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Way of designing 8
- Thread starter linqur
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First and foremost, an overall 3D concept of the design has to be visible in your mind. Any large assembly, which incorporates a number of moving and interacting parts is always good to have designed in 3D, because of interference or contact. After all folks, lets use the technology if we got it, and not blindly say its not really necessary. If the assembly is large, no matter how much of an Einstein u claim to be... u cannot process all the dynamics of it mentally
arnie333
arnie333
tapetotape
Automotive
See? I told you we could go on and on about this subject.
To answer your last posting LinqurI would say that yes a good designer can be developed over time. The attitude and ability of the individual will determine the speed of progress.
On the other hand some people will never exhibit good problem solving skills and can never be more than a detailer. There is a place for them also.
Only you can determine your subordinates level of capability and potential.
I've always given a new designer at least three months to prove potential.
To answer your last posting LinqurI would say that yes a good designer can be developed over time. The attitude and ability of the individual will determine the speed of progress.
On the other hand some people will never exhibit good problem solving skills and can never be more than a detailer. There is a place for them also.
Only you can determine your subordinates level of capability and potential.
I've always given a new designer at least three months to prove potential.
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- #23
smokehouse
Mechanical
I know many will not agree with my thoughts on this but here they are..
I believe the best tool designers are the people that FIRST work on the floor..Journeymen tool makers know what works...A good tool maker must be able to "visualize" ...He has to be able to see the end result in his mind...He has to know the right steps to take.
The class A toolmaker that then learns CAD will be tough to beat as a designer..
This toolmaker will have some formal education also to learn engineering standards.
The old saying that experience is the best teacher applies here.
The best cad program in the world CANNOT design any better than the guy or gal pushing the buttons..
I believe the best tool designers are the people that FIRST work on the floor..Journeymen tool makers know what works...A good tool maker must be able to "visualize" ...He has to be able to see the end result in his mind...He has to know the right steps to take.
The class A toolmaker that then learns CAD will be tough to beat as a designer..
This toolmaker will have some formal education also to learn engineering standards.
The old saying that experience is the best teacher applies here.
The best cad program in the world CANNOT design any better than the guy or gal pushing the buttons..
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- #24
“The class A toolmaker that then learns CAD will be tough to beat as a designer..
This toolmaker will have some formal education also to learn engineering standards.
The old saying that experience is the best teacher applies here.
The best cad program in the world CANNOT design any better than the guy or gal pushing the buttons.”
This is not entirely truth. You are talking about a carpenter who knows what but doe not – WHY? A small step aside – and – I do not know! Their main argument – I was told to do like that – when you ask – why – silence!
Experience is great but it cannot be a substitute for knowledge. Unfortunately, this happens each and everyday. It has been working for years but now when real knowledge on tool design is needed these old monsters with shallow knowledge but with hundreds years of experience – Valenite, Kennametal etc. fail. Companies from oversee with better knowledge take greater and greater sector of the market.
To design a good cutting tool, one needs to know what cutting is all about, what has to be done to cut something faster, easier, more efficient. Then using this basis – design the proper cutting tool. There is no other experience-based way – lets try and see. You will try until Japanese Christmas.
Viktor
This toolmaker will have some formal education also to learn engineering standards.
The old saying that experience is the best teacher applies here.
The best cad program in the world CANNOT design any better than the guy or gal pushing the buttons.”
This is not entirely truth. You are talking about a carpenter who knows what but doe not – WHY? A small step aside – and – I do not know! Their main argument – I was told to do like that – when you ask – why – silence!
Experience is great but it cannot be a substitute for knowledge. Unfortunately, this happens each and everyday. It has been working for years but now when real knowledge on tool design is needed these old monsters with shallow knowledge but with hundreds years of experience – Valenite, Kennametal etc. fail. Companies from oversee with better knowledge take greater and greater sector of the market.
To design a good cutting tool, one needs to know what cutting is all about, what has to be done to cut something faster, easier, more efficient. Then using this basis – design the proper cutting tool. There is no other experience-based way – lets try and see. You will try until Japanese Christmas.
Viktor
smokehouse
Mechanical
Viktor, I am talking about a tool and die maker becoming a designer...Not someone designing a special machine...A class A tool maker DOES know why things work..
