Material + Surface Prompts
Prompting with material precision
To use Vizcom well, you must think like a designer and a storyteller. A great sketch paired with precise material language will guide the AI to generate outcomes that support your vision. The more you can describe the material world in clear and vivid terms, the more effectively Vizcom can bring that world to life.
Each material category has a unique vocabulary that helps Vizcom interpret your design more accurately and render it with visual fidelity. In the context of design, materials are never just about function. They communicate mood, intent, and brand identity. The terms you use in a prompt tell Vizcom how a surface should behave, feel, and interact with light. For example, "brushed aluminum" suggests a different finish, texture, and reflectivity than simply "metal." These distinctions are subtle but critical.
The way designers represent materials has evolved significantly over time. In traditional industrial and product design, material rendering began with manual techniques such as marker drawings, airbrushing, and colored pencil on vellum. Designers learned how to express gloss, transparency, and surface texture through hand techniques. These renderings were not just exercises in realism: they communicated manufacturing constraints, marketing aspirations, and emotional resonance.
Understanding materials in design is not just about naming a surface. It's about anticipating how light, color, and form interact. Using specific material descriptors in your Vizcom prompts provides the AI with enough structure to deliver coherent and compelling outputs. One prompt can result in many visual directions depending on the material terms you use. A generic prompt like "chair" will produce very different results if you add "walnut frame with matte leather seat" compared to "transparent acrylic with chrome legs."
Here is a reference table of material categories, types, and finishes that can help you prompt more effectively:
Material | Types | Finishes and Properties |
|---|---|---|
Metals | Aluminum, steel, brass, copper, titanium | Brushed, polished, anodized, patinated, chromed, matte, glossy, reflective, textured |
Woods | Walnut, oak, maple, cherry, ash | Veneer, solid, reclaimed, distressed, natural finish, stained, lacquered, oiled |
Plastics | ABS, polycarbonate, acrylic, silicone | Matte, glossy, translucent, transparent, soft-touch, textured, molded, injection-molded |
Textiles | Cotton, wool, leather, nylon, microfiber | Woven, knitted, perforated, embossed, upholstered, stretched, draped, padded |
Glass and Ceramics | Clear, frosted, tinted, smoked, porcelain, stoneware, terracotta | Glazed, matte, crackled, high-gloss |
Resources:
If you’re looking to deepen your understanding of materials and rendering in design, here are a few recommended books and resources:
Books
