Plus Design was inspired by a team desire to evolve design consulting to increase collaboration and fortify a client’s process rather than force them into a set of constraints. Over the years their work has spanned experience design, brand, visual, digital and more using KeyShot throughout development to align client, direct team, and communicate the design. Here, we learn from the team about their approach and how they use KeyShot.
What inspired the creation of Plus Design?
We come from larger-scale consulting backgrounds that were much slower moving, more expensive, and were often fairly parochial in their approach. We felt that design consulting should strive to build a much more collaborative, flexible relationship; a relationship that is tailored for each client based on their process, team, and needs.
What’s unique about the approach Plus Design takes to a design project?
I think one of the more unique aspects about the Plus approach is rightsizing our engagement to what is needed by our clients. We all come from larger consultancy’s with a more ‘one size fits all’ process that tends to be slower moving, time-consuming, and expensive. Plus was born out of a need to be more responsive and more symbiotic with our clients process, goals, and tactical design needs.
Where in your process is KeyShot used?
We have found ourselves using KeyShot throughout our process, above and beyond final presentation renderings, to show options and opportunities and a more nuanced depiction earlier in the process to get directional buy-in and team alignment.
What are some projects you have used KeyShot on?
KeyShot is used in pretty much everything we do. We use KeyShot on everything from advanced medical device development and next generation consumer wearables to smart grills and more. KeyShot gives us a great contextual ability through lighting and environments to drop things in, put things in context, and see how a particular form or CMF feels within its intended environment.
Overall, how has KeyShot helped save time, money and/or improve quality?
KeyShot has helped us speed up our overall development process with more robust inputs earlier on to make better team decisions and align on appropriate strategic directions. There is definitely a cost savings associated with having the ability to explore more nuanced materiality and show part/molding executions very early in the process and align the desired visual outcome with production cost and manufacturing parameters. This helps us to align larger multi-disciplinary teams towards a single strategic direction earlier in the process. KeyShot’s ability to quickly yield photorealistic output also helps provide great research stimulus throughout the process, especially as a good portion of these activities are currently virtual with the on-going Covid dilemma.
What advice would you give to others interested in doing what you do?
That’s always a tough question. We love to teach, but oftentimes try not to preach. Design is always best when done with passion and strong point of view, combined with robust problem solving based on insights, and informed process that helps your client achieve their strategic user and business goals. Especially with software, KeyShot even more so, we always suggest diving into the features and minutiae to fully immerse ourselves in what can be done. Having that understanding is what allows you do achieve really high-end results.
See more at plusdesigners.com
