Bringing 3D Into Your Design Toolkit — A Beginner’s Guide

Curiosity pulled me toward motion, then 3D modeling. At first, it was intimidating. I went from exporting JPEGs to suddenly needing to understand lighting, mesh topology, shaders, and render settings. But once I made the jump, I realized how powerful 3D could be not just for entertainment, but for everyday design tasks. Since then, I’ve spent over 15 years working professionally as a 3D artist in games, animation, and now synthetic data and real-time projects.

What Can Designers Do with 3D?

If you’ve ever opened Instagram and seen a floating soda can mockup with beautiful lighting and shadows or a futuristic product animation that feels like a high-end commercial, there’s a good chance it was created with 3D tools.

Popular uses of 3D in graphic design and visual content:

• Product mockups: From skincare bottles to tech gadgets, 3D lets you create photoreal or stylized versions of products, without needing photography.

• Social media content: Eye-catching visuals stand out in the feed, and 3D gives you endless creative freedom.

• Posters and album art: You can create surreal or minimal compositions that would be difficult or expensive to photograph.

• Stickers and icons: Rendered in a clean style, 3D objects make amazing branded assets or emojis.

• Packaging and branding: Many designers use 3D to visualize how their designs will look in real life.
  
  
  

I’ve even started seeing small businesses use 3D to promote physical goods before they’re manufactured. That’s the power of having a flexible digital workflow.

I’m a Designer, Not a 3D Artist — Where Do I Start?

This is the part that usually scares people off. But here’s the truth: you don’t have to model, rig, or animate anything to benefit from 3D in your workflow.

Easy tools to start using 3D today:

• Spline: A super beginner-friendly tool to build and animate 3D in the browser.

• Vectary: Great for drag-and-drop composition and mockup-style scenes.

• Blender: Free and powerful. A bit of a learning curve, but there are tons of beginner tutorials online.
  
  
  

  

  
  I recommend starting with pre-made 3D assets. You can use them like stock photos, just load them into your design software as PNGs or layered PSDs. For many designers, that’s more than enough to get stunning results.

  Using 3D Assets in Your Workflow

  You don’t need to export OBJ files or use heavy software just to create simple visuals. Most 3D assets can be rendered as transparent PNGs, which you can easily drag and drop into your favorite design tools, whether it’s Photoshop, Canva, or even video editors like After Effects or DaVinci Resolve.

  Here’s how I use 3D renders in my design work:
  
  

  1. I create or download a 3D object.

  2. I light it and render it from multiple angles (or use a pre-lit version).

  3. I save the image with a transparent background.

  4. I drop it into a social media layout or packaging mockup.
     
     
     

     

     
     
     Useful Resources to Build Your 3D Toolkit

     Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand your creative arsenal, having the right resources can save you hours of work and help you focus on what really matters, making great art. Here are some useful tools and asset libraries to level up your 3D workflow.
     
     

     

     
     
     Where to get 3D assets:

     • Vertex Mode Store – curated stylized assets, lighting kits, and free scenes

     • CGTrader / TurboSquid – massive libraries for every niche
       
       

     If you're serious about style and cohesion, I’d suggest starting with stylized kits like this one on Vertex Mode. It includes the completed 3D scene with models, textures, and lighting, perfect for beginners.