Literally every day we are faced with a choice and often think about how not to make a mistake, weighing the pros and cons. Carefully considering options according to our preferences, information analysis, recommendations, ratings, and even sometimes intuition, we make a choice in favor of what obviously wins. The choice of a 3D rendering company might be done, using the same principles but without particular knowledge about the 3D architectural industry, you may be overloaded with irrelevant information.
Decide about your needs: what do you look for?
We offer you to start from yourself. There are some questions that are necessary to address. Identify what exactly you are looking for: 3D interior/ exterior/ product? Maybe you would like to make an additional 360 degrees virtual tour? Usually, when we do not know much about the 3D industry, we are confused with all service types that exist on the market. Moreover, each type has plenty of niceties. Knowing what you are looking for will help you a lot and simplify the search process. How much would you like to pay? Try to identify the approximate range of prices. It is worth knowing: that the price in this industry is important, and cheap services are less likely to have the desired quality. The implementation of any 3D project is a very painstaking and complex process, in which architects need to take into account many details. Obviously, there is a direct proportion between price and quality in this case. All in all, think carefully about these factors, and we are moving to the second step. Start searching
Google offers us a wide range of choices from freelancers to professional companies over the world. Now we face another challenge: local or global company to choose? Freelancers or companies?
Local or abroad?
Very often, local services may be much more expensive than somewhere abroad. Nowadays, the 3D architectural service is so progressive, that it is not a problem to contact via email and order the project from abroad. The price range, from overseas, is usually more attractive, because 3D services in another country might be simply cheaper but still preserve great quality. For instance, when in the USA the cost of renderings varies from $350 to $3000 (for large projects), in Bangladesh, China, and India you may find 3D services below $200 per visualization. It is also possible to find 3D visualization services starting from $200 to $250 in some European countries. Our company is located in Poland, offering high-quality 3D visualization services starting from $200 with different possibilities for our clients. Sometimes, there is no other choice than to look for services overseas due to the lack of talents in the local market. There are companies that are specially oriented on abroad cooperation and have rich experience in that. Despite the fact, that we are a local Polish company, our service is specialized and directed for clients abroad for many years. Of course, there is a risk concerning abroad services. Sometimes your expectations may not match the final result because of language and cultural differences that may be stoppers for efficient cooperation. There is also a risk to be taken in, and after the payment stay with nothing. Many people are afraid to trust someone from far away, but in terms of price, it is recommended to be brave and consider a non-standard option. But how to be confident and avoid that risk, you will find below.
Choosing between freelancer or company
For both these options, it would be wise to use the same approach, looking at the same core points. Remember, sometimes freelancers do not have enough experience or are just at the beginning of the path while companies have better tools, bigger teams, and more experience. The first thing to pay attention to is the portfolio, no matter who this is. The portfolio is the business card for everyone offering the services. What is the quality of this portfolio? Is it orderly and thoughtful? It should be understandable, what type of projects are performed, and easy to navigate. You may meet lots of advertisements without even a hint of a portfolio. It is quite a doubtful variant, isn’t it?
The quality of renderings is vital. First of all, realism. Visualizations should not have any flaws. All shadows, lights, furniture, and other items should look as natural as possible. Looking at the render, you have to feel that you have done a picture just a second ago, and that’s fantastically realistic! All the renderings used for this article are made by our company, would you imagine this is a 3D rendering?
Pay attention to the number of projects and for whom they are done. Companies or freelancers have a large amount of work if quality and cooperation are good. Moreover, if among the clients you will find famous or big companies – that is a good sign! Companies always give preference only to truly quality services. If a company or a freelancer providing 3D services is confident in skills and competencies, they will always show and talk about the projects, and will gladly share with you their achievements in working with other clients. Final decision
If after identification of personal needs, finding the portfolio, and assessing the projects, and prices, you already know with whom you would like to work, there are only a few things left: the time scope, how the work process looks like, and some conditions in case of emergencies. Companies or freelancers that have a better experience and value the client, will offer you more beneficial conditions, that moreover, sometimes are negotiable. The process of work is described step by step in detail. Then, it is up to you to choose or not to choose.
Summing up
Let’s summarize one more time what things are worth your attention. Identify your personal needs and read about the industry a bit more. You should decide on the type of projects or services you are looking for and then start to search. Pay attention to the portfolio and quality of renderings, no matter if this is the company or freelancer. A good portfolio is logical, well described, understandable, and easy to browse. Pay attention to the number of projects and cooperation with other companies. More is not necessarily better, but at least you may be sure that others have already chosen this provider. Do not deny the option of overseas services, but consider possible challenges. Choosing a freelancer is sometimes riskier than a company. The reason is that freelancers work individually, which may cause a lack of experience and time management. Usually, we tend to trust more to companies that are open to showing clients and projects and have a convincing story and attractive portfolio. With high-quality visualizations, the client gets faster what he/she needs thanks to the experience of artists/architects because they immediately know which way to go. It causes fewer errors because hundreds of similar projects are behind them, and they are well aware of what and how in which country is needed (if the company operates globally, for instance). Hope this article will help you to make the right choice.
The images featured in this post are all the Viscato’s projects and you can see them in our Portfolio section. If any of the projects are inspirational for you, feel free to contact us at contact@viscato.com