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AcD: ION Arcadia I (Early Prototype)

This is another (science-fiction) concept focusing primarily on composition and scale.  You’ll see this theme fairly often as I find it fascinating!  This concept is a spacecraft that is used primarily for human transport.  If under attack, the ship can actually break apart on its own and then regroup into a single entity once the intruder has departed.  The ship can also hover while on land and does not require explicit landing gear (as shown below).

This craft is part of a larger “ION” world I have been thinking about over the past several weeks and thus, I decided to create an early-stage logo to reflect this new environment.

To see the original renders and full set, please visit my digital illustration site at Ink.

AcD: The Human Element

I spent the past few days doing more experimentation with Modo and quickly learned that the latest version includes sample meshes and textures.  While I typically don’t like use pre-built elements, they do allow one to focus on the core creative vs. being concerned with every discrete element within the piece.

Fortunately for me, one of the collections contains human figures and busts.  I decided to use and replicate a few of these meshes to start moving away from traditional hard-edged designs (buildings, spaces) and towards a design composition that is more personal and “real.”

Coincidentally, this is perhaps one of my first digital designs, if not the first, where people are explicitly included in the scene. Even though these are virtual humans, it is the human element that I think allows for a stronger “connection” to these pieces – at least, that’s how it feels to me.  The human element is definitely something you will start to see more of in designs to come.

Below are a few sample renders, but you can see the entire collection here.

BG | Proposal Snapshot

In thinking more about the overall strategy behind Big Generator, particularly as it relates to the human element, it occurred to me that I need to re-think how I am submitting bids for work advertised online, via channels such as ELance.

The method I have used thus far involves a one-page attachment (PDF) that is essentially a letter conveying who I am, context relating directly to what the client is requesting, and a brief explanation of how the project will run.  While this information is useful, it does not immediately address the client’s fundamental needs:

  1. Can you do the job? (ability)
  2. Are you expensive? (cost)
  3. When can you have it done? (timeline)

The project proposal should be able to convey these three points in about ten-seconds.  Right now, my “cover letter” concept is flawed for several reasons:

  1. While the letter is not lengthy, it can still be considered too long – is the client even reading it?
  2. The letter is customized for each project proposal, but only on a surface-level.
  3. There is no connection between the cost of the proposal and services rendered – is the bid high or low?
  4. It assumes the reader is interested in a “one-size-fits-all” project proposal – what if they need more detail?
  5. There is little traceability between the portfolio, cost, services and timeline – what are you offering again?

At the end of the day, the bid price could still be beyond the client’s budget and your portfolio may not be aligned with what she/he is looking for.  However, if you can address the immediate needs of the client (ability, cost and timeline) before you are offered the job, you are that much closer to gaining their trust and a subsequent acceptance of your original bid.

In a future post, I will share what my new approach looks like – I call it the “proposal snapshot”.

[Note: Posts that begin with the letters “BG” focus on business-development concepts that tie directly to my design firm,  Big Generator.]