Digital Vision

By Vincenzo Burdi

It's the week of your final project, and you still haven't finished the design of your building. You find yourself working on some mundane detail that probably won't even make a difference in your presentation. So, small you'll even forget to mention it during your critique. Time is of the essence and you're watching the clock wondering where all the time has gone. You find yourself running to the print lab the day of the final just hours before your project is due with little or no sleep. Trust me when I say, YOU NEED TO SLEEP before a presentation. You forget to put money on your SIU card, so you have to run on over to the Student Center, and don't forget the ATM. The print costs thirty dollars and you find out the colors were off, and well to put it simply, your print sucks. Your disappointed cause you know you've spent so much time on your project, but it just doesn't look good. It doesn't even come close to what you had envisioned. I suggest a new method of presentation.

Why not prepare our work to be shown off in a digital format. Please spare me from any more power-points. I'm talking a walk-through of your building. Using the digital model to tell your story. See the cool thing about our work is that it is very technical, people off the street really have no idea of the amount of time it takes to render or design a building in 3d. I've heard one friend tell me a render took over 4 days to finish, and when he got it, the color of his building was hot pink. By preparing your work in a digital format you can focus more on the delivery of our project goals. Selling your final product is essential to any successful project, period. Setting up files to print is such a chore, often requires much time and money. What if you were to deliver the concept of your building through working files. Digital format is a great resource to showcase your work. Spend less time thinking of a print and more time thinking of a flyby or walk-through.

Okay, well maybe we can't completely forget about printing. I mean it is something that the real world requires, whether it's your boss or even a client asking for a hard copy. I am suggesting that as designers it is important to show all of our work. Don't send of few pictures on a 2'x4' board. Sit your audience down and give them an experience. Isn't that what our job is really? To utilize the tools of our trade and offer an experience, maybe a vision of what may become.