Quote:
......Experience is great but it cannot be a substitute for knowledge......
Experience IS knowledge.
It is clear you have little respect for the seasoned pro...
Quote:
......Experience is great but it cannot be a substitute for knowledge......
Experience IS knowledge.
It is clear you have little respect for the seasoned pro...
I think too much is being made of 3D CAD one way or another.
When I started designing I drew in pencil, then I used 2D CAD, then I used 3D CAD. Tomorrow I could draw in pencil again and it would be like a carpenter being forced to use a blunt tool. Yes, the results might come slower and the finish and presentation might not be quite as good but the design element, which is what we are talking about, is the same.
Tomwalz says he gets his ideas from a book, great, but that isn't design. I can get chemistry from a book but it doesn't make me a chemical engineer.
Design implies novelty, creation and problem solving. I spoke to the Jordan race team a while back. They said they were all on ProE but their gearbox designer just couldn't think in 3D so he designed the gearboxes all in 2D then someone else translated it into CAD. He was still the best gearbox designer, he just thought in 2D. Before I knew how to drive a 3D CAD system I was still an experienced designer. I didn't get better all of a sudden, I just gained clash detection and a few other nifty tools.
When I started designing I drew in pencil, then I used 2D CAD, then I used 3D CAD. Tomorrow I could draw in pencil again and it would be like a carpenter being forced to use a blunt tool. Yes, the results might come slower and the finish and presentation might not be quite as good but the design element, which is what we are talking about, is the same.
Tomwalz says he gets his ideas from a book, great, but that isn't design. I can get chemistry from a book but it doesn't make me a chemical engineer.
Design implies novelty, creation and problem solving. I spoke to the Jordan race team a while back. They said they were all on ProE but their gearbox designer just couldn't think in 3D so he designed the gearboxes all in 2D then someone else translated it into CAD. He was still the best gearbox designer, he just thought in 2D. Before I knew how to drive a 3D CAD system I was still an experienced designer. I didn't get better all of a sudden, I just gained clash detection and a few other nifty tools.
linqur,
Facinating subject! I do not remember a time when I did NOT think in 3-D but I certainly have learned more over the years. The CAD and Solid-Modeling tools have been very helpful but have sometimes been a hinderance.
I work with a fellow who cannot visualize a simple part until it is made. Even with a 3-D sketch he struggles. He has no sense of depth. Even with 3-D solids tumbling on the screen he cannot understand it until it is made.
I have often wondered why this is. I think it is like those magic pictures where if you look at it just right you can see a 3-D object in them. Once you have seen the objects, they get easier to see the next time. I have never had trouble seeing the 3-D items in those magic pictures but I know several people who think it's a joke. They cannot (will not?) see the 3-D item. Is it a learned ability or are some folk's minds or eyes not built the same way that would allow them to visualize 3-D? I don't know.
The fellow I wrote of earlier has an uncanny ability to come up with complicated mechanisms in his mind but he cannot even sketch the first line of it. He tells me what he wants and I make it (I'm sure with my own perception of what he is asking for). Only after I have put 75% of it in metal does he begin to understand it - even though it was his own idea. I have asked him if he sees in his mind his design in 3-D or even 2-D and he says no. I believe him because with a quick 2-D or 3-d sketch he cannot tell me if that is what he was thinking of or not. Only after it has been made. You can see that this could be a costly and time-consuming method!
I thought perhaps that it was my ability to communicate through drawings but others have quickly understood my drawings. This fellow cannot "see" anyone else's work either until "cut in stone", YET he has such thoughtful and workable concepts! Explain that!
I'm very glad to see that several of you actually spend the time to talk with the folks in the shop who will actually make your parts. Almost every group I have worked with has had at least one designer or engineer that thought he was better or smarter than the shop guys (and gals) and let his ego get in the way of good design. The guys on the line and in marketing and sales can all contribute to a job well done. Don't let their experience go to waste! They will appreciate you allowing them a voice and will work hard to make sure your design works. I worked with a guy who was such a jerk to the shop guys that they eventually caught him out in the shop one day and broke his nose! He once made a mistake on a shop drawing but because he was such a jerk the shop went ahead and made the parts to spec and we ended up scrapping several hundred parts. That one hurt everyone! If the company prospers you may not benefit but if the company is hurt I can garantee you will suffer as a result. I always keep a good rapport with the shop so if I make a silly mistake they will come in and ask me about it so I can correct it before any metal is cut.
