How to approach product design as a beginner. How to develop my sketches and 3d visualisation prototypes. How to find what materials suit my prototype?
Short answer
The material already knows.
Long answer
Start by making things before you understand them. The most honest education in product design happens through your hands, not your head. Pick one material, learn it deeply, and let it surprise you. Concrete, plywood, clay — it doesn't matter. What matters is that the process of mastering it starts to drive your experiments, not the other way around.
For materials specifically, think in terms of a full life cycle. Where does it come from? How is it made, transported, used, and eventually discarded? That thinking shapes better choices than aesthetics alone.
For sketching and 3D work, build feedback loops early. Share work often. Progress becomes visible only when others reflect it back to you.