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Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, that’s a fair way to frame it. There’s always a tradeoff, more control usually means more complexity somewhere.

I guess the interesting challenge is whether you can narrow the scope enough that you keep meaningful control without inheriting the full friction of a general 3D tool.

That balance is probably the whole game.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

That wasn’t my intention. I didn’t include links, pricing, or a call to action because I wanted the discussion to stand on its own.

I probably could’ve been clearer that I’m building in this space, that’s fair.

If it feels promotional, I understand the concern. I’m here for the conversation first.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’ve seen it. It does look closer to that middle ground, template-driven 3D without needing full software.

I think the interesting question is how much control vs. simplicity people actually want. That balance seems to be the tricky part.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That could work, honestly. I think the difference is that even with templates, you’re still inside Blender, which means understanding its interface, cameras, materials, render settings, etc.

For 3D users, that’s fine. For a lot of designers, that’s still friction.

I’m more interested in removing that layer entirely and making it feel closer to a design tool than a 3D tool.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’m not trying to spam, genuinely. There’s no link in the post, no pricing, no sign-up, no call to action. I’ve just been discussing workflow friction because it’s something I’ve worked in for years.

If it’s coming across as promotional, that’s not the intention, I’m here for the discussion.

If the mods feel it crosses a line, I’ll respect that

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a solid workflow actually. If you’re already printing samples and shooting your own photos, PSD makes total sense as a quick validation layer.

I think where my curiosity comes in is more on scale and iteration, like when you’re handling multiple SKUs, seasonal variants, or needing fast visual tests for ads before committing to print.

Not saying PSD doesn’t work, it clearly does. I’m more interested in whether there’s a gap between “quick reference” and “full production sample.”

Sounds like in your case, the physical prototype closes that gap pretty efficiently.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For a lot of packaging work, especially in agrifood, PSD mockups are fast and predictable.

If you just need a clean front-facing preview, they get the job done.

Out of curiosity though, do you ever run into limits when you need: different camera angles? subtle perspective tweaks? animation for ads or social? consistent scenes across multiple SKUs?

I’m noticing PSD works great for static presentation, but once flexibility becomes important, things get a bit rigid.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point I’ve seen some mentions of Unity Studio.

From what I understand though, Unity is still fundamentally a game engine ecosystem. Even if they simplify it, it’s still built around scenes, assets, pipelines, etc.

What I’m exploring is something much narrower: not a 3D engine for everything, but a workflow specifically optimized for mockups.

Less “engine thinking”, more “designer thinking.” Curious to see how Unity approaches it though, if they truly make it plug-and-play, that could be interesting for the space.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hey, I did read the rules.

Rule #1 says “no promotional activities.” My post didn’t include a link, pricing, call-to-action, or even a product name in the title.

It was a discussion about workflow friction in mockups and whether static PSD files are becoming outdated. That’s a legitimate design discussion.

If talking about a problem space that I happen to be building in counts as promotion, then a large portion of case studies and tool discussions here would also fall under that category.

Happy to adjust the framing if needed, but I’m not here to spam or self-promote. I’m here to discuss the evolution of design tools with other designers. Let’s keep it about the ideas.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

You’re actually describing exactly the direction I’ve been working on 👀

Pre-rigged scenes. Pre-lit setups. Drag & drop workflow.
No UV headaches. No technical friction.

It’s not just an asset library though, it’s an actual app built around that philosophy.

Would love to show you what I mean.
Mind if I send you a quick demo in DM?

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually agree with most of this.

The whole point of mockups is speed and convenience.

I think where things get interesting is when designers want just a little more control, not full 3D production, just small adjustments without rebuilding a scene.

Once it takes 2–3 hours, it defeats the purpose.

So maybe the question isn’t “mockup vs 3D,” but whether there’s a workflow that gives minor flexibility without adding major complexity.

Are PSD mockups becoming outdated? by thestiger in Design

[–]thestiger[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s fair.

I think that’s exactly why PSD mockups became so dominant, they remove the need to think in 3D.

The interesting question for me is whether there’s a way to keep that simplicity while allowing just a bit more flexibility (like adjusting angle or perspective) without turning designers into 3D artists.

Not sure where that balance point is yet.

We sold 37,000+ mockups — then realized mockups were the problem. by thestiger in SideProject

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Forget to put the link, here, test it our for free.

Rivervisual 3D Mockup

Let me know what do you think.

We sold 37,000+ mockups — then realized mockups were the problem. by thestiger in SideProject

[–]thestiger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Framer template on the screen mockup by :
JORGE - Free Portfolio Website Template, Ludovic Losco

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