The Creativity Handbook

for 3D Professionals
Habits, tools and hacks backed by science
to boost your design creativity.

How important is creativity for engineers,

architects and design professionals?
Creativity shapes the world we live
infrom masterpieces of art to urban
planning. Almost everything we do, use and
experience in our day-to-day lives can be
attributed to some form of creative output.
According to Adobes 2012 State of Create
report, creativity drives economic growth,
adds value to society and sparks business
innovation. 3D professionals know this all
too well: creativity powers the success of
their careers, businesses and clients.
Engineers are tasked with manipulating
math and science into innovative and
creative solutions. Architects have to create

structurally sound buildings that are also

aesthetically pleasing. And 3D artists are
valued as much for their creativity as they
are for their technical skills.
In an increasingly complex world, few things
are more important for 3D professionals
than the ability to solve challenges
creatively. Thats a lot of pressure riding on
a trait youre born with, right? Not exactly.
Contrary to what you might have been told,
creativity is not some magical superpower
granted at birth. It is a skill and a discipline
that can be practiced and improved through
rigorous habits, effective use of tools, and

even biological hacks. This is an important

point for 3D professionals: it means
that, like your prowess in 3D software,
creativity can grow better with effort,
not luck.
But what if you dont feel creative all the
timeor most of the time?
This ebook is here to help. In it, youll find
new ways to think about creativity, find
out how to form creative habits, learn
about tools that enhance creativity, and
discover strategies to foster a more
creative workplace.

Are you ready to get to work? Read on to unleash your inner creative.

Table of Contents

0102 03 04

SEC T ION

Were Thinking About

Creativity All Wrong

SEC T ION

The Habits of Highly

Creative People

SEC T ION

Tools to Enhance
Your Creativity

SEC T ION

SEC T ION

Enhance Your Creativity

with a 3D Mouse

Hack Your Biology and

Program It for Creativity

About 3Dconnexion

01

Were Thinking About Creativity All Wrong

Creativity isnt about color choice, layout
or aesthetic appeal. Its about the ability to
break out of a preconceived perception or
expectation when approaching a challenge
or problem. Its about the ability to
transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns
and relationships to create meaningful new
ideas and results that deliver value.

According to Professor Teresa M. Amabile

at Harvard Business School, creativity
can be harnessed by anyone with anormal
capacity. That means everyone. Not just
those artsy or outside the box thinkers,
you know.
It all starts with diving into the process
behind creativity.

Deep Dive Into The Creative Process

The creative process has been long studied,
but isnt yet fully understood. However, we
can break what we know down into two
disciplines: neuroscience and psychology.
Both can give us some insight into how we
develop our creative muscles.

But what if you dont have a new idea or feel

particularly creative? Good news: With the
right habits, creativity happens more often
whether you feel particularly inspired or not.

01

What Does Neuroscience Tell Us

About The Creative Process?
A group of neuroscientists have found
that there is no such thing as leftbrained people and right-brained people.
Traditionally, we think of left-brained
folks as adept in the math and sciences.
Conversely, right-brained individuals are
seen as creative, passionate and often
eccentric.
However, brain activity studies tell us that
the creative process uses activity from the
whole brain, not one side or the other.
This confirms the idea that creativity is not
a trait of innately gifted people, but rather a
muscle that can be strengthened and flexed.

02

Defining the Creative Process

Through Psychology
Neuroscience shows us that creativity can
be developed. Psychology offers a way to
develop it.
Graham Wallas, an English social psychologist and London School of Economics
co-founder, was one of the first to theorize
the process behind being more creative.
This model of the creative process was
outlined in his book, The Art of Thought.
Though the book sells for a kings ransom
online (due to it being out of print), this
blog post has an in-depth summary of its
contents.

1. Preparation
We define the problem, need or desire.

Any interruption to this process is what we

would call a creative block.

2. Incubation
We let it simmer, and contemplate
possibilities.

Why does this matter? Because now that we

know the science and process, we can adopt
habits, tools and lifestyle modifications to
overcome creative blocks and enhance each
step along the creative path outlined above.

3. Illumination
Ideas form, whether we actively generate
them or they develop over time.
4. Verification
Ideas are great, but they need to be
fleshed out. This phase deals with
verifying and developing the idea into a
fully-formed conclusion.

The first step starts with developing

effective creative habits.

