Dynamic Design With 3-D

For custom furniture clients, seeing their idea for a piece of furniture come to life is an important part of the appeal of having it custom made.  Guest blogger Jason Andrew Hernandez of Jason Andrew Designs shares his experience with SketchUp, a computer program that involves the client in the design process and provides other benefits as well:

When commissioning a piece of custom furniture, clients often arrive with a mixed bag of ideas. The first step is to arrange and combine these ideas in the “what if” stage.  My favorite tool for this process is SketchUp, a 3-D computer-modeling program.  It allows us to fully explore possibilities, keep design costs down, and clearly communicate the design to the client.

The Anvil Conference Table by Jason Andrew Designs, designed via the SketchUp 3D modeling program. You can see the completed table at CustomMade.com.

The purpose of the design process is to explore possibilities.  SketchUp is a powerful tool that can easily generate alternate versions, pull parts off one design and apply it to another, or even literally grab the corner of a table to twist, pull, and drag it into something quite unique.  We can also simulate different types of wood and materials to get a sense of what would look best.  This exploration is effortless.  Clients feel more comfortable giving honest feedback since they know it will not add extra work and expense.

Clients also enjoy the dynamic viewing experience of 3-D. You can walk around the furniture, see it from all angles, and zoom in to see more detail.  Objects and people can be added to the model to get a sense of scale and traffic flow.  You can even model the room where a particular piece will live and really see how it will fit in the environment.  Clients can get a clear picture of what they will be buying.

Clients use a custom furniture maker because they want a unique piece that will be cherished by their family for generations.  It is an investment.  They want to consider all the options in a format they can relate to easily.  My clients truly enjoy being a part of the design process with SketchUp since they can “see” the product before it’s actually produced.  They can purchase with confidence, knowing they’ve made the best choice.  3-D modeling has become a cost effective, creative, and fun way to make that happen.

Enjoy the slideshow of examples of SketchUp at work!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25953147@N00/sets/72157623292292420/show/