3D Company Signs
Sometimes photography isn’t enough to communicate a story. When this is the case, 3D design apps can be used to recreate scenes for the purpose of portraying difficult concepts. MSI Worldwide Mail, a firm with headquarters in Belgium, hired Wicked Design to do just this. Their location in Sterling, Virginia, needed a sign for their lobby area to demonstrate their capabilities. This company offers a wide range of sophisticated mailing and sorting machinery that is used to distribute mail around the world.
The project began with understanding the client’s goals in great detail. We wanted to know the purpose of the sign, and what it was meant to convey. Following that, we were allowed into their warehouse facility for the purpose of taking photos and video to be used as source material for the lobby sign design.
We then created a draft layout of the floor plan and mapped the important mail machines to locations on the 2D floor plan. After gaining approval from MSI regarding the initial layout, we then proceeded to model the walls and critical components using various 3D tools. Because it was more important that the sign be an effective communication tool, as opposed to a completely accurate representation of the facility, look and feel were the important factors.
The use of 3D tools allows the scene to be viewed from any angle. Because we wanted to display all of the capability of the plant, a high view angle was chosen. This view would have been impossible to obtain using photography because of the walls and ceiling. The camera position was specifically chosen because it allowed the most amount of sign content to be displayed. Once the view angle was decided upon, portions of the walls were removed to reveal more of the sorting machines and related equipment.
Bright colors were used to represent all of the warehouse components. This was done to create a more pleasing sign that would be hung in the MSI lobby. Most of the machines are drab colored in real life, making for poor marketing display. This is yet another benefit of using 3D design to effectively communicate. Simulation allows for real world scenarios to be improved.
The final lobby sign design measure 8 feet wide by 4 feet high. The enormous sign was printed on a hard, acrylic material and professionally mounted to the wall. The final 3D design not only adds an attractive component to the MSI Sterling office lobby, but also tells their story in a pleasing and effective manner.
This isn’t the fist signage that we’ve designed. We have also create restaurant digital menu signs that are displayed on flat screen televisions. The client is able to change the menu items, and pricing quickly, and then have those changes displayed above the order counter. Learn more about this digital menu project in this blog post: wickedesign.com/news/digital-restaurant-menu-design.
Have you consider using 3D technology to effectively communicate ideas? Signage is only a single example of how this design field can be leveraged. Animation can show complex processed, be used to make 3D printed objects or simply tell a story. If you have an interest in learning more, please contact Wicked Design for a free consultation. We’ve used this type of technology for many years, and have a complete understanding of what can be done to improve your business.
