Best Laptops for Designers

Recommend Laptops for 2022

Choosing the right laptop can take a lot of time and energy. We know that we need laptops to run the various design software that our careers demand of us. New updates and new programs always seem to be eating away at the space and performance of our machines. We’ll see which laptops are the highest quality and which laptops are the most affordable. Hopefully, you can find a decent option to roll within for the rest of 2022. Be sure to click on the names of the laptops to find more information.

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High-Quality Laptops

Microsoft Surface Book 3

Microsoft Surface Book 3

HP ZBook Studio G5

Asus ROG Zephyrus Laptop

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Laptop Deals

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14-inch

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14-inch

Microsoft Surface Go 2

Asaw3fus VivoBook 14 M413

Why Build by Hand?

How are architecture models useful in the design process?

The field of architecture and urban design represent a unique sector of design where 3D creations have a technical element. In today’s modern world, models of buildings and cities are still created by hand. Even when there are 3D programs like SketchUp and Rhino, there still seems to be utility in creating a scalable model. Let’s look at three motivating factors for using this design technique…

Communication

Architectural models help designers bridge that communication gap with clients, inspectors, stakeholders, etc.. If people from various industries are coming together on a project, it is safe to assume that they use different terminology and software programs to communicate with each other. A model can streamline communication between various groups of people that are working on the same project.

Angles

An underrated aspect of using hand made models is the effect that they have on representing lighting conditions. Architects tend to place models in their accurate orientation, and respond to solar positioning by experimenting with different shading techniques.

Hands On

Creating a model by hand also allows for creativity during the design process. Touching an actual model promotes a greater sense of responsibility and attention to detail. Furthermore, its tangibility can be useful in the design process, by ripping off walls/enclosures and placing new iterations to experiment and push the design forward.

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Where's the Music?

Is there a connection between music and design?

According to an article by TIME, music and its effect on creativity are not completely conclusive. However, a study referenced early in the article stated how music actually "impairs'' creativity. In this study, word puzzles were used as the primary variable. When there was no background music, their study yielded better results. Later on, the article discussed how the study might be challenged by the effect of "upbeat" and "happy music". In order to paint a clearer picture of the true relationship between music and creativity, more supporting studies would need to be done. Or, our current studies should be more publicized so that a general consensus can be made.

From my perspective, I would recommend doing a self analysis comparing your productivity when you have music playing and when you have no music playing. See what works for you. Knowing your optimal level of productivity may allow you to accomplish more over the long-run.