Computer Aided design (CAD) has revolutionized the fashion industry with its inception. To understand the role of computer aided design in the industry, we must first understand what it is. Computer Aided design is a technology which designs a product and records the process used. It is highly innovative and cutting edge as recording the process of the making is what is utilized later in making other products. It also facilitates the process by storing detailed diagrams of the design’s material, processes, dimensions etc. It can even create two dimensional and three dimensional diagrams of the product which can further be rotated at different angles so as to give the product a simulation or real life look.
Imagine the kind of change this has brought. With technology advancing at such a fast pace, it has touched and transformed every industry. In every industry, old traditional processes turn obsolete and are replaced by newer and efficient technology. The fashion industry also reaps benefits of this technological advancement in the world. Manual skills have been substituted by computerized skills. To put it in the simplest way, CAD reduces the need of manual sketches in the process of design. Manual skills such as mathematical calculation or artistic skills to sketch are no longer an obstacle for fashion lovers. There are a number of advantages of CAD pertaining to the processes of fashion designing. CAD provides precision and eliminates the scope of human flaws. Every measurement is tuned to the decimal. This reduces wastage of resources and thus, consumer dissatisfaction. Not only this, but CAD also organizes information for the designer which would otherwise have to done through a time taking manual process. Another noticeable gain is that the overall productivity of the process of designing increases. With lower labor costs and reduced time taken for a single product, the per product profits increase. Along with this, the competition also goes up a level higher with the advent of CAD. The quality of products in the markets had to be upgraded in order for any brand to survive in the market. Experimentation has become easier through CAD. Designers can now hit and try new ideas all the way to the last stage which would not be possible through manual processes. This is critical, if you think about it, in originating unique designs by brainstorming and experimenting and see if the idea is feasible or not. Making quick changes and improvisations also becomes easier with this technology which otherwise used to be a tedious task.
Students are being trained for CAD nowadays and there are separate computer aided design courses in the market dedicated to CAD. Many academia argue that the training for CAD is quite different from the traditional training of fashion designing. Thus, every institution is working to update its curriculum to include CAD because the current working in the industry is influenced by CAD. The sooner aspirants realize the value of this technology and learn how to master the sooner they can tread on their own career as a fashion designer and succeed.
CAD has brought the human element of creativity and efficiency of technology together. The decisions remain in the hands of a designer and the exhausting labor can be done away with. Such an amazing tool can transform the fashion industry to much greater levels than it already has. With the right kind of awareness and training, CAD can be utilized in an optimum manner and can fulfill its potential. The fashion industry is slowly realizing its value and with time all old methods could be replaced to serve consumers with both quality and inexpensive products.
