, do half the work and mirror-symmetrical parts. 
​
So, here was my story and tips on how it started and how it went. How was your experience learning SOLIDWORKS? Share your story in the comments.  

P.S. For more tips, you can check out one of our earlier blogs with 8 tips for taking the official SOLIDWORKS certification exams. Also, if you are looking for comprehensive online SOLIDWORKS courses, check out the TforDesign school.  ​
Blog writer Ahmed