Getting started with Grasshopper

👋 Hi there and welcome! This course will teach the foundations of computational design through the design tool Grasshopper.

What is Grasshopper?

Grasshopper is a computational design tool that works with the CAD program Rhino. It allows you to create designs not by modeling the geometry directly, but by defining relationships between smaller processes that come together to create the final design. Using computational design in Grasshopper allows you to think of designs as systems rather than static objects.

Ok, then what is computational design, and how is it different from just using a computer for design?

Computers have been impacting the way designers work since the arrival of the personal computer in the early 1980s. These days, computers are heavily integrated into the day-to-day work of almost every design professional. However, most designers still rely on out-of-the-box software solutions that come with standard user interfaces that support typical workflows for accomplishing specific design tasks.

Recently, however, a growing number of designers are going a level deeper to actually program computers to do more…