Sorry for such a long "comment". Massey you're a riot!
Facinating subject! I do not remember a time when I did NOT think in 3-D but I certainly have learned more over the years. The CAD and Solid-Modeling tools have been very helpful but have sometimes been a hinderance.
I work with a fellow who cannot visualize a simple part until it is made. Even with a 3-D sketch he struggles. He has no sense of depth. Even with 3-D solids tumbling on the screen he cannot understand it until it is made.
I have often wondered why this is. I think it is like those magic pictures where if you look at it just right you can see a 3-D object in them. Once you have seen the objects, they get easier to see the next time. I have never had trouble seeing the 3-D items in those magic pictures but I know several people who think it's a joke. They cannot (will not?) see the 3-D item. Is it a learned ability or are some folk's minds or eyes not built the same way that would allow them to visualize 3-D? I don't know.
The fellow I wrote of earlier has an uncanny ability to come up with complicated mechanisms in his mind but he cannot even sketch the first line of it. He tells me what he wants and I make it (I'm sure with my own perception of what he is asking for). Only after I have put 75% of it in metal does he begin to understand it - even though it was his own idea. I have asked him if he sees in his mind his design in 3-D or even 2-D and he says no. I believe him because with a quick 2-D or 3-d sketch he cannot tell me if that is what he was thinking of or not. Only after it has been made. You can see that this could be a costly and time-consuming method!
I thought perhaps that it was my ability to communicate through drawings but others have quickly understood my drawings. This fellow cannot "see" anyone else's work either until "cut in stone", YET he has such thoughtful and workable concepts! Explain that!
I'm very glad to see that several of you actually spend the time to talk with the folks in the shop who will actually make your parts. Almost every group I have worked with has had at least one designer or engineer that thought he was better or smarter than the shop guys (and gals) and let his ego get in the way of good design. The guys on the line and in marketing and sales can all contribute to a job well done. Don't let their experience go to waste! They will appreciate you allowing them a voice and will work hard to make sure your design works. I worked with a guy who was such a jerk to the shop guys that they eventually caught him out in the shop one day and broke his nose! He once made a mistake on a shop drawing but because he was such a jerk the shop went ahead and made the parts to spec and we ended up scrapping several hundred parts. That one hurt everyone! If the company prospers you may not benefit but if the company is hurt I can garantee you will suffer as a result. I always keep a good rapport with the shop so if I make a silly mistake they will come in and ask me about it so I can correct it before any metal is cut.
Sorry for such a long "comment". Massey you're a riot!
Excellent comment Rousell.
I think that our value as technical people is when we do things that are counter-intuitive, and there I agree with Viktor. Theoretical knowledge, always tempered by listening to others opinions and experiences, is the source of well thought designs. I think that that is the difference between know-how (floor plant knowledge) to know-why (studies knowledge). I hope this does not sound arrogant.
And back to 3D-2D, the biggest problem I find in 3D CAD is that it is time consuming. It is a tool like a spreadsheet, which can help in some occasions but might be just wasted time (and inutile added cost) in other applications. While it is possible to depend on your 3D software, that might mean that you are not a good hand drafter, but you still have the spatial comprehension of the problem.
I think the difficulty to think spatially is somehow linked to our ability to find our way around a city with a map, and that might be linked on how many hours you spent when child playing with Legos... ...And therefore, while I know that this will raise controversy, I think it is harder for gals, than for guys to think in 3D. That might be one of the factors why it is not as common as we would like to find ladies in our working fields.
sancat
I think that our value as technical people is when we do things that are counter-intuitive, and there I agree with Viktor. Theoretical knowledge, always tempered by listening to others opinions and experiences, is the source of well thought designs. I think that that is the difference between know-how (floor plant knowledge) to know-why (studies knowledge). I hope this does not sound arrogant.
And back to 3D-2D, the biggest problem I find in 3D CAD is that it is time consuming. It is a tool like a spreadsheet, which can help in some occasions but might be just wasted time (and inutile added cost) in other applications. While it is possible to depend on your 3D software, that might mean that you are not a good hand drafter, but you still have the spatial comprehension of the problem.
