Are Photorealistic Renderings Worth It?

It’s a frustrating reality that you can be ecstatic about a potential project, but your prospective client just can’t picture the design intent. Such a conundrum might bring the necessary client-pro dialogue to a screeching halt—or worse, cause you to lose the project altogether. This is when visuals—be they hand drawings, computer-generated renderings, or mood boards—come into play. And now more than ever before, high-caliber visuals are no more than a mouse-click away—but does a photorealistic presentation work best? And if you outsource the renderings, is it worth the investment?

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If you find yourself wavering on this matter, take heart that you’re not alone: We spoke with several leading architects and interior designers on both sides of the fence and discovered that they, too, see the pros and cons in photorealistic renderings. Others still prefer the hand-drawn variety—read on to learn how they parse this practice for themselves.

Use the project timeline as a guide

If most of the group reached a consensus on anything, it’s that the project timeline is key in determining when it’s beneficial to use a specific type of rendering. “At the beginning of a project, I prefer hand renderings because they are, by nature, more generalized and gestural and allow the designer to present the conceptual idea of a space,” says David Mann, president of AD PRO Directory–listed firm MR Architecture + Decor. “Digital renderings are so detailed that they are best done after every individual aspect of a project has been specified.”

“There is something artful and malleable about a pen and marker drawing that clients respond to,” concurs fellow Directory member Dan Mazzarini, principal and creative director of BHDM Design. “Digital and photorealistic renderings don’t allow as much room for interpretation.”

Others, meanwhile, say that the use of hand-drawn visuals is also about giving clients ownership of their projects. Maria Martin, founder of interior design tablet app Design Appy, turns to sketches and quick visuals during the creative phase because “a sketch or hand drawing allows the client to feel a sense of collaboration and offer feedback to refine the next step. Presenting a photorealistic rendering too soon into a design process creates implied permanence, and the client is more likely to push back.”