2022 - A year of growth & new opportunities.
As we put 2022 to bed, it's that time of year where we look back and reflect on what has undoubtedly been an exciting time to be in the Pikcells office.
This year we made huge leaps in company growth, expanding our interactive, CGI and interior design teams to thirty six staff. With an increase in staff numbers we've also seen an increase in the quantity and complexity of the projects we're undertaking. All the while been really careful to continually evaluate and push project quality.
Here's our summary of 2022
Launching Onfigr.
Probably our biggest announcement this year was the launch of onfigr, our streamlined platform which takes our interactive 360 & 3D configurators to the next level.
With so many of our clients asking for configurators with near identical features, we decided to develop the onfigr platform. Onfigr makes it quicker for our developers to accurately produce a configurator that meets expectations and includes all the relevant features. The platform offers a more enhanced experience for both new and existing clients, with fast speeds no matter which country they're located in. Onfigr also incorporates a raft of new features designed to assist with sales performance, analytics and managing content online.
Pioneering Interactives.
Our interactive team have crafted several bespoke 3D tools in 2022, kicking off at the start of the year with a ground-breaking AR paving visualiser for Marshalls PLC. This project saw us create a workflow to accurately digitize paving products through a 3D-scan-to-AR end-to-end process.
Other notable 3D tools include a brand new Onfigr based wardrobe configurator for Starplan. A clever home heating visualiser which allows customers to compare three types of home heating. And most recently a brilliant modular desk configurator for Wyrmwood, a table-top gaming manufacturer who needed a tailor-made solution to assist their Kickstarter launch.
The team also introduced fresh features to the Wren 360 kitchen configurator, with a full rebuild introducing more cabinetry options, accessories and several new property styling choices.
The finest CG interiors.
We’re extremely proud of the quality of our interior design and CG images. In the last year our teams have made great efforts to strengthen both quality and the styling of every image, whilst still striving to achieve the photorealism which we've become renowned for.
These efforts haven't gone unnoticed, with many of our clients showing an increased confidence in our designs, allowing increased creative control which in turn has led to some superb, award winning images.
Some of our favourite images from this year can be found in our portfolio pages for Uform, Wren kitchens, PWS and NatureWall.
Rebranding.
Our core business has been changing over the past few years, so we felt it was time for a fresh start. Our rebranding features a modern, tech-focused visual style, including a new smiley face icon in place of our old diamond/axis symbol. We're gradually introducing this new look as we continue to grow and evolve as a company.
First-rate experts.
We've grown even more this year, adding seven new faces to our staff count (plus a familiar face returning to the fold). Pushing into new markets with our interactive offering has allowed us to take on four talented developers and a UI designer. Our CGI and interior design team head count also increased with two expert new hires and one of our 3D artists returning after taking a year out.
We’re always on the lookout for likeminded individuals to join our team.
Awards.
It’s been another successful awards season for Pikcells with our 3D interactives collecting a staggering five awards, including a much sought-after Red Dot seal of quality! We were also lucky enough to be shortlisted as finalists for two more awards with our 3D configurators. Our clients also had great success winning awards and high commendations using our CGI and interior designs.
Social connections.
No year at Pikcells is complete without an illustrious team trip. Social culture and team bonding are highly valued, especially now that most of the team work a hybrid remote setup. These social connections are more important than ever, allowing everyone to stay well connected and catch up with planning and organization.
Looking forward to 2023
In the last quarter of the year we also extended our marketing activities, hiring dedicated sales representatives in the UK and the USA. Until now we've relied on the quality of our work to attract new business, mostly through word of mouth. But having enthusiastic and committed representatives to communicate our services to prospective clients is already proving beneficial.
Matt, Rich and Steve would like to thank all our clients and collaborators for making 2022 a great year.
We have big plans for 2023 with a new sales and business development team expanding our reach in the UK and USA and the launch of another new product to enable our customers to create 1000s of CG images in the blink of an eye.
Have a great Christmas and happy new year!