I think the difficulty to think spatially is somehow linked to our ability to find our way around a city with a map, and that might be linked on how many hours you spent when child playing with Legos... ...And therefore, while I know that this will raise controversy, I think it is harder for gals, than for guys to think in 3D. That might be one of the factors why it is not as common as we would like to find ladies in our working fields.
sancat
I have enjoyed working with women engineers although a few were difficult to work with because they had "something to prove" and were trying to make it in a male-dominated environment. Unfortunately, several men DID make it difficult for them by either implying they were inferior or by making passes at them. Very unprofessional. That was years ago before sex-discrimination rules put a damper on that kind of activity. Also unfortunate is the fact that some men are afraid to complement a woman for any reason in the workplace for fear that they will be targeted for discrimination charges. (I've seen it happen). Most of the men I have worked with have had an attitude problem (inferiority complex mostly). I will admit that, in my experiences, the engineering environment is very competitive - often cut-throat.
Anyway, pertaining to design - I have NOT had the experience of seeing women having difficulty thinking in 3-D more than men. One woman I worked with comes to mind. She was amazing at her ability to design in her mind before ever putting pen to paper or stylus to digitizer. I think our perception of people's abilities probably is limited by our own personal experience with others. I've worked with good and bad of both genders. I'm not cracking on you sancat, just giving my experiences and observations.
Anyway, pertaining to design - I have NOT had the experience of seeing women having difficulty thinking in 3-D more than men. One woman I worked with comes to mind. She was amazing at her ability to design in her mind before ever putting pen to paper or stylus to digitizer. I think our perception of people's abilities probably is limited by our own personal experience with others. I've worked with good and bad of both genders. I'm not cracking on you sancat, just giving my experiences and observations.
smokehouse
Mechanical
Very interesting thread! I went into mold making in the mid 70's. My education is in engineering/designing. In 1985, myself and another person started a freelance design business and all was done in pencil. We designed dies and plastic injection molds both.
After 3 years, we both went our separate ways and I went to work at a small mold shop where I worked on the floor building molds ALSO designing some of the time. In small shops, sometimes we have to wear more than one hat.
There was one moldmaker in particular that comes to mind in regards to "visualizing". This man could look at a complex part print for a short time and "see" every problem area. He could, of course, visualize every part of the mold he was making and caught engineering mistakes BEFORE they cost us money.
On the other hand, we had one full time designer that had a hard time visualizing the steel around the part. He couldn't see the bypass shutoffs among other things.
For the last 5 years I have been designing in CAD, the design tables are used for quoting and checking prints.
My Point:
NO cad program can design a mold....The design comes from your mind! The more you know, the better and faster you can design. PERIOD
After 3 years, we both went our separate ways and I went to work at a small mold shop where I worked on the floor building molds ALSO designing some of the time. In small shops, sometimes we have to wear more than one hat.
There was one moldmaker in particular that comes to mind in regards to "visualizing". This man could look at a complex part print for a short time and "see" every problem area. He could, of course, visualize every part of the mold he was making and caught engineering mistakes BEFORE they cost us money.
On the other hand, we had one full time designer that had a hard time visualizing the steel around the part. He couldn't see the bypass shutoffs among other things.
For the last 5 years I have been designing in CAD, the design tables are used for quoting and checking prints.
My Point:
NO cad program can design a mold....The design comes from your mind! The more you know, the better and faster you can design. PERIOD
smokehouse
“Experience IS knowledge” – not always – every day you see the Sun rising then moves over and then it sets. Your experience says that the Sun is moving. In reality it is vise-versa. Remember Galileo versus the whole world of experienced practitioners? What they did with the guy?
Experience sometimes helps and sometimes obstructs proper understanding what is going on in reality. Therefore real knowledge plus experience are real power.
“It is clear you have little respect for the seasoned pro...” – I would not say so. I like to work with such guys – they understand what I am talking about much easy.
Viktor
“Experience IS knowledge” – not always – every day you see the Sun rising then moves over and then it sets. Your experience says that the Sun is moving. In reality it is vise-versa. Remember Galileo versus the whole world of experienced practitioners? What they did with the guy?
