September
2010 |
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|
Sarah Erdman, |
Visual representation is important for your business both externally and internally. Externally, it’s obviously better if you can present your business in a way that’s attractive to customers. Internally, it’s just as important for education, training and the improvement of day-to-day procedures. With the graphic capabilities available today, visual representation has become a key component to remaining competitive in the global marketplace. Concepts can be brought to life, demonstrating even the smallest of details.
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Luckily, you can access quality graphics and
diversify your business offerings without being a design expert or having
someone on staff full-time. Outsourcing your graphics needs is both cost
effective and efficient, allowing you to focus your time where it’s needed most.
But who do you rely on for accurate solutions? In technical industries it can be
difficult to find the right design group to accurately demonstrate your work.
Design firms that are solely “creative” won’t be familiar with your business or
technical requirements. It’s important to find a design company that can not
only make great looking graphics, but that can also clearly illustrate the
information that you are trying to convey.
When choosing a firm to outsource work to, it’s important to look for a company
that is knowledgeable in the industry and can offer a variety of services that
will in turn allow you to diversify your skill set. One highly used design
source that provides a variety of solutions for the building automation and
green building industry is QA Graphics. The company’s design team is comprised
of a variety of technical and creative backgrounds, ranging from mechanical
engineers, graphic designers, 3D designers, architects, and flash developers to
offer system graphic design, BIM design and drafting services to ease the
day-to-day workload. The company also offers eye-catching solutions like energy
dashboards, 3D demonstrations and graphical user interfaces that are commonly
used to market products and services. This broad range of experience allows you
to access creative solutions competitive to other design firms, as well as the
technical knowledge and familiarity with building concepts that is required to
help you effectively showcase your products and services.
Working with designers that have a technical understanding of building concepts
greatly simplifies the design process. At QA Graphics for example, most of the
system graphics are developed by mechanical engineers to provide an accurate
representation of building systems. The designers typically work from schematic
flow diagrams or electrical diagrams to create the corresponding data points and
display building system information, like alarms, equipment temperature, chilled
water flow, etc. Understanding these basic concepts allows them easily interpret
the drawings as well as troubleshoot potential issues.
A variety of integrators, engineers, facility managers, and building owners come
to QA Graphics for solutions that realistically demonstrate technical features
in a way that’s easy to understand. “Because our designers understand building
concepts, they can provide solutions that are creative as well as accurate from
a technical standpoint,” said Russ Zimmerman, VP of engineering/operations at QA
Graphics.
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“This knowledge also helps us resolve potential issues early on. When reviewing
control drawings, we can recognize if something is misplaced, like a sensor for
example,” said Zimmerman. “It’s helpful that our designers can recognize issues
like this ahead of time, so we can point it out to the integrator for
adjustments before completing the graphics.”
Businesses in the building industry also utilize QA Graphics’ 3D creative
services to demonstrate how equipment works or to showcase sustainable
initiatives. By relying on a joint effort from designers with engineering,
architectural and creative backgrounds, you can obtain solutions that creatively
convey building concepts in a way that’s easy to understand. A technical
background allows the designers to create realistic visualizations of a variety
of processes. By working together, they understand what the main areas of focus
should be, allowing them to create realistic visualizations of how different
processes work. For example, the transfer of energy can be shown in a way that’s
easy to understand. A demonstration can be created to show the transfer of
energy from solar collectors to hot water tanks, which is then used to heat and
cool a building.
Having several designers with architectural backgrounds and LEED accreditation
on staff provides an understanding of green building fundamentals and the U.S.
Green Building Council’s LEED certification process. This knowledge allows the
designers to create interactive solutions like energy education dashboards or 3D
demonstrations that can then be used to educate building occupants and the
public about sustainable initiatives. A number of organizations utilize these
types of solutions when applying for LEED certification as it can qualify for
Innovation in Design credits.
As the industry continues to evolve, proper visual representation is key to
ensure you remain competitive in the market place. Utilize effective marketing
solutions and ensure your internal resources are not only accurate but easy to
understand. To learn more about how you can access creative solutions to improve
your day-to-day business, visit
www.qagraphics.com or contact
serdman@qagraphics.com.
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