How do you think design coordination was done before we started using digital models?
Lot of hand drawings. It is likely that copies would be made and people would each then edit their copies and compare, then the team would decide on what they like and develop the original drawing more. This process would repeat itself over and over again, with a lot of physical interaction and discussions among people and the drawing.
What strategies can design teams use to find and avoid clashes prior to the start of construction?
Consistent updates and working side by side with everyone can help to avoid clashes if something comes up. When everybody is on the same page and timeline, it is easy to nip problems in the bud quickly when they arise, instead of having to work backwards and undo work that everybody has done.
At what point in the project development process should design coordination start?
It could be a bit too early to really start at the very beginning, because the ideas should be formulated and thought about by each person. However, using a lot of people’s input could be useful at the beginning as well. It is really a personal preference on how people like to come up with their ideas and how their brain and design process goes.