Experience sometimes helps and sometimes obstructs proper understanding what is going on in reality. Therefore real knowledge plus experience are real power.
“It is clear you have little respect for the seasoned pro...” – I would not say so. I like to work with such guys – they understand what I am talking about much easy.
Viktor
"NO cad program can design a mold...." It is correct. No CAD program can design ENYTHING. It is a “fast pen” or a good design tool – no more than that. Moreover, as any good tool it requires good hands. Viktor
rousell, you are totally right, I am just speaking from my experience. The fact is that in South America there are very few ladies in our field. It is perhaps for the lack of openness in general population minds, but the most intellectually gifted females prefer to go to the not so deeply technical fields. A counter example would be architecture, lots of girls there, and I agree, lots of 3D thinking too. Again I am speaking from my experience and the population average.
And yes, we do not use drawing boards anymore, we work in 2D cad, but here I would mark a difference between design and draft. While we are 3 designers here, we have 4 drafters. For quoting purposes we design very fast (mostly by hand, on a A3 or A4 paper), the way the thing would work. This is for me the design.
After we get the order we do details, mostly by CAD. Here we work interactively with a drafter. We draw over his printouts, and then when we agree things are clear, he does the fabrication drafts for each part. This way works for us, we manufacture a very broad range of machinery (cant be very specialized, in our market, you do what you are asked, from pumps to laminators, to ventilation systems, to steel structures, but no complex plastic molds so far). Our weakness is that we cant afford get a perfect design, we have to achieve a compromise solution, at expense of price/performance, to gain speed.
And on lefties and righties, I have friends who are lefties, and much to my envy, they are the most gifted hand drawers. Again can’t generalize, but this is my experience.
sancat
And yes, we do not use drawing boards anymore, we work in 2D cad, but here I would mark a difference between design and draft. While we are 3 designers here, we have 4 drafters. For quoting purposes we design very fast (mostly by hand, on a A3 or A4 paper), the way the thing would work. This is for me the design.
After we get the order we do details, mostly by CAD. Here we work interactively with a drafter. We draw over his printouts, and then when we agree things are clear, he does the fabrication drafts for each part. This way works for us, we manufacture a very broad range of machinery (cant be very specialized, in our market, you do what you are asked, from pumps to laminators, to ventilation systems, to steel structures, but no complex plastic molds so far). Our weakness is that we cant afford get a perfect design, we have to achieve a compromise solution, at expense of price/performance, to gain speed.
And on lefties and righties, I have friends who are lefties, and much to my envy, they are the most gifted hand drawers. Again can’t generalize, but this is my experience.
sancat
Ha! Being extremely left-handed myself I'd have to vote for For Lefties! I have found in design work that I have been involved in the percentage of lefties has probably been 35-50%. Considering that there are far fewer left-handed people in the world (I think) that percentage actually is staggering!
Funny though, my mother and sister are extremely artistic and creative. Both being right-handed, neither can draw a straight line free-handed. I, being very analytical minded cannot draw a crooked line very well. I use lots of straight lines and angles and curves but cannot "sketch" very well.
Viktor, I was actually hired for a job (5 years long) because I was NOT experienced with the product. They wanted a "fresh" perspective on things. Seemed the experienced guys all wanted to do things the same old way. It was very fun and we came up with some facinating new things. One of the guys that had been there for years really resented it though. He cornered me one time and said "You young guys think because you combine a few parts and make them one that you've really acomplished something!" I had never said a negative thing to him. I actually respected him for his "seniority" over me and his deep knowledge of the product line. I agree, however, that experience is not always the best approach.
By the way I'm 39 and hardly consider myself a youngster!
Funny though, my mother and sister are extremely artistic and creative. Both being right-handed, neither can draw a straight line free-handed. I, being very analytical minded cannot draw a crooked line very well. I use lots of straight lines and angles and curves but cannot "sketch" very well.
Viktor, I was actually hired for a job (5 years long) because I was NOT experienced with the product. They wanted a "fresh" perspective on things. Seemed the experienced guys all wanted to do things the same old way. It was very fun and we came up with some facinating new things. One of the guys that had been there for years really resented it though. He cornered me one time and said "You young guys think because you combine a few parts and make them one that you've really acomplished something!" I had never said a negative thing to him. I actually respected him for his "seniority" over me and his deep knowledge of the product line. I agree, however, that experience is not always the best approach.
