The
packaging industry is an extremely complex piece of machinery in itself, even apart from the actual individual machines by which it operates. It encompasses large regions of human experience—ranging from engineering and logistics to networking—with a strong dedication to meeting the needs and wants of the consumer. Likes, dislikes and urgent needs vary on a daily basis—certainly with the seasons in a region such as Alexandria, Minnesota!
But such a constant flux demands a tight connection of unbroken links from the consumer: marketing, package design and the technical design teams. Meaningful products are best produced by efforts which synchronize all the necessary talents with the actual needs of the consumer.
Seeking Clarity & Vision Through Animation
Effective communication is a critical pillar of everyday human interaction, and the packaging industry is no exception. Communication through speech is the most immediate way that we can share our ideas and vision—and consequently agree upon the appropriate means to achieve that end. In every one of our efforts to understand each other, the assistance of the imagination ends up being an essential part of the equation.
Everyone has experienced the frustration of attempting to learn new concepts without the help of good diagrams, or perhaps without any diagrams at all. The power contained in a simple visual is aptly captured in the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Such a picture is made even clearer when someone explains it further with additional gestures. Yet the most powerful means of quickly conveying information should combine the thousands of words and thousands of pictures into one comprehensive vision. This is the power of animation.
An animation presents information in a form which corresponds to everyday experience; we look at the world and see everything in terms of motion and rest. No one comes to know birds and trees by first looking at a page of writing. You first know by experience through the fluid motion of the world. This is the very form by which animations present highly technical information in such a natural manner that it is quickly and clearly understood by the viewer.
Animation Drives Better Business Communication
By means of animations we can facilitate communication through visualization—which aligns the imagination of every individual associated with any given project. This synchronized vision provides a common starting point for further design development, critical decisions, building of confidence in a concept, as well as confirming potential concerns. Yet there remains an intangible aspect, which cannot be quantified, wherein the animation sparks excitement that drives projects forward! All this happens in the space of a few minutes necessary to view a single animation, which would have taken pages and pages of writing to communicate and can sometimes create confusion.
At
Douglas, we leverage animations in a number of avenues in an effort to maximize the quality and efficiency of production with minimal development costs. Numerous iterations and variations of new concepts can be evaluated with a fraction of the investment, which in turn serves to refine the project vision much more quickly. Additionally, finalized projects can be captured most comprehensively with an overall animation which exposes regions of a packaging machine that would be extremely difficult (or even impossible) to view in the real world.
Concept and final animations present the opposite ends of the animation spectrum, but Douglas Machine employs the power of animation for everything in between. Whenever individuals begin talking with their hands, it is a sure sign that animations can provide valuable assistance for everyone involved in that stage of the design process!
How Animation Evolves at Douglas
New developments often allow us to produce animations more quickly and accurately while always striving to encompass the most pertinent information. Everything is evaluated with an eye toward improving the decision-making process. Thus, the production of animations at Douglas brings together a unique blend of talents within the company—including engineering, design and art. Each animation must convey the thoughts of a technical design to individuals who are not familiar with the finer details in a manner that is uncluttered and clear, while still being aesthetically pleasing such that it aligns with the needs of the appropriate audience.
The fine balance of technical accuracy, simplified visuals and eye-catching visuals, done well, forms a packet of information which is accurate
and quickly comprehensible. Combining all these elements can ignite the energy, excitement and talent necessary to take solutions from a simple concept to fruition. That is the power of a picture in motion—solutions brought to life.
Animate Your Enterprise With Douglas
Ready to learn more about how animation can impact and improve your business? Then be sure to
reach out to Douglas today. We would be more than happy to shed light on how you can leverage this technology to maximize clarity, efficiency and safety for your team.
