If you’re seeking architectural renderings for your new project, you’ve no doubt encountered offers from both foreign and domestic companies. And you’ve probably noticed some pretty remarkable discrepancies in pricing between these two types of rendering firms. Outsourced foreign renderings often cost a low as 1/5 the price of a domestic rendering. To the untrained eye, this can seem like a clear bargain. However, with more information, the picture gets a bit muddy.
While it is absolutely tempting to take these too-good-to-be-true offers on outsourced foreign renderings, choosing these services can come with a great many risks and complications that you need to consider before you sign any agreements. Here are some things to think about:
Transparency – Know Where Your Work Comes From
There are certainly foreign rendering companies that employ talented artists who yield a quality product. The problem is, there is often no way of knowing for sure if you have found one of these companies. Outsourced rendering websites often include images of skillfully done renderings, but due to discrepancies in domestic and international licensing, and unclear channels of communication, you could be seeing an image produced by another company entirely.
In this business, you don’t want to play roulette with the quality of your renderings. Seeking a domestic rendering will ensure peace of mind in what you are getting, and who you are getting it from.
The Cultural Divide
Any time you work with a rendering service in another country, you risk miscommunication. Even working with the highest quality foreign rendering services, there is no way around this issue. Differences in language and time-zones can muddle expectations between renderer and client, easily leading to frustrating misunderstandings.
Furthermore, you cannot expect the workers at an outsourced international rendering company to have a solid grasp on American building customs and expectations. This is no fault of the artist themselves; many of them have probably never seen the way buildings and streets look in America. Therefore, if you choose to work with outsourced international renderers, you should be prepared to spend time and energy addressing misunderstandings about cultural divisions like these. For instance, quality standards for sidewalk construction are very different in China than in America; therefore, working with a Chinese rendering company would likely require you to explain some of these simple details that we take for granted in the United States.
Odds are, you’ve already got a lot on your plate. If you don’t want to expend the labor and time to address potential issues like these, your best bet is a domestic company. That way, you will guarantee familiarity with American construction expectations and reduce the possibility for needless and annoying delays.
Respect Your Time
We all know that in this industry, the phrase “time is money” could not be truer. Though outsourcing rendering projects overseas can create quality discounts, it is important to consider what such projects can cost you in time. All of the issues already listed, from determining authenticity to clearing up misunderstandings, will cost your company precious time, likely requiring multiple revisions and conversations to finally arrive at the quality of rendering you are looking for.
When you pay for a domestic rendering, you pay for peace of mind, quality, and efficiency. Be sure to keep the real cost in mind as you choose the right rendering company for your important projects.
