Why the world needs more 3D designers

Video games. Blockbuster VFX. Hyperreal simulations of the latest tech. Until recently, these were the domains of 3D design; a highly-specialised discipline that was limited to certain sectors and dependent on the creative knowledge of a select few.

But all that is changing. As part of It’s Nice That’s new 3D Skills Report, created in partnership with Adobe Substance 3D, we surveyed a sample group of designers and studios in order to better understand the landscape of 3D design right now. The results paint a picture of an industry in the midst of a boom – with demand for 3D design skills at an all-time high.

In fact, of the 88 independent 3D creatives surveyed, 63 per cent said the demand for 3D skills is so high right now they are having to turn clients and projects down, due to both the rising volume of work and the relatively small number of people trained to take it on. Not only is 3D design booming, but there aren’t enough designers to go round.

As the pandemic further moved life online, both visual artists and the clients they work for have been hungry for ways to express themselves virtually. Meanwhile, a revolution in GPU power – the “graphics processing unit” that renders graphics in computers – is transforming what was once a slow, painful process into one that allows artists to generate 3D visuals in real-time. At the same time, 3D software has become more accessible and easy to use, with online communities of 3D artists helping each other push the boundaries of the medium.

Then there’s the design itself. As a discipline, 3D design has never been as colourful, varied and inspiring as it is right now. Creatives are using new technologies to design everything from uncannily lifelike human avatars to surreal, child-like dreamscapes. For these artists, the medium is also becoming a fundamental part of the creative process, allowing them to mock up simulations of their ideas with speed and ease. And this innovation isn’t limited to the arts. Outside of the creative industries, 3D designers are making VR simulations to train people in areas as far-reaching as medicine and the military.

Another key barrier to entry with 3D is time. While most creatives in our survey said learning 3D skills is only “averagely” difficult, 78 per cent said that learning more 3D skills was too time consuming. For Loulou, for example, it took three months of full-time learning before she felt comfortable using 3D design software.

However this barrier is being lifted by a new suite of tools, like those available via Adobe Substance 3D. “The idea was to make sure anybody could use these programs with just some Photoshop experience,” said Frédéric Kohler, Director, Business Development, 3D&I at Adobe, Paris. “When you look at the UX and UI of both pieces of software, it looks very similar to Photoshop, so creatives will find it very familiar. For both programs, the learning curve is just a few hours, even for people who’ve only worked in 2D.”