As the head of Mykioskey, a custom commercial furniture factory, I have been in this industry for over 20 years. Starting from manufacturing kitchen cabinets and display stands, I now provide custom kiosks and commercial furniture solutions for multiple industries worldwide, including jewelry, beauty, and retail. During this period, I witnessed the success and failure of countless commercial space projects, and the most crucial dividing line often lies in whether professional design renderings were made before production.
Many customers initially think: “I already have the floor plan and dimensions. Can’t I just produce directly?” The renderings are just for show. There’s no need to spend money and time on them. However, the truth is quite the opposite. Among the nearly ten thousand customization projects handled by Mykioskey, those that started with design renderings had a final satisfaction rate as high as 98%, with a rework rate of less than 1%, while those that skipped this step had a rework rate of over 20%, with an average budget overrun of more than 15%. Today, from the perspective of a factory, I’d like to talk to you all about why design renderings are so important for custom commercial furniture.
Let “imagination” turn into “seeing”
- Design visual
The client is not a designer and lacks spatial imagination. We once encountered a client of a jewelry brand who requested to create a display booth that was “simple, elegant and had a sense of high-end”. The designer made a floor plan based on his understanding, but when it was produced, the client was greatly disappointed – the “high-end feel” he wanted was matte black with rose gold lines, while the designer made bright white with stainless steel. If the renderings are made first, this problem can be solved during the design stage.
- “What you see is what you get”
In simple terms, renderings can completely reproduce your store and its actual effect in a one-to-one ratio. Professional 3D renderings can precisely present the size ratio, material texture, color matching and lighting effects of furniture, and even simulate the light and shadow changes in actual usage scenarios. Customers can directly observe the finished product effect and put forward specific modification suggestions, such as “Increase the height of this layer board by another 5cm” or “Replace the wood grain with marble texture”, to avoid large-scale rework caused by misunderstanding in the later stage.
- Teamwork is more efficient
Renderings can help designers, factory production teams and clients reach a consensus, reducing internal communication costs. The production department can get to know the design details in advance to avoid production mistakes caused by misunderstandings of the drawings.
Stop problems before they start
- Risk of size and space fit
Commercial Spaces are extremely precious, and custom furniture must precisely fit the on-site dimensions. We once had a client who rented an irregular corner in a shopping mall and wanted to set up a strawberry kiosking. If the furniture is produced directly according to the floor plan, it is very likely that the furniture will not be installed or will not be in harmony with the surrounding environment. Through 3D rendering, we not only confirmed the dimensions of the furniture but also simulated the customer movement lines and operation Spaces. We discovered the unreasonable position of the cash register in the original design and promptly adjusted it to avoid the awkwardness during installation.
- Risks of material and process feasibility
Different materials have different physical properties and processing technology requirements. For example, materials such as ASTM E84 flame-retardant plywood, 430/340 grade stainless steel, and translucent stone that we commonly use need to take into account their processing difficulty and cost when designing. Through renderings, we can present in advance the visual effects and cost differences of various materials, helping customers make the best choice within their budget. For instance, a client originally intended to make an all-glass display cabinet, but after comparing the renderings, they found that the half-glass and half-metal design not only had a lower cost but also a better display effect.
- Budget control risks
Design renderings enable clients to clearly understand the overall cost of the project before making a decision. We will mark the key materials and processes in the renderings and provide a detailed quotation list. Customers can adjust the design plan according to the budget, such as replacing imported hardware accessories with high-quality domestic ones, or simplifying complex decorative lines to avoid being forced to modify the design due to budget overruns in the later stage.
| Risk types | No rendering | With rendering |
| Dimensional deviation | The furniture could not be installed, and remanufacturing doubled the cost. | Simulate the installation effect in advance to ensure accurate dimensions. |
| Incorrect material selection | Materials that do not match the design style, or are difficult to process. | Visually compare the effects of different materials and select the optimal solution. |
| Budget overrun | Later revisions increased the budget by 15%-30%. | Control costs in advance and avoid unnecessary expenses. |
| Construction delay | Rework caused delivery delays, affecting the opening time. | Successful production on the first attempt ensures on-time delivery. |
Optimize the design scheme
1.Enhance visual appeal
The core function of commercial furniture is to showcase products and attract customers. We once designed for a client of an eyebrow beauty booth. The initial plan was a traditional counter layout. Through rendering simulation, we found that the design of an open display stand combined with circular lights can better showcase products such as eyebrow pencils and eyebrow powder, attracting customers to stop and try them out. The customer adopted our suggestions, and eventually the sales of this beauty booth increased by 40% compared to expectations.
- Optimize the functional layout
The advantage of custom furniture lies in its ability to be personalized designed based on the characteristics of the space and usage requirements. When we designed a kiosks for a shoe store client, we simulated different shelf layout schemes through 3D rendering. Eventually, we chose a combination of multi-layer rotating shelves and drawer-type storage, which not only increased the display area by 30% but also significantly enhanced the shopping experience for customers.
- Strengthen the brand image
Commercial furniture is an important carrier of brand image. We will incorporate the client’s brand elements, such as the logo, brand colors, and corporate culture, into the renderings, making the furniture a part of brand communication. For instance, for a well-known coffee brand, we designed a mobile kiosk. By repeatedly adjusting the proportion and position of the brand color through renderings, we eventually created a product that is both aesthetically pleasing and effectively conveys the brand image.
Accelerate the production process
More thorough production preparation: Renderings enable the production team to understand the design details in advance, such as the processing methods of special structures and the installation positions of hardware accessories, and to prepare materials and tools in advance, avoiding temporary adjustments during the production process.
Reduce production errors: Clear renderings can lower the understanding errors of the drawings by the production department and reduce the rework time caused by errors. Our statistics show that the error rate of production orders with renderings as references is over 80% lower than that of orders with pure drawings.
Shorten installation time: The installation team can understand the assembly method of the furniture and the on-site installation process in advance through the renderings, and formulate a detailed installation plan to ensure a fast and efficient installation process.
Mykioskey’s rendering service
The service process is as follows:
- Floor plan and requirements communication
- Payment of design fee based on store dimensions
- 3D modeling and rendering (providing at least 5 rendering angles)
- Client feedback and scheme revisions (3 free revision opportunities provided)
- Final rendering confirmation and production file generation
- Production and installation