By the way I'm 39 and hardly consider myself a youngster!
OK,
Women: In my experience, women are fantastic to have in the team and often very talented but they seem to prefer other fields to Engineering such as physics, Architecture, IT and so on. The medical world tells us that women's spatial awareness is generally not as good as mens. In my experience their drawing skills and maths are often better as is their attention to detail.
Lefties: There does seem to be a disproportionate amount of left handed designers but I've seen nothing to suggest that they are any better than their right handed collegues (like me).
Experience: For me there's a big difference between someone with experience and someone who thinks they know it all. My most hated attitude is designers who are faced with a problem and respond with 'How did we solve that before?/what do our competitors do?/What does the book say?' When what is needed is fresh ideas to stay ahead of the competition.
Women: In my experience, women are fantastic to have in the team and often very talented but they seem to prefer other fields to Engineering such as physics, Architecture, IT and so on. The medical world tells us that women's spatial awareness is generally not as good as mens. In my experience their drawing skills and maths are often better as is their attention to detail.
Lefties: There does seem to be a disproportionate amount of left handed designers but I've seen nothing to suggest that they are any better than their right handed collegues (like me).
Experience: For me there's a big difference between someone with experience and someone who thinks they know it all. My most hated attitude is designers who are faced with a problem and respond with 'How did we solve that before?/what do our competitors do?/What does the book say?' When what is needed is fresh ideas to stay ahead of the competition.
You know, the problem is, there is no structured, scientific approach for evaluating people’s strengths and weaknesses. HR departments ideally should do this, but when was the last time you met a HR person from a technical background. They tend to rely on feedback from the relevant bosses. This invariably leads to politics taking over where golfing with the boss is more important than actually doing your job. The bottom line is that you have to recognise the real strengths of individuals. Even the corporate emphasis on ‘team work’ seems more concerned with conformity and getting on with people than allowing individuals to band together and combine their skills. I know I am rambling on a bit here….. but the number of times I have seen decisions made for selfish, political motivations rather than sound logic.
As for being left handed…. ‘Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., and Ronald Reagan are all left-handed. Also, research on primates since the 1920s shows that all primates have hand preferences, and those preferences follow a clear pattern: Lemurs and other prosimians tend to be left-handed; macaques and other old-world monkeys are evenly split between lefties and righties; among gorillas and chimpanzees, 35 percent are lefties, while in humans that percentage hovers around 10’.
(Source – )
Speedy
"Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure."
As for being left handed…. ‘Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr., and Ronald Reagan are all left-handed. Also, research on primates since the 1920s shows that all primates have hand preferences, and those preferences follow a clear pattern: Lemurs and other prosimians tend to be left-handed; macaques and other old-world monkeys are evenly split between lefties and righties; among gorillas and chimpanzees, 35 percent are lefties, while in humans that percentage hovers around 10’.
(Source – )
Speedy
"Tell a man there are 300 billion stars in the universe and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint on it and he'll have to touch to be sure."
Whoa there Speedy, another sub-thread begins...
Yes, how do you show how good you are as a designer in an interview situation. I come from a Product/Industrial design background but I'm now 50/50 Industrial designer/mechanical design engineer(pukka ImechE in case you're wondering). If I go for an Industrial design job I'm expected to bring a portfolio showing pictures of projects and so on to support my incredibly convincing chatter.
If I go for an engineering job, you just get the chatter. That has always struck me as wierd. I can talk at Olympic standard but that doesn't make me a great designer.
We are told that left handers use have a dominant right brain which is the more creative side, right handers have dominant left brain (I don't make the rules!) which is the more logical side. As you need to be both logical and creative to be a designer who's to say what is better?
Yes, how do you show how good you are as a designer in an interview situation. I come from a Product/Industrial design background but I'm now 50/50 Industrial designer/mechanical design engineer(pukka ImechE in case you're wondering). If I go for an Industrial design job I'm expected to bring a portfolio showing pictures of projects and so on to support my incredibly convincing chatter.
If I go for an engineering job, you just get the chatter. That has always struck me as wierd. I can talk at Olympic standard but that doesn't make me a great designer.
