What to Look for in 3D Artists When Outsourcing Project
What to Look for in 3D Artists When Outsourcing Project

Almost every 3D artist or art and 3D modeling organization will promise a lot of value for your money. In fact, this is how they attract new clients in a highly competitive outsourcing market.

If you need custom 3D modeling services or you’re trying to run a business yourself, you may want to leave nothing to chance and make sure you’re making the right decision.

Going with the right artist when outsourcing your project allows you to save a lot of resources, time, effort, and money. Now, there are many artists and design companies at your disposal, so you must be able to tell apart those who are only after your money from those who will deliver value.

In their eyes, it’s just another project while to you, as a business owner, it’s a chance to grow your business. Since it takes an astonishing amount of resource allocation, researching, and planning to develop any type of business, it’s paramount to choose the best person for the job.

Here’s what to look for when analyzing the right 3D modeling service provider to ensure you make an educated choice.

1. Thoroughly analyze the website of the 3D artist

The first thing you should examine when looking for the best 3D artist is the design of their website. It’s a vital aspect of their communication and attitude toward clients. According to some statistics, a website’s design is the main driving factor of a brand’s credibility.

If their website fails to deliver a clear message that can resonate with you, that’s because the design is poor, and they’re not customer-centric enough. Not taking the time to craft their own site or having a confusing and outdated website design speaks volumes about an artist’s ability to handle projects that require time and attention to detail.

The website is the most vital visual asset to any business, so if someone doesn’t invest 100% of their skill into making the best online portfolio, they are simply unprofessional. It tells you that your choice:

●       Expresses an unprofessional attitude towards work

●       Is negligent

●       Is unprofessional

●       Has little knowledge of marketing

●       Practices bad resource and time management

A professional, responsible, reliable, and high-quality 3D artist has an attractive and well-organized website with clear navigation; it clearly conveys the brand’s message and personality.

Their services will make you feel at ease and optimistic. An artist who is ready to invest in themselves is your best choice simply because they will do everything in their power to exceed your expectations.

2. Pay special attention to the 3D artist’s portfolio

The majority of 3D artists create websites that include relevant, SEO-oriented information. The more their data is optimized for search engines, the more they can get out of their marketing campaigns.

Mostly, the information is there for the sake of rankings, but there are those that aim to actually reach out to their customers. The most vital part of the website that really matters when it comes to outsourcing a project is the portfolio of a 3D artist in question.

Your choice has to be able to clearly state all reasons why you, as a prospective client, should choose their services over the competition. With that in mind, we’ll name a few things that a good and professional portfolio can tell you about a 3D artist:

●       High project delivery rate

●       Confidence and professionalism

●       Level of knowledge about the industry

●       Set of skills and type of software

●       Complexity of work

●       Transparency and the ability to communicate

While skills, knowledge, and expertise are important, they’re not the only thing you should base your decision upon. The most important thing is how a 3D artist does the job. Look for 3D models, portfolio art, use cases, and case studies.

Try to find things that are relevant and the closest to what you need. Also, when analyzing a portfolio, diversity matters. That’s simply because variety tells you about the artist’s ability to make decisions, solve problems, and take on challenges.

You need someone that is ready to grow in knowledge and expertise and look beyond your sole need to exceed your expectations and deliver something extraordinary.

3. Location of your outsourcing 3D artist

Depending on their location, the price of 3D artist services varies. If the cost of living in their country of origin is relatively cheap, then their services might also be cheap. It’s definitely a lot cheaper to run a business in countries outside of the European Union and the USA.

How good the work will be depends on your artist’s capabilities and capacity. If their portfolio and website look good, go to the next phase of negotiation and find out everything you can about a 3D artist you’ll be working with on outsourcing your project.

4. Find out all details regarding the artist’s time and capacity to finish the project

Time is money, that’s a solid fact, and it’s true of every industry. Some 3D artists bite off more than they can chew and take more work than they can actually handle. Since this is nothing but a waste of time and money for you, you need an artist who takes time to carefully plan every step of the way to avoid any delays.

If a project goes beyond a deadline, that only leads to additional expenses and higher costs. Not to mention that it’s absolutely unprofessional. So, to avoid all this nuisance, simply ask your 3D artist about their current capacity and availability.

Ask about the number of projects they’re currently working on. More importantly, ask for their opinion on working on a project with a specified, tight deadline. Pay special attention to signs like:

●       Delayed responses

●       Miscommunication

●       Incomplete or invalid information

These are clear signs that should alert you that your choice isn’t the right one.

5. Hidden costs are an absolute no

No reputable 3D artist will ever allow themselves to expose their clients to any hidden or additional expenses beyond what they already agreed on. That’s simply not acceptable.

Unfortunately, many 3D artists and 3D modeling companies avoid highlighting all the costs during the first interaction. Therefore, when conversing with a potential 3D artist about outsourcing your project, make sure you ask about all the charges to eliminate the possibility of any additional expenses surfacing out of nowhere.

You already have enough to worry about and don’t need to break your budget in the middle of a project. Ask about the costs of:

●       Software

●       Strategies

●       Business analysis

●       A/B testing

●       Reports

●       Pretty much anything else that comes to your mind

If they avoid giving you a precise estimation, feel free to insist and push them for an answer. As a 3D artist and a provider of services, they are obliged to provide you with an accurate estimate of how much their work is going to cost.

6. Communication

Last on our list is communication. We’re not saying that it’s the most important thing, but it’s the most important thing to look for in a 3D artist. You need to know what the focus of your 3D artist is – speed, price, quality, or something else.

It will pretty much tell you right away if they are the right choice or not. If a 3D artist is only interested in making as much money as they can, they might not be the right choice for you. Instead, you need someone who will be ready to delve deep into the details and work with you to come up with a solution that will benefit both parties.

In fact, if your 3D artist presents more than one solution to a single problem, that’s how you’ll know that they are the right fit for you. That's where communication plays the most vital part.

The artist’s ability to properly communicate ideas clearly signals you that you have a problem-solver instead of a money-grabber. Problem-oriented 3D artists are customer-centric, but more importantly, they are also reliable and economically stable. So, look for 3D artists with a problem-solving mindset.

Conclusion

Aside from all the points we’ve covered, it’s a good idea to also pay attention to the feedback on the artist’s work. In a world of social media, comment sections, and online reviews, you should be able to find recommendations, client references, brand listing, ratings, reviews, and more relatively quickly.

A 3D artist should be a professional who is ready to work closely with clients. It’s someone who takes people’s needs and desires into account while adding his own knowledge and experience to the mix, thus coming up with the best possible solution. These parameters should help you find the best candidate for the job.