Wallas model defines the path we take

when trying to be creative:

03

02

The Habits of Highly Creative People

Good creative habits rely on changing how
you think about creativity. Society tells us
that people are creative, as if they woke up
one day and found themselves that way.
But in reality, those people were the sum of
their habits.
Try on the following habits for size. Theyre
routines used by highly creative people.
Dont give away the secret: they just might
have made these highly creative people
highly creative in the first place.

04

Habit One:
Carve Out Time for Creativity
Creativity requires time and focus. You must
make time for it the same as you would for
professional, personal and social obligations.
As the saying goes, you must do what you
have to do, so you can do what you want to
do. If you want to be creative, you must do
whatevers necessary to make time for it.
Good time management enhances
creativity. One of the biggest mistakes
professionals make is continuing on with
their daily tasks, hoping that creativity will
magically start happening. Nothing could be
further from the truth.

As part of the preparation stage

outlined by psychologist Wallas, you must
ruthlessly make time to devote to idea
generation, developing ideas more fully, and
brainstorming.
The result is creativity that not only happens
consciously, but happens far more often.
For specific ways to carve out time for
creativity, see Section Three: Tools to
Enhance Creativity.

05

Habit Two:
Streamline Processes and Leverage Technology
To adopt habit one, habit two is important.
Make room in your schedule by cutting down
the time it takes to complete tasks. When
you streamline processes and leverage
technology, youre able to create the mental
and physical bandwidth needed for creative
work.
Focus on your most timely task. For most
CAD, CAM and 3D professionals, this is
creating and assembling parts and models.
So, how do you make this type of work
faster and more creative?
By leveraging divergent thinking.
Divergent thinking is when both hemispheres
of the brain are used to solve problems
and complete tasks. Divergent thinkers
are proven to be more creative: Musicians

use two hands independently to play their

instrument, and some scientists say this
enhances divergent thinking.
Its strikingly similar to how CAD users
who employ a two-handed work style
operate.
A 3D mouse is one example of technology
that enables divergent thinking. Its twohanded workflow and precision navigation
can yield great benefits for designers.
3D mice save you time and reduce design
fatigue, so you can design comfortably for
longer.

of its six-degrees-of-freedom sensor

technology. Simultaneously, you select
components, parts of the model and menus,
and draw (create) with a standard mouse in
your dominant hand.
Learn more about two-handed work
styles here

Heres how it works. You use your nondominant hand to pan, zoom and rotate your
model or view with a 3D mouse, courtesy

06

Habit Three:
Collect Ideas Constantly
Youll find that many of the people you
consider to be creative individuals carry a
form of notepad on them at all times. They
log every snippet of idea that comes to mind,
as well as every inspired thing they see and
experience throughout the day.

They come from experiencing the world,

borrowing others ideas and building upon
them with our own. Like Albert Einstein said:
Creativity is knowing how to hide your
sources.

enable you to archive ideas, it also keeps

you organized and promotes productive
brainstorm sessions.
Too technologically savvy for the old pen
and paper thing? Try these online notetaking tools:

These ideas arent usually flashes of original

inspiration; theyre ideas that already exist.

Start hiding yours. Carry around a notepad

at all times and collect every inspiration
you encounter. Not only does this habit

Evernote

Pocket

Trello

Evernote is a set of digital notebooks that

syncs across devices. Its handy web extension
clips articles, pictures and digital material right
to your notebooks from your browser.

Less permanent than Evernote, Pocket clips

web links to a common online repository. View
your clipped content, tag it, archive it or check
it off when youre done for a constant stream of
creative juice.

Described as a whiteboard with superpowers,

Trello organizes your thoughts and ideas in one
place and encourages your projects to crosspollinate.

07

Habit Four:
Embrace Failure
Creativity is born from the ashes of failure.
Failure, for many, is the driving force and
motivation behind great creative works.
Few renowned creative thinkers and artists
became the idols they are today without a
few bumps in the road.
Van Gogh only sold one painting while
alive. American President Abraham Lincoln
lost numerous races before winning public
office. And Decca Records said, no to The
Beatles, claiming the guitar sound was dead.

Vincent van Gogh, 1888

But they all eventually succeeded because

they werent afraid to fail. In fact, you can
argue that such setbacks gave these great
thinkers and artists the room to persevere
and grow.
By embracing failure, 3D professionals
can be more creative, generate more
creative ideas and explore exciting new
ideas they hadnt previously considered.
So go on, dont be afraid of failure. In fact,
make it a habit.

Gardner, 1865

Habits like these lead to long-term growth.

On their own, they will take you far. But you
can go even further when you combine them
with the right creativity tools.
So, lets arm you with the tools to turn you
into an unstoppable creativity machine.

The Beatles, 1964

08

03

Tools to Enhance Your Creativity

Environment, inspiration, time management,
exposure and appropriate planning all
play a pivotal role in the overall creative
process. Luckily, developers and creativity
enthusiasts have set out to design tools for
these specific areas.

Equip yourself with a few of them to beat

your next creative block and enhance your
creativitystarting right now.

09

Tools for a More Creative Environment

Your surroundings impact your creativity. The
most optimal environment for creativity will
vary from person to person, but researchers
have found that people exposed to
moderate levels of ambient noise have a
greater capacity to be creative.
The following tools enhance the creativity
of any environment by producing their own
background buzz:

Coffitivity
Coffitivity plays the background noise of a
coffee shop on your computer for enhanced
focus and creativity. It plays in your browser
or through a desktop app. Espresso served
separately...
Noisli
Noisli takes a different approach: the site plays
combinations of natural sounds like rain, wind,
leaves, fire and water, allowing you to tailor
natures sounds to your ears pleasure.

10

Tools to Inspire You

Inspiration is crucial to creativity. It fuels
out-of-the-box thinking, generates new ideas
and sparks great works. So, where do you find
inspiration?

These web resources highlight some of the

most creative designs and ideas from around
the world. Theyre sure to get your creative
juices flowing!

Inspiration, just like creativity, does not strike

from out of the blue. You have to go out and
find it.

Inspiration Grid
This website provides inspiration via stories and
photos from creatives in every industry.

Behance
Showcase your creative work and discover
the work of others using this engaged online
community.

Design Snack
Design Snack takes online inspiration to a
whole new, customizable level. This tool gives
you the power to create your own inspirational
portfolio. Simply curate your favorite images
and most inspiring workthe perfect way to
jumpstart creativity when it flags.

SketchFab
SketchFab allows you to view inspiring models,
and upload, embed and share your own.

11

Tools to Flex Your Creative Muscles

Your creativity is just like any muscle
if you dont use it, you lose it. Challenge
it with new projects outside your ordinary
design scope using these resources.
(You can even get paid in the process!)

It is important to take a break from your

normal design projects so your mind can
refresh. Mix it up and lets see that creative
muscle flex.

99 Designs
This online marketplace offers design contests
from real businesses. If your design wins, you
get paid and your work gets used.

3docean
Want a little more creative freedom? 3docean
doesnt give you a creative brief. You design
whatever your heart desires, upload your work
and others can buy it.

TraceParts
Looking to try a new process, idea or technique
but dont want to mess around with your existing models? TraceParts provides millions of
free 3D CAD models for you to experiment with.

12

Tools to Plan Out Creative Projects

Without proper preproduction and design
plans, creativity stalls. These tools simplify
project brainstorming and management so
that pre-production is seamless, efficient
and painless.
A regimented approach allows you to focus
your attention on actually coming up with
stellar ideas.

XMind
Mind mapping tools help you brainstorm,
communicate and capture creative ideas. XMind
is available in three different versions: a free
version, a plus version and a pro version.
Lucidchart
This tool makes it dead easy to develop mind
maps and organizational charts that keep your
creative ideas flowing.

13

Tools to Make Time for Creativity

Creative ideas take time to develop and plan.
In order to dedicate the appropriate amount
of time needed to nurture the creative
process, you need to be productive.

These tools make tedious tasks easier, so

you spend less time on busywork and
distractions, and more on creativity.

So, how about it? Ready to start making

more time for creativity today?

GE.TT, WeTransfer and Dropbox

These cloud file-sharing tools make
collaborating on 3D files quick and easy.
They offer numerous storage plans for larger
files, and will save you a ton of time.

RescueTime
Maybe you spend too much time on distractions,
and not enough on jumpstarting creativity.
RescueTime can help. It compiles a summary
of your daily computer activity. See trends in
how much time you actually spend on a project
versus other activities. This insight will show
you the best ways to adjust your habits for
maximum creativity.

GrabCAD
Similiar to GE.TT, WeTransfer and Dropbox,
GrabCAD allows 3D professionals to collaborate
with coworkers through an easy-to-use CAD
file manager. This tool enables you to sync
local files and collaborate on projects, revision
rounds and brainstorming sessions.

14

04

Hack Your Biology and Program It for Creativity

Creative blocks tend to strike at the
most inconvenient timeslike when hard
deadlines or big projects loom. So, what do
you do when youre under pressure to be
more creative this very moment? Simple.
You hack your brain into being more creative.
Its easier than you think.
Here are hacks backed by science that you
can use right now to spark creativity.

