2016 was a big year for Cad Crowd! Our community is growing by leaps and bounds. We’ve had more new designers join our network, more clients connecting with freelance design services, and more crowdsourced design challenges completed. Of course, that means that we’ve also seen a huge amount of input into the Cad Crowd Gallery.
So as 2016 comes to a close, we thought it would be a good time to recap some of the best and most popular CAD projects of the past year. Now, many fabulous designs and product ideas were left out that are just as great as these — but we did have to limit our selection! With that in mind, here are the Top 10 CAD Design Projects of 2016!
Best CAD Design Projects of 2023
1. Cat Voronoi 3D Modeling Design by BRAVO
A Voronoi is a kind of mathematical diagram where a plane (or surface) is partitioned into regions based on the distance between specified points. Voronoi diagrams have all sorts of useful applications in engineering, mathematics, and geography. And it turns out they are also great for making beautiful 3D printable sculptures, like this kitty!
2. Racing Drone Product Design by Jinen Sheth
Drone design is really taking off (get it?). Drone racing is totally a thing now, and there are several different leagues in many countries that host drone racing competitions. Typically, a race course consists of a number of checkpoints that must be reached in the shortest time possible. Sometimes these courses involve difficult-to-avoid obstacles. To make it all more exciting, the drones are controlled through VR goggles to give the pilots a first-person perspective.
3. Car Rendering 3D Modeling Design by Mdesign0101
Some of the gallery’s all-time most popular designs have been automobiles. That’s not surprising, really, considering that cars have always been at the forefront of industrial design and engineering design, which have always been central to what we do here at Cad Crowd. This sleek vintage muscle car is a fantastic example of what can be accomplished by modern 3D rendering software at the hands of a talented designer.
4. Fan 3D Modeling Design by REDA
Here’s a great example of industrial design! A common object with a functional and simple design that still has a powerful sense of character and uniqueness. From the color choice to the shapes to the subtle control knob on the face of the fan, it’s no wonder this design for such a common everyday item has been one of the year’s most popular designs.
5. Dining Chair 3D Modeling Design by Mart
These chairs have a timeless aesthetic that would allow them to fit in with pretty much any home decor. Unlike most of the product designs we see on Cad Crowd, these chairs were designed to be made from wood. With so many exciting new polymers, composites, and alloys, it’s sometimes easy to forget that CAD tools are just as valuable for creating classic-looking objects as they are for 3D printing new-fangled gizmos and gadgets.
6. L.A Apartment Architectural Design by Sergui.Nasta
This designer’s skill for photorealistic rendering is almost unbelievable. It’s easy to see why this design of the backyard to a fancy L.A apartment has gotten as much attention over the past few months as it did. Look at the glass! At the water! Even the trees! The attention to detail leaves nothing undone. A real work of art.
7. V8 Engine Engineering Design by Michael Dimou
One of the fascinating aspects of CAD design is how, through high-quality 3D models and rendering, even the seemingly most banal and commonplace items become beautiful things to behold. There is perhaps no better example in 2016 than this V8 engine — a thing which by no means is designed to be looked at. And yet, look at it! In this gorgeous rendering, it is truly a thing to behold. Bravo!
8. Ducati 3D Modeling Design by Saket Trade Links
People love Ducatis. That probably is part of the reason that this design has been so popular. But really, it could have been any bike modeled and rendered with this degree of skill, and it would have been just as smashing! A faithful recreation of one of the coolest motorcycles ever to hit the road, this Ducati 796 looks about ready to jump off the screen.
9. Shoe Product Design by BMKDESIGN
This design (which includes assembly features) has certainly been one of the most striking portfolio pieces we’ve seen over the past year. What a freaking cool shoe. Great colors, unique patterns, and sleek, modern shape. Who wouldn’t want such a great piece of footwear?
10. Clock #2 3D Modeling Design by cloXart
Okay, that is the coolest-looking clock you have ever seen, I guarantee it. It might not be the easiest clock in the world to tell time with, but we’ve all got cell phones for that, anyways. This thing is a piece of art, a moving mechanical sculpture that seems like it was stolen from the wreck, a steampunk airship. An awesome mechanical clock with an Arduino-based electromagnetic driving system. Nice!
And that’s a wrap on 2016! Thanks to all of the designers and buyers who have made 2016 a great year here at Cad Crowd.
Cad Crowd Had Freelance CAD Design Specialists
And, of course, if you need to find expert freelance CAD design services for your projects, we’ve got you covered! Get a free quote and let us know about your project, and we’ll connect you with one of our leading top-tier design freelancers.
You can also launch a design contest and receive multiple submissions that you can choose from.
