Most great products and apps start as napkin ideas. To make those ideas a reality, designers and engineers need to get creative and work hard. We spoke with the Lead Content Creator and Animator at IdeaPros, Dana Owens, about the art of bringing ideas to life.
Where Does the Journey Start?
Dana Owens is a freelance commercial artist and an artrepreneur who has been creating content for a living all his life. At IdeaPros, people sometimes have an engineering file (CAD) of their idea, and sometimes they have it in their head. So the engineering team takes whatever sketches they have, creates a 3D model, and begins building it.
Then the CAD file is sent to Dana, who creates marketing assets and makes it look prettier. He adds photos and lifestyle images for partner websites, pitch decks, or marketing videos. It’s expensive to get your first run of products and a prototype. Creating something that will excite the investors and get you the initial funding is crucial.
“You have to have great assets for people to understand what you are trying to create.” Tessa Ashford
Pitch Decks
Before joining IdeaPros, Dana worked for a commercial real estate developer, where he created pitch decks for investors. The first advice he received was to tell the story and sell the dream. As you are trying to tell a story, it’s crucial to know who your audience is. You don’t want the person on the other side to be bored.
Getting our partners’ visuals out and telling their stories is Dana’s favorite part of the job. 3D technology takes this process to the next level and adds magic to the final product. There are always improvements on a pitch deck; make a master pitch deck with Google slides. At IdeaPros, we use the AirBnB minimalistic pitch deck template because you want to keep the data to a minimum.
“When it comes to pitching decks, less is more. You have to be succinct and impactful.” – Dana Owens
Examples of Good Practice
One of our partners created a unique sherbert from the Bermudas. They needed a pitch deck to get investors and big-name grocery stores interested. Dana used their label and 3D software from Adobe with a repository of already designed CADs. Once he got the 3D scene set, he added the logo. These designs render very well and are perfect for photos or lifestyle images with high resolution.
The top left corner of an image is where we look first. After that, we read left to right. Dana often uses a Fibonacci spiral in his designs that focuses the viewer’s eye on the left end leading them outwards to the whole scene.
Another IdeaPros’ partner invented a life-saving raft that goes on the side of a building in high flood zones. Dana created a video combining raw shots of the testing and Unreal Engine Technology to add movement to a 3D video that the partners will show at a trade show to attract investors during the early product development phase.
“Stay busy, productive, and creative.” – Dana Owens
At IdeaPros, we help our partners and entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. To be an entrepreneur, you have to be a bit crazy. Our team consists of talented people who are all crazy in their little ways, making them work together perfectly. We all know it takes a village to build something amazing.
The “Idea Pros” at IdeaPros have the resources, experience, and tools to help you at this step or any step in the entrepreneurial journey. We partner with entrepreneurs at any stage and who are ready to invest their ideas. Apply for an interview and let’s explore partnering together.