In the world driven by deadlines, clients rather choose those who can complete all the tasks on time instead of waiting for one person to finish the entire process. Whether you're an architect or 3D architectural visualizer, it's clear that the entire process, starting from 2D drawings to renders, requires lots of time.

Big companies can usually finish everything on their own because they have various departments divided into teams specialized for certain processes, but the situation with small firms is different. So, if you own a small or medium business, or you work alone as a freelancer, it's clear that you need to give up on something.

If you focus only on certain parts of the process, your end products, the renders, will be significantly better. As each year brings new software solutions, you can stay competitive only if you stay up-to-date with all the innovations available on the market.

Now when we have proven that you definitely should give up on something and outsource some parts of the process, we need to determine which parts of the process are OK to outsource.

Let Experienced Architects Handle the Basic Plans

If you are an architectural visualizer, or your firm does only architectural visualizations, that doesn't mean that you must be an architect. Well, it's desirable, but not necessary.

The main goal in the business of architectural visualization is to represent buildings, interior designs or urban plans as realistically as possible, and that's why you should seek some help.

No matter how realistic your renders may be, precision is crucial for success. If you aren't sure how to present all the architectural elements credibly enough, you should outsource some parts of the project to an architect. That precision includes the presentation of each structural element, and if you haven’t been in the world of architecture for a while, 2D drawings and floor plans might confuse you.

So, that leads us to the conclusion that it's okay to outsource the process of 3D modeling.

3D visualization is a product based on the idea. So, we should stop here briefly. 3D artists and visualizers aren't mind-readers, and that's why it’s always a safer option to outsource the initial phase of the process. After an architect finishes the 3D model, you can focus on materialization, texturing, lighting, etc. and get the most from such an idea.

Besides, hiring a full-time architect is expensive, and you won't need a professional help all the time. You can find a lot of talented freelance architects online willing to finish some parts of your job.

It's a cost-effective solution and, most importantly, you'll never delay deadlines. Outsourcing is a win-win solution for all the parties involved – you'll save lots of time and money, the client will be satisfied, and the engaged architect will be able to raise the project to the next level.

Let Designers Handle the Creative Design Elements

Since you aren't an interior designer, you should avoid any design-related tasks. As we mentioned, your job is to express the architect's or designer's idea the best you can. If you have the entire document, including 2D floor plans and sections of the interior design, you can easily create the 3D model, but the materialization can be an issue.

In some cases, especially if your assignment is to visualize the interior design, it's okay to outsource materialization and texturing. Well, you shouldn't expect that someone will adjust all the materials and textures instead of you, but you should outsource this part of the process to save both your and your client's time.

That way, you'll achieve your goal – a delightful picture. No matter how realistic it may be, if it's not well-designed, you'll never sell your render. Instead of wasting your time by designing, you should leave that part to professionals and grow your business.

What about graphic design and post-production?

In case you have completed the entire process on your own, it's okay to outsource the post-production. Graphic designers are well-versed in improving renders. Photoshopping is very important in the architectural visualization industry, especially because you can't finish the entire visualization using most of the 3D rendering programs.

For example, using the most common combination of rendering and 3D modeling software – 3ds Max and V-Ray, you can visualize the building, but the post-production phase must include photoshopping of the entire environment. So, who can import your render into a realistic environment better than a graphic designer?

The bottom line

Outsourcing is ordinarily more cost-effective than having in-house architects and graphic designers. It's clear that you won't outsource the same parts of the processes each time, but only when you can't finish the entire project on your own.

Furthermore, outsourcing is a justified decision because you'll have more time to invest in improving your rendering skills using the latest software solutions.

Clients are usually used to the overcrowded market, and that's why they expect only the best service with even better end products. To stay ahead of the competition, you need to think smart and do all that is needed to gain the best results.

What do you think, which parts of the process of architectural visualization are OK to outsource? Let us know in the comments!