15

01: Get Your

Blood Flowing

02: Give Yourself

the Blues

03: Play a Video Game

Exercising can improve your ability to

harness your creative powers.

A study conducted by the University

of British Columbia found that when
exposed to or surrounded by the color blue,
test participants were able to think more
creatively.

According to researchers at Michigan State

Universitys Children and Technology
Project, most computer games appear to
boost creativity. Playing games also helps
distract the mind from the task at hand,
helping it to refresh.

Psychology Today touches upon the

correlation between exercising and creativity,
saying: Sweat is like WD-40 for your mind
it lubricates the rusty hinges of your brain
and makes your thinking more fluid.
However, if you need a quick fix for your
creative block, you probably dont have time
to hit the gym.

The color blue boosts brain performance and

activity, resulting in better creativity. You
might not be able to repaint your office on
the fly, but you can change your desktop
background!

So, turn your mind off and enjoy your

favorite game to coax your creative brain
into coming out to play.

Good news. There are a ton of exercises

you can do right from your desk at work.
Take 10 minutes to get your body moving.
Itll translate to heightened brain function
and an increased capacity for creativity.

16

04: Get Messy!

05: Place Yourself in

Uncharted Waters

06: Deprive Yourself of

One of Your Senses to
Boost Another

Ever wonder why creative people can be

such slobs? Turns out its just a brain hack
to think more creatively!

Explore a new neighborhood. Try a new

food. Talk to a stranger when in line for
lunch. Anything to take yourself out of your
comfort zone will work. Your mind needs
new experiences to draw from in order to
spark new creative ideas.

Sensory deprivation involves taking away

one of your senses to boost another.

In a study published in the journal

Psychological Science, researchers found
that clean workspaces promote healthy
habits, generosity and conformity, while
messy workspaces boost creativity.
So go on, get messy!

A post published by Scientific American

suggests that even just thinking about a far
away place can help.

For example, if you wear earplugs, your

sense of sight, smell, taste and touch
heighten. Depriving yourself of a sense
helps you see new perspectives and explore
uncharted possibilities.
Cover your eyes or plug your ears for a
minute or two. The change in perspective
might just get you over that creative hump.

17

07: Play a Mind Game

08: Think Like Mozart

09: Be Childish!

Mental challenges are a great way to get

the creative juices flowing. Your brain
is a muscle that needs to be stretched
and flexed. Playing sudoku, Scrabble and
disambiguation games all promote creative
thinking.

To view your project in a new light, employ

Janusian thinking. Its the ability to
imagine two opposites or contradictory
ideas, concepts, or images existing
simultaneously.

Break out the crayons, Play-Doh or Legos.

In research on Creativity as Flexible
Cognitive Control, Darya Zabelina and
Michael Robinson state that a playful,
childlike mindset among adults facilitates
creative originality.

Heres a favorite of ours: Pick two random

words and try to connect them in exactly
10 steps.

The tactic was used by Einstein, Mozart,

Edison and Van Gogh when they needed a
creative jolt.

When you need creativity on demand, brain

hacks are the way to go. Quick, simple fixes
can funnel your thought processes and open
your mind.
Mind games are a great example of how
training your brain over time can enhance
your capacity for creativity.

18

Practice Makes Perfect

Especially When It Comes To Creativity
Improved creativity that happens more
frequently is just a little practice and hard
work away.
Its a mind-over-matter game. Habits,
coupled with tools, brain hacks and work
environments that foster creativity, are
together the formula for creative success.

So, isnt today the perfect time to start

improving your creativity? Commit to
creative success right now using the
resources in this ebook.
The world needs more creative ideas.
Lets get started.

19

05

Enhance Your Creativity with a 3D Mouse

When it comes to 3D design work, a 3D
mouse has the power to make you more
creative. A 3D mouse allows you to navigate
your 3D content more fluidly, so you feel
more connected and better able to express
your design intent. Your productivity and
comfort also receive a welcome boost,

thanks to the natural and efficient twohanded work-style.

3Dconnexion offers a variety of 3D mice.
Which is the right solution for you? Read
more about the 3Dconnexion family below.

20

05

The 3Dconnexion Family

SpaceNavigator

SpaceNavigator for Notebooks

SpaceMouse Wireless

The 3D Mouse for Everyone

The Travelers Best Friend

Perfect for you if you want a more natural way to

interact with your CAD content at an affordable cost.

Perfect for you if you use 3D applications in lots

of different places.

For Fans of Clean Lines and

Clutter-Free Desktops

The SpaceNavigator is the entry-level 3D

mouse, but it still packs a punch thanks to
the patented six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF)
controller cap, the central feature of all
3Dconnexion 3D mice.

The SpaceNavigator for Notebooks offers

the same 6DoF navigation and two buttons
of the SpaceNavigator, but in a travel-sized
package thats half the weight of its cousin
and two-thirds the size.

Perfect for you if youre looking for a sleek, stylish

and intuitive way to interact with digital 3D content.

The SpaceMouse Wireless is the worlds

first wireless 3D mouse. Its 2.4 GHz wireless
technology, cord-free design, one-month
battery life and two buttons make this
mouse a 3D designers best friend

21

05

The 3Dconnexion Family (cont.)

SpaceMouse Pro

SpaceMouse Pro Wireless

SpacePilot Pro

The 3D Mouse for the Professional

The Wireless 3D Mouse for

the Professional

The Mouse for the Elite Designer

Perfect for you if youre a busy professional who

spends more than a few hours per day working with
3D content.

The SpaceMouse Pro offers 15 completely

customizable buttons including four
intelligent function keys and QuickView
navigation keys so youre always in control
of your designs.

Perfect for you if youre a busy professional who

spends much of the day working with 3D content
and appreciates the finer things in life (like a cordfree desktop).

The SpaceMouse Pro Wireless offers the

same professional features as its wired
sibling with the added convenience of a
cord-free workspace. Its 2.4 GHz wireless
technology and two-month battery life offer
a real-time, reliable and precise connection
between you and your design.

Perfect for you if you need as many features as

its possible to pack into a 3D mouse.

Recognize your true creative ability

with the right tools at your fingertips.

Equip yourself with a 3D mouse

With 10 intelligent key functions, QuickView

navigation keys and full color LCD screen,
youll spend more time in the zone and
less time traveling back and forth to the
keyboard.

22

3Dconnexion Product
Comparison Chart

Professional Series

Personal Series

SpacePilot Pro

SpaceMouse Pro
Wireless

SpaceMouse Pro

SpaceMouse
Wireless

SpaceNavigator

SpaceNavigator
for Notebooks

3Dconnexion 6DoF Technology

Compact Controller Cap

32 Views
(10 Keys)

12 Views
(4 Keys)

12 Views
(4 Keys)

Speed, Rotation,
Pan/Zoom,
Dominant

Rotation

Rotation

Intelligent Function Keys

10

Total Programmable Keys

31

15

15

Full Color LCD

Advanced Hand Rest

Keyboard Modifiers
(Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Esc)

Rollover

icons for more information

Navigation

QuickView Keys
Navigation Settings Keys

Performance

On-Screen Display
Radial Menu

Comfort

3Dconnexion Wireless Technology

Additional
Dimensions (LxWxH)
Weight
Warranty

231 x 150 x 58 mm
9.1 x 5.9 x 2.3

204 x 142 x 58 mm
8 x 5.6 x 2.3

204 x 142 x 58 mm
8 x 5.6 x 2.3

78 x 78 x 54 mm
3.1 x 3.1 x 2.1

78 x 78 x 53 mm
3.1 x 3.1 x 2.1

68 x 68 x 46 mm
2.7 x 2.7 x 1.8

880g / 1.94 lbs

563g / 1.24 lbs

665g / 1.47 lbs

424g / 0.93 lbs

479g / 1.06 lbs

250g / 0.58 lbs

3 years

3 years

3 years

2 years

2 years

2 years

23

05

About 3Dconnexion
3Dconnexion makes 3D mice that
revolutionize the way people interact with
3D applications, providing a more natural
and intuitive way to interact with digital 3D
content.
By gently manipulating the controller cap,
3D mouse users can simultaneously pan,
zoom and rotate their 3D models or camera
position while using the standard mouse or
tablet to select, create and edit.

Supported by todays most popular and

powerful 3D applications, 3Dconnexions
award-winning 3D mice serve a wide variety
of industries and are used by engineers,
designers, architects and artists across the
globe.

Stay up-to-date with all the latest

company and industry news via:
3Dconnexion Blog

3Dconnexions North American headquarters

are in Boston, Mass., with offices worldwide.

Its an intuitive, balanced and cooperative

work style that results in increased
productivity, improvements in creativity and
enhanced comfort.

24

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