At Alphidia, we do most of our 3D CAD modeling with a program called SpaceClaim. It is not the most popular program on the market but we like the interface and the ability to just “start modeling” without having to worry about constraints.
But even as good as that program is in allowing you the freedom to create what you want, it doesn’t beat the insight you get from actually making a crude prototype or mockup of your idea.
The physical world often places constraints on your idea that you can rarely foresee through imagination alone. And even if your minds eye allows you to “see” something in all three dimensions, you often miss the subtleness of balance, tactile feel, and most importantly the emotional feeling you have when holding an actual object in your hands.
Mark Summer, an Imagineer at the Walt Disney Company, was stumped trying to figure out for to design the phenomenally successful ride, Soarin’. It wasn’t until he put down the pen and paper and pulled out an erector set to craft a model did the “how” come to his mind.
You can achieve the same thing by creating in the physical realm.
So put down the sketch pad, pencil, napkin or mouse. Grab some scraps of wood, foam board, construction paper and a glue gun and make a cheap, crude version of your idea. I guarantee you will “see” something you hadn’t imagined before. And this insight is where the magic happens…