TateDeSmet began his career as a recording engineer, but a gap year in Copenhagen inspired a newfound appreciation for lighting, furniture and design. Instead of pursuing another college degree, he found a mentor and landed a design job with a decorative lighting company in Los Angeles.
Tate DeSmet
Instagram | LinkedIn
Modeling software used: AutoCAD, Rhino
Tell us about one of your favorite projects.
My favorite project from this year is the 2023 catalog images I rendered for Alora Lighting.
How would you describe your design philosophy?
“Don’t strive to be different just to be different, be different to be better.” –Seth Godin
Where in your process do you use KeyShot?
I use Keyshot during concept development to get a general understanding of relative scale and material choices. After the CAD models are revised by manufacturing, it is a helpful tool to compare the initial concept to the revised model for any discrepancies.
What are some of your favorite KeyShot tools?
The new Web Viewer is an impressive tool for sharing visuals with development teams, allowing them to view a photorealistic model of their product before sending any drawings to manufacturers.
Where do you find your inspiration?
Travel, architecture, jazz.
What advice would you give to someone interested in doing your work?
Pick a niche and be the go-to person for rendering in that domain. The car company would more likely hire the expert in automotive exteriors over the candidate who renders everything well.
“Pick a niche and be the go-to person for rendering in that domain. The car company would likely hire the expert in automotive exteriors over the candidate who renders everything well.”