We are told that left handers use have a dominant right brain which is the more creative side, right handers have dominant left brain (I don't make the rules!) which is the more logical side. As you need to be both logical and creative to be a designer who's to say what is better?
Biggadike
“My most hated attitude is designers who are faced with a problem and respond with 'How did we solve that before?/what do our competitors do?/What does the book say?' When what is needed is fresh ideas to stay ahead of the competition.” - sorry, I am a dummy so I do not understand how you are going to stay ahead of competition if you do not know the answer to the question “What do our competitors do?” - explain me please.
Then, how far are you going to stay ahead? - it is another important question.
Then – if you do not know what “book says” or just ignore it ….do you really think you can design something feasible? Yes, you can ignore the laws of physics….but only on the paper – it can take it all – incorrect friction coefficient, force diagram, improper materials selection, etc. However, once you try to build something real, you will see the difference. It is not like violating speed limit law (if you are not caught, it is OK?) – the ignorance of basic laws will “hit” you anyway. We are designers – it has a little to do with free-lance painters. You have to be responsible for every line you made so you should be able to answer a simple question – WHY? If a housewife puts some soft in the soup – you would ask her why she did so – as far as the taste is good nobody cares. However, an engineer should be able to provide a kind of rationally to each of his/her technical decision. Answers - Because I believe or feel so – do not work here.
I use to tech my students: IN GOD WE TRUST, ANYONE ELSE SHOULD BRING THE DATA.
Viktor
“My most hated attitude is designers who are faced with a problem and respond with 'How did we solve that before?/what do our competitors do?/What does the book say?' When what is needed is fresh ideas to stay ahead of the competition.” - sorry, I am a dummy so I do not understand how you are going to stay ahead of competition if you do not know the answer to the question “What do our competitors do?” - explain me please.
Then, how far are you going to stay ahead? - it is another important question.
Then – if you do not know what “book says” or just ignore it ….do you really think you can design something feasible? Yes, you can ignore the laws of physics….but only on the paper – it can take it all – incorrect friction coefficient, force diagram, improper materials selection, etc. However, once you try to build something real, you will see the difference. It is not like violating speed limit law (if you are not caught, it is OK?) – the ignorance of basic laws will “hit” you anyway. We are designers – it has a little to do with free-lance painters. You have to be responsible for every line you made so you should be able to answer a simple question – WHY? If a housewife puts some soft in the soup – you would ask her why she did so – as far as the taste is good nobody cares. However, an engineer should be able to provide a kind of rationally to each of his/her technical decision. Answers - Because I believe or feel so – do not work here.
I use to tech my students: IN GOD WE TRUST, ANYONE ELSE SHOULD BRING THE DATA.
Viktor
Viktor you insult me.
Allow me to explain myself (This is what I get for trying to be brief).
My problem is people who look for a ready made solution to new problems and they don't seem to think that in-depth creativity is part of normal design. I'm not talking about the laws of physics, I'm very well versed on them thank you for the lecture, but books have to be understood (I've found numerous mistakes in text books and mumerous times when the basic equation just wasn't the right one for the job) and their contents applied with knowledge and insight. Of course you should be fully aware of the competition but if you think the way to beat them is to copy them then count me out. I've seen quite a lot of that which is why I'm complaining about it.
As I said, I may have started as an Idustrial designer but I'm now a qualified mechanical design engineer with 13 years of serious experience under my belt and I prove myself on a daily basis so I'd appreciate a little less patronising. I'm not one of your students.
Allow me to explain myself (This is what I get for trying to be brief).
My problem is people who look for a ready made solution to new problems and they don't seem to think that in-depth creativity is part of normal design. I'm not talking about the laws of physics, I'm very well versed on them thank you for the lecture, but books have to be understood (I've found numerous mistakes in text books and mumerous times when the basic equation just wasn't the right one for the job) and their contents applied with knowledge and insight. Of course you should be fully aware of the competition but if you think the way to beat them is to copy them then count me out. I've seen quite a lot of that which is why I'm complaining about it.
As I said, I may have started as an Idustrial designer but I'm now a qualified mechanical design engineer with 13 years of serious experience under my belt and I prove myself on a daily basis so I'd appreciate a little less patronising. I'm not one of your students.
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