Showerthought: My plumber friend said something about my CAD work that stuck with me

Tbh, I was showing him a 3D model of a plumbing layout I was drafting for a new build. He looked at it for a minute and goes, 'You know, you're drawing the perfect world where pipes never get dirty.' Ngl, it hit different because I realized I'd been designing for the ideal install, not the guy who has to service it in 10 years. Has anyone else had a client or tradesperson point out a blind spot in your drafting approach?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_young5918d ago

Yeah that's so real... it's easy to forget the real world when you're just looking at clean lines on a screen. I had an electrician ask me once why I put an access panel in such a tight spot. He said he'd need three elbows just to get a screwdriver in there. Totally changed how I plan those now. We get stuck in the theory and forget the person who has to deal with the thing later. Your plumber friend is spot on.

ross.jessica18d ago

My old boss used to say a good design needs a six inch gap for a hand holding a wrench. Your electrician story is exactly why, lily_young59. We spend so much time making the 3D model look perfect that we forget about real arms and tools. I keep a picture of a guy trying to fit into a service space taped to my monitor now. It's the best reminder that someone has to actually build and fix the stuff we draw.