Why I visualize in Unreal Engine

Designers talk a lot about staying creatively inspired. But in 2025, staying creatively equipped matters just as much. And yet, many spatial design teams still rely on outdated modeling and rendering tools that limit not only output but imagination. Software like Rhino, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, or even SketchUp may still be part of your standard palette, but are they really serving today’s clients?

This isn’t a conversation about trends. It’s about staying relevant in an industry where expectations are changing fast.

Whether visualizing a light festival or an exclusive dining event experience. Unreal Engine paired with AI has become my go-to visualization process after shifting away from 3dsmax, c4d, rhino and Photoshop post production.

Clients Have Changed. Have We?

Today’s clients are more visually fluent than ever. They’ve seen what’s possible. They’ve been wowed by cinematic walkthroughs, emotionally charged pitch films, and experiential previews delivered in real time. They now expect to feel a space before they fund it. And that means they expect more than a static render.

The shift is visible in how newer agencies pitch their work: using filmic language, realistic lighting, and story-driven environments to win client trust. The medium of delivery has become part of the message. And real-time engines like Unreal are quietly becoming the new standard, while AI processes are loudly changing the design industry.

Using UE5’s beautifully controllable lighting has made all the difference when it comes to shadows.

Real-Time Visualization Isn't Just for Gamers

Let’s address the common misconception: Unreal Engine is not a “metaverse tool” or just for game developers. I use it to design exhibitions, events, brand activations, and immersive environments - all spatial projects that need emotional storytelling, spatial logic, and clear client communication.

The latest release at Unreal Fest, which is Unreal Engine 5.6, only widens the gap. With dynamic lighting (Lumen), virtualized geometry (Nanite), and cinematic camera controls built into the engine, it’s possible to produce high-fidelity visualizations in real time. Not after a week of rendering. Not with a dozen plugins. Right there in the engine. Paired with AI-assisted workflows, it becomes an unbeatable combination. My software choice actually makes me feel empowered. So why would I ever want to go back to rendering in 3ds max the conventional way, if I can now create looped media in my scene and a visualizing quality I would have needed double the time to achieve before? I can model, visualize, and cinematically film my event or exhibition experience, as if I was there. If you can envision how it feels to be in the space, now that creates buy-in with your client.

Creating worlds to create the emotion of an experience, the vision of a place, the dynamic range of possibilities.

Creating a world that is almost touchable with real-time visualization in UE5.

Why I Let Go of Traditional Tools

I used to spend days exporting models, rendering stills, adjusting lighting in Cinema 4D or 3ds Max, then repeating the process after each round of feedback. Now I work in one environment, with full control over motion, atmosphere, crowd flow, and emotional tone - all in real time. Whether it's a fly-through video, a VR-ready walkthrough, or a spatial experience film, Unreal lets me say: “Tell me what you want, and you’ll get exactly that.” The software is no longer my limitation.

That kind of freedom doesn’t just change how we work. It changes how we feel about our work. It empowers us to try bold ideas.

The magic of using AI truly is to bring out wonder and awe, especially in ways impossible to be captured traditionally on camera, film or digital.

Creative Independence Is a Technical Choice

When you adopt real-time technology, you gain creative independence. You stop waiting. You stop guessing. You start iterating, testing, refining with speed and intention. You can show a client how a visitor feels walking into a room. How sound travels. How an interactive element responds. You can win buy-in by showing, not just telling.

It really is about being in control, in terms of time and creative ability. 

A Call to Designers and Decision-Makers

With every shift in generation and shift in technological advancement, times change and so do the tools we use. If you’re still using old software out of habit, ask yourself: is this still serving the way I want to work? Does this help me meet the expectations of today’s clients? And if you’re leading a team: are your designers equipped with the tools that reflect where the industry is going?

This is a chance to amplify your design voice. I’ve helped over 100 design professionals in 25 countries shift toward AI-supported workflows that can be paired with real-time visualization. And each one of them has told me some version of the same thing: “I didn’t know it was possible to feel this free again.”

That’s the power of choosing the right tools. And that’s why this matters.

I hope this gives some food for thought to reflect on the design tools you use and what you want to learn next, because life-long learning truly is empowering, whatever age you are at! You’re never too old or too young to learn something new. :)

All the best,
Marlene

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