It’s not always easy to juggle multiple hats in the design and engineering worlds—but if there is a common language that will likely end up saving you a lot of time and frustration down the road, it’s having basic knowledge of visual communication. While nobody can become an Aaron Draplin overnight, having a strong grasp on the fundamentals of color theory and layout could easily make or break your projects—particularly when communication specific details to stakeholders. Thankfully, you don’t need to go back to design school to get started with leveling up your visual communication game. From setting up an Adobe Creative Cloud environment to building a portfolio website, the…
When it comes to configuring your workstation for SOLIDWORKS, how do you know what to prioritize? Does the size of the GPU matter more than the clock-speed of the CPU? Does your workflow change what’s important? Working at Lenovo, it was important to understand how you as a SOLIDWORKS user need answers to these questions to ensure you are getting the most out of your workstation – especially when there are a massive number of brands, models and configurations to consider. What’s The Best SOLIDWORKS Workstation? With various graphics card options, software packages, operating systems and more, it can all get very complicated, very quickly. What it comes down to…
For those who haven’t tried it yet, Overwatch is a cartoonish multiplayer video game set in the not-so-distant future. With a diverse roster of characters—from the giant talking ape Winston to the gun-slinging cowboy McCree—Overwatch’s cast is as wacky as it is all-inclusive. One of these wacky characters—a Swedish engineer by the name of Torbjörn—is a dwarf whose main role in the game is to drop a turret, then otherwise be generally useless. But his mechanical companion is so connected to the character that you can’t have one without the other. KONGDOLE Production, a small design team from South Korea, love the little Swedish man’s creation so much they decided…
While there used to be a painful shortage of inspirational design sketching books out there, these days, design students and those looking to refresh their skill set may, in fact, have too many to choose from. The good news is, there’s something different to learn from each—so go ahead and build out that library. Among other design sketching book favorites, we love the broad variety of sketching styles presented in Sketching. While the book is ideal for any design student or classroom, many professionals and design studios will also likely learn a thing or two from the wide variety of sketching styles and form examples presented within the book’s 256…
It’s time for another round of apps that cover the spectrum of your beloved smart device(s)! The Weekly App Smack is the best of new or updated design and productivity apps (and maybe a couple of fun ones, too) for the busy design or engineering professional. This week we have a list sure to make you more efficient. Do you have an app suggestion that has made your life easier or changed up your workflow? Let us know in the comments below or send it into tips@solidsmack.com. Hit it! Invstr: Investing for Everyone (iOS — Free) Invest $1M of virtual cash and win real prizes with Fantasy Finance. And when you’re…
Founded in 1959 as a professional tool manufacturer to support Japan’s burgeoning manufacturing industry, Trusco—a combination of the words “Trust” and “Company”—is still manufacturing some of the best toolboxes, today. While their stripped-down design makes them a must-have for many design aficionados, the pressed steel boxes are ridiculously useful for just about anything—tools or not. Still manufactured in Fukui, Japan, Trusco tool boxes now come in more sizes than ever—capable of whatever storage challenges you throw at them. Trusco Toolboxes — $12.99 – $147.37 Features: Steel body, formed for extra strengthVersatile sizing for specific storage solutionsDouble-hinged construction for smooth openingDividers includedEqually useful in the home, office, or the shop PURCHASE…