The further I’ve gone in my career, the more I’ve come to understand the importance of presentation. An idea can be excellent, but without the proper delivery, it can flop. A good mockup can tie the bow around an already well thought-out design.
A good brand can only take you so far. When it comes to application, the client needs to see how their product will function in the real world. Whether this is digital, apparel, or packaging, a series of mockups are essential to bringing your ideas to life.
One benefit to a mockup is it allows you to see your entire brand system summed up in one hero shot. Seeing the full brand suite (colors, logo lockups, etc.) translated into physical objects is incredibly impactful. It is with mockups that the brand really flourishes. The tone of the image itself can also further portray the vibe of the brand. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words.
Another thing that can enhance a mockup even more is AI. While there are countless mockups available online, sometimes making a custom mockup is the best solution. By combining images, using smart objects, masking, harmonizing, and using generative fill, one can create a custom mockup that is totally unique to the brand.
While creating a brand is its own beast, generating mockups to fully represent that brand is its own project. Establishing a clear, consistent, and cohesive set of images to tell the story of your brand is absolutely essential to telling your visual story.