Computers and Complexity

SolidWorks is a software product, and the makers and sellers want nothing more than to have new bells and whistles to roll out every year. More features equals more sales. That's all well and good for their business, and to a degree, for my business. I like having all the options and features in one elaborate program, and even though it becomes cumbersome as it grows (think Swiss Army Knife), it's a very useful tool, or perhaps toolbox full of tools is a more appropriate analogy.

When the tool gets complex and there are lots of sexy new features, there is a danger of letting the tool dictate the work. If your design becomes an exercise in trying to combine Extrudes, Lofts, Sweeps, Revolves, and Surfaces and a long list of Fillets, you're probably missing the point of the design, and are playing with your software.

If using the computer to design results in an overly complex solution, you've failed the customer. The designer can use something like SolidWorks to design, but the design must always be Simple and Elegant. As Albert Einstein said, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Look at the resulting design on the computer screen. Is it simple to make? Would anyone from age 5 to 105 look at at and immediately "get it"? Go back and imagine sketching it with a pencil, visualize the front, top, sides, is it a simple matter to convey the features?

Don't let the computer software drive the design. Complex tools can make complex designs look easy. Any computer-based designer needs to know how to step away from the mouse and understand what's at the heart of the solution for the customer.