​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.

​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. 

​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. 

​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.  

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. 

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?

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?
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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. 

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.

​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. 

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. 
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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? 

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. 

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!

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. 

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. 
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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.

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. 

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.  

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. 

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.
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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’. 

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. 

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. 

​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. 

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/​

"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"?

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.
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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.

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. 

​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. 

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.
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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. 

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  

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

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.
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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.

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.   

​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.
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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.

​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.

​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.

​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.

What if we want to know the deflection in every quarter of the beam?
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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.

​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.

​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.

​Just now, we were looking at a straight beam, which we were able to split into straight little elements of lines and nodes.
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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.

​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.
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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.

​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.
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The more elements we have, the more accurate our results will be, but also the more calculations we will have to do.

​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.

​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.

​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.

​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.

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

To see how those steps are applied and how to follow up with them, check out the following video:  ​

​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/​

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.  ​

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.  
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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.  ​

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. 

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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.  ​

Ahmed holds a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and aims to learn and improve constantly. 
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-ben-lamine-ghouma/