10 Dos and Don’ts in Architectural Visualization
The types of houses people sleep in every night have been changing from wood to concrete as time changes. Whatever the houses are made of, their essence is unchangeable and with deep emotional meaning. They are more than financial assets. Home is where the heart rests.
Hence, we always have high expectations of what they will build, which leads to architectural visualization. It can be drawn on the paper, as it was in the past. Or it can be done on computers today because of technological advances. However, the one and the only basic principle is to present and visualize how the structure will look before construction.
As technology progresses, architects and designers, need to meet higher requirements and offer the works of higher quality. It’s not merely the representation of a certain design – it must be immersive, realistic, and detailed.
In this blog, we’ll talk about 10 Dos and Don’ts in 3D architectural visualization based on years of our work experience. They will help improve our workflow and get better results.
#Things We Should Do#
NO.1 Keep the goal of the project in mind
The first and most important step in any project is setting the goal. What we are supposed to accomplish or create? The basic goal of 3D rendering service is to impress the clients and convey the concept of the project. But sometimes, with plenty of software, techniques, creativity, and artistry to select from, some designers may be bewildered and sweep the basic goal from the mind. In this case, they may pay most of their attention to the aspects that they think important but actually unrelated to the clients. So, it’s significant to learn as much as possible from clients and define the scope of the project before working.
NO.2 Take a break from work
We are so deeply engrossed in the work that we forget to have a rest. However, more doesn’t mean better. The strain of the work stifles our creativity and makes it easy to go wrong. We all need to take a break to stay creative. Taking a break keeps our productivity higher and prevents us from feeling overwhelmed or stressed out. Instead, we will have a lot of stamina to do best later.
NO.3 Pay much attention to details
Attention to detail improves accuracy in the rendering process and makes a good first impression. But many designers ignore the facts once they get the main part of the visualization done. In fact, the beauty of the design lies in the details. Take interior design as an example. In addition to furnishings and accessories, lighting and shadows also need to be taken into consideration. What is the effect of different light sources? How do they behave with the shadows and objects? In short, we need to invest time and energy in fine-tuning the details to make the 3D rendering be more realistic.
NO.4 Practice great ideas in time
We might have many good ideas in the notebook but seldom put them in practice. Brainstorming is the first step to innovation. What matters more are execution and implementation. They won’t finish if we don’t take action to realize them. Only when they are turning into something do they actually produce value.
Knowledge is a treasure, but the practice is the key to it. So do our creative new ideas. Spend as much time as possible executing them and developing new skills, which would be your competitive edge.
NO.5 Be organized
Besides creativity, architectural visualization needs organization and prudence. We couldn’t put off the very problems each time and deal with them tomorrow. Meanwhile, it might take months to get some certain projects done. Both require us to be organized and have better time management. Make sure every step is under control and stick your calendar, which guarantees the project to be complete timely.
#Things We Shouldn’t Do#
NO.1 Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Architectural visualization is such a wide field where we can’t know everything. As well, new techniques and skills appear continuously and it’s hard to catch up with changes in time. Therefore, whether you are working on the project by yourself or outsourcing, it is necessary to ask for help. The people you work with or visualization artists in the community are often the best sources of information. And it’s a part of the learning process in which we could exchange knowledge and share ideas.
NO.2 Don’t limit ourselves to one style
Individual style can make us distinctive in the market. And it’s significant to perfect ourselves in our own style. But don’t limit ourselves to what we think we can do. We can go as far as our mind lets us. The more versatile we are, the better we get. At the same time, practicing different styles can help us improve general ability and draw inspiration so that we would meet the multiple demands of the clients.
NO.3 Don’t always use the same software
Many designers are scared of moving themselves out of their comfort zone. They get used to the software to do their work. But we need to keep challenging ourselves for greater progress. Some software has advantages which others don’t have, so we need to learn them. Some are only suitable for several types of architectural visualization services. Thus, we have to learn different software to produce wonderful output.
NO.4 Don’t be afraid to get creative
Being creative is an essential skill in architecture and design. Although we can follow many pre-established practices we have learned, it doesn’t mean we have to adhere to old habits for everything. Once equipped with much theoretical and practical knowledge, we could break the routine and experiment with something innovative.
NO.5 Don’t compare our career to everyone else’s
Comparing ourselves to others is one of the workplace perils. Why? Because no matter how hard we try, there will always be others better than you. More importantly, we can’t compare ourselves to people who have worked for over 10 years when we are a novice.
Competition in the workplace and being overly concerned about how someone else is performing often leads to anxiety and holds us back. Instead, focusing on ourselves is more conducive to our success. As one poem says, “everyone is running their own race in their own time zone.” We each have our own goals which would be achieved in our own time.
Every project is different, but remember to bear the basic goal in mind and follow your own rules and ways. Keep studying and never be content with your performance at the moment. At last, we are able to grow in the work and get ahead in the career. Those the 10 don’ts and dos in 3D architectural visualization, if you are looking for a CG expert to handle your next project, please feel free to contact AIMIR.