Welcome to CodedShapes!
It’s a weekly newsletter written by Braden Koh (me)
This Substack is for anyone curious about using Computational Design to reduce manual and repetitive work.
Not sure if Computational Design is for you ?
Let me guess...
You've heard about computational design, and you're thinking:
"This could change the way I work but I don't know where to start"
"Everyone keeps talking about it, but how does it actually help me?"
"I want to learn it but it's just so overwhelming"
Well, you’re not alone. Even after years of working as a computational designer, I still find it hard to explain what it actually does for people.
CodedShapes is my attempt at doing just that. A newsletter that explores the what and why of computational design through stories, insights, and examples. And don’t worry, it’s all in plain English, no technical jargon.
🎁 Free when you sign up:
“A Practical Guide to Applying Computational Design at Work”
It’s a short, clear overview of the five most impactful problems I’ve seen CoDe solve across different roles and projects.
My Origin Story
My first engineering job taught me the power of computational design. We had just six months to go from hand sketches to construction drawings. It was for a huge, complex roof.
And we did it. (Maybe when it’s complete, I can put some images here.)
It was intense, a lot of hard work and very interesting stuff. But that was many years ago (> 4). I’ve never worked on a project like that again.
So, we had to prove our worth in other ways. Mostly by solving real, every day problems. We started building tools and scripts to help other people with their most painful, repetitive work. And over time, I saw something important:
Computational design isn’t just for big, complex projects. It’s for anyone who deals with complexity and repetition.
Years of building tools for others taught me that the hard part is showing where it fits and explaining why it matters. Even now, I still find that difficult.
CodedShapes is my way of making that easier for others.
If you’re curious about computational design and want to get smarter about how it can help your work, I hope you’ll subscribe. But if you don’t, no hard feelings.
Want to get in touch ?
I’d love to hear from you.
Reach out via LinkedIn, email (braden@bradenkoh.com), or just reply to any post on Substack.
My Other Projects
Scripository - A growing library of scripts, walkthroughs, and practice projects
Behind the scenes - A glimpse into the digital solutions I’ve built in the past.
