Real-Life Decision Making
Dettling Inc. is planning to market a new medical device that they hope will revolutionize the way needles are disposed of in the industry. They are excited about their new invention, and want to promote it in all of the leading medical science journals.
However, the device is so small that it can't be photographed well. That's where you come in. Dettling has invited you to their office for an appointment at 9 a.m. this morning.
You sit outside the boardroom with your sketchpad. You can tell it is an important meeting because of all the activity -- people are rushing in and out of the boardroom. Finally, the company president shows up and you're invited into the room.
They unveil the product and discuss how they want it presented in their advertisements. "As they talk, I am sketching out what they say," says technical illustrator Chris Ceccarelli.
Each person at the table has a chance to give their opinion. Some want the device shown from a side angle. Others want the product shown from the front. "It's looks too squat from the front," says one person. "No one will ever think it's a usable product."
It seems like a small matter, but the way a product is represented is vitally important. If it looks skewed, distorted or awkward from a certain angle, or if its best features can't be seen, then you have to opt for a different angle.
It takes the group all morning to decide how they want the product represented. You're anxious to get back to your studio to begin drawing. Finally they reach consensus and agree that the side angle would be best. You make a few more quick sketches and then photograph the item.
They shake your hand. "That's what we've come up with, but if you find a way to make the product look better, we trust you," says the president.
You go home to your studio and begin mapping out the drawing on your computer. To your dismay you find that a side angle shot looks boring. You don't think it shows off the product at all. You want to shift the entire focus of the drawing so that it features the product from the top.
This is a radical change from what the board members hashed out this morning. However, the president gave you permission to change what was needed. You have a decision to make. Should you call the company to discuss your idea, or should you just go ahead and draw the product from the top angle?