Visualizing Making something new, for an engineer, often means first thinking about how it might look -picturing it in the mind's eye. Engaging the senses beyond what words describe sometimes opens new paths to engineering creativity. Visual thinking is a key element in many kinds of engineering, particularly those dealing with large structures. In some projects, however, the visual element is particularly striking and the creative act appears to be tightly bound to thinking about problems pictorially. One recent example is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, carrying foot traffic across the River Tyne between the cities of Newcastle and Gateshead, in northern England. This remarkable structure was envisioned as a "blinking eye;" it opens to allow river traffic not by lifting up, but by pivoting. The movement of its supporting arch and its curved foot surface creates a remarkable sight, enhancing the visual aspect of the engineering both while stationary and while in motion.