Let's take a closer look at some of the rules of topology that will help you create high-quality, 3D models.
A 3D model isn't a real object, it's just a representation of an object. In order for a model to best represent a given object, the model's topology ought to work in conjunction with the shape of the object. A model with bad topology has polygons that work against the shape of the model, which makes it hard to work with in production and can cause lots of problems.
A model with bad topology usually has far more polygons than necessary because the polygons aren't forming efficient patterns. These unneeded polygons don't benefit the end result, and can even lead to shading errors. In the following image, you can see what ought to be a smooth surface (on the left side), but the poorly placed polygons (visible...