3D Presentation Software: The Key to Simplifying Complex Concepts

If you want to engage your target audience and effectively communicate complex ideas, your choice of presentation software is crucial.

At POPcomms, we’ve spent over a decade helping manufacturing, engineering and healthcare businesses transform their messaging with interactive 3D presentation software. In this article, we’ll explore how technology is revolutionizing presentations, unlocking new possibilities, and making it easier than ever to bring your ideas to life with 3D functionality.

Moving on from the outdated PowerPoint presentation

First, let’s address a common challenge in manufacturing and engineering presentations. It’s an elephant with a big Microsoft logo on its trunk. For decades, PowerPoint was the go-to software for presentations and sales pitches. It provided a simple backdrop for sales reps and other presenters, who could create slides packed full of information to guide or complement what they were saying.

Over the years, multimedia features have become more advanced. Basic shapes and images have become videos and animated illustrations, allowing businesses to be more creative and tailor their PowerPoint presentations to their specific needs. From a link to a screen recording, you can add lots of resources to make presentations more informative.

With POPcomms you don’t need to be a designer or have any technical expertise, POPcomms no-code Experience Management System (EMS) has been built from the ground up with this in mind. an all-in-one platform to build beautiful customer experiences, with best-in-class design and easy to use templates.

“POPcomms is an excellent choice for any business looking to create polished, professional presentations without the need for technical expertise. It’s designed to make high-quality results achievable for everyone.”

Kandra Hutchinson, Creative Manager – Barton Malow

Into the modern era of presenting

Nowadays, there are so many different types of presentations that PowerPoint simply can’t match. Customers have come to expect these presentations from forward-thinking advanced manufacturing and engineering brands. For example…

Video presentations

As the name suggests, video presentations use video to convey messages to your target audience. They’re often used as a form of remote presentation, where a sales rep talks through a product or service on camera. This way, buyers can view the presentation at a time that suits them. There are no issues with scheduling, different time zones, or travel.

Video presentations, often used in manufacturing and engineering, leverage animations to simplify complex concepts for buyers. Rather than having a single video of a presenter, they comprise multiple videos that users can navigate through. In this case, the User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are key is key, as they enable potential buyers to easily find and watch the right video content for their needs keeping them engaged and reducing confusion.    

“The ability to incorporate videos, PDFs, and demos made our booth stand out. Usually, with other touchscreen software, they would say, ‘I don’t really get it.’ But with POPcomms, it was intuitive. They knew where to go and what to click on. This was one of the first times they said, ‘This is amazing. This is easy to use.’

Mark Currier, Director of Marketing & New Business – CLD Inc

Or an interactive presentation

Interactive presentations are slightly broader, including a wide range of interactive tools such as:

🗂️ Silos: Interactive navigation pages that help manufacturing and engineering teams manage and organize complex product portfolios into sections    

↔️ Navigation: This can be built into slides, so you can easily skip between different sections or topics of interest, returning to the main menu or jump to another silo.

🎮 Scenarios: Interactive scenarios help customers visualize how your solution solves their challenges in real-world situations. They are an engaging way to demonstrate how your product or solution works in practical situations, making it easier for your audience to relate to and visualize its value.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Personalization: Presentations can be personalized to different audiences in the moment transforming it from a generic experience into one that feels crafted for the individual audience. It shows you value their time, understand their needs, and are prepared to deliver a solution tailored specifically for them.

🧊 Visualization: Humans process visual information 60,000 times faster than text. Interactive diagrams and 3D models help buyers understand the different features and benefits of a product or service, bridging the gap between your product’s technical features and your buyer’s understanding of how those features solve their problems or improve their lives.

A great example is Canpack’s customer experience center, a leading global packaging manufacturer using POPcomms to break down their complex product portfolios. A central silo page breaks up the content so users can click on the section that’s most relevant to them.

There’s also a virtual factory to help buyers visualize the different areas where Canpack can help them. This allows buyers or sales reps to personalize the presentation and let the conversation guide the way.

Additionally, Canpack’s presentation uses Lift and Learn technology, where the display reacts to people picking up a physical product. These interactive features allow manufacturers to showcase product details in innovative, memorable ways.

Find out more in our recent guide: Interactive Presentations: The Simple Solution for Complex Products.

So what about 3D presentations?

3D presentations are interactive presentations that employ three-dimensional images, graphics, and video content. They have numerous benefits.

👥 Drawing people in

First and foremost, 3D presentations grab your audience’s attention. For manufacturers at trade shows, 3D presentations can draw in buyers with compelling product visuals. Even if customers are already in your presence, a visually stunning presentation makes them more likely to engage with your content and learn more about your solutions.

For example, consider Corin’s event touchscreen experience, a leader in medical manufacturing, and their event touchscreen experience. 3D models of Corin’s orthopaedic devices can be moved and manipulated on a 65” 4K touchscreen table.

It’s much more attractive than a flat, bland, one-way presentation on a standard monitor. Once they engage with the experience, users can also access videos, images and technical PDFs to learn more about the products.

💡 Making the complex simple

3D presentations also make it easier to demonstrate what you or your solutions do. Some products and services are just not simple enough to explain in simple terms, which is a common challenge for manufacturers and engineers creating innovative solutions.

3D presentation tools are essential for simplifying intricate product features in industries like manufacturing and healthcare. A 3D model can be easily manipulated to show customers every last detail. You can enlarge it, shrink it, rotate it, pull it apart and put it back together.

Most importantly, you can do all of that in an instant without the need for props. Sometimes, it’s just not practical to have your products there in person. For example, aeronautical manufacturers can’t have an aircraft on hand for demonstrations.

This was the case for GCP, who couldn’t expect to literally walk customers through a typical environment. What they could do, however, is create a 3D environment on a touchscreen, which can be navigated through. It shows customers where their expertise lies and how they can help them with familiar challenges.

🤔 Engaging your audience

Above all else, a 3D presentation enables you to engage your target market. In our article on sales psychology, we highlighted several findings that explain what’s behind audience engagement, including:

• 65% of people are visual learners. Visual 3D elements can capture and sustain attention by breaking the monotony of static slides.
• On top of that, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, which shows how 3D presentations can improve information retention.
• 67% of consumers say images are vital when selecting a product, which includes 3D imagery.

As you can see, 3D presentation software can make your presentations more engaging. This results in better information retention, that is specific to your presentation, but also makes your brand more memorable. Customers are more likely to get in touch when they can recall a positive, unique experience.

Which software is best for 3D presentations?

If you want to create stunning presentations, there are a number of things to look for in 3D presentation software. These include:

📱 Compatible with different screen sizes

There are a vast array of different screens that you might want to use to showcase your 3D graphics and images. They range from smartphones, tablets, and laptops to large TVs and even multi-screen displays.

For example, a large, interactive touchscreen is ideal for trade shows and exhibitions. As well as catching people’s eyes, it enables customers to interact with your products themselves. Alternatively, you may want sales reps equipped with smaller, handheld devices like tablets.

The 3D experience mustn’t be compromised, no matter which screen it’s displayed on. Users should still be able to see and interact with content in the same way. This gives your team more flexibility as they won’t be restricted to specific devices. It also improves self-service, as customers won’t need a particular screen size to get the most out of a 3D presentation.

Fujitsu, a leader in technology manufacturing, achieves this with its interactive sales presentation, which can be seen on both a large display and handheld device. It features a handy navigation bar at the bottom of slides, so that sales reps can skip to the most relevant content for each audience. Because it’s responsive to different touchscreen sizes, the presentation can be used for large groups at sales pitches but also individual buyers for personal assistance.

🎨 Completely customizable

3D presentation software should also make it simple to customize presentations to your requirements. Templates are often used to make things easier for designers. However, the result is typically sub-par, with presentations feeling generic despite looking professional.

When we talk about customization, one aspect is customizing presentations to your brand’s style. However, it’s also important that you can customize each presentation to specific requirements. This is where effective onboarding comes into play.

At POPcomms, we use our Customer Success Blueprint to address the unique challenges of manufacturing and engineering presentations. This starts with a discovery process to properly understand your challenges and requirements, followed by workshops to collaborate with key stakeholders across your organization.

Crucially, we provide comprehensive team training as part of our onboarding process. This ensures your team has the skills needed to turn their creativity and vision into a reality. Our team also provides ongoing support to help you deliver the best experiences using our 3D presentation software.

“I needed a partner I could rely on, someone who could help me through the process. Ultimately, what drew me to POPcomms was the level of support they offered.

Mark Currier, Director of Marketing & New Business – CLD Inc

🥽 VR and AR compatibility

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are opening up new avenues in so many different areas, from education to entertainment. Presentations are no exception.

Virtual reality allows manufacturing teams to showcase facilities or prototypes in a fully immersive environment. On the other hand, augmented reality overlays virtual elements into a real-world environment.

To put that into context, VR allows prospects to walk around a built environment to see what’s possible with your solutions. In contrast, AR enables them to interact with your solutions as if they are in the real world. It can be used to show customers how furniture looks in their homes, for example.

These are both great ways to make an impact and better demonstrate what you offer. However, it requires compatibility from your 3D presentation software. We expect to see a lot more of VR and AR in presentations and beyond over the coming years. Choosing software that works with it will ensure your investment is future-proof and avoid disruption further down the line.

Discover what’s possible with POPcomms – the go-to platform for manufacturing and engineering presentations

If you’re ready to enhance your buyer experience, POPcomms can make it happen.

Our innovative presentation software lets you quickly and easily create interactive experiences for all your projects. Our Customer Success Blueprint ensures that your team is on the same page and fully equipped to turn your ideas into impressive creations with our software.

Going forward with POPcomms, you’ll benefit from invaluable data analytics, with every interaction, click, and download tracked. This gives you insight into how your presentations are being used and which images, animations, or other content resonates with your customers. Armed with this data, manufacturing and engineering teams can refine messaging to resonate with decision-makers.

To get started, book a demo or contact our team. We’d be happy to discuss your business, goals, current challenges, and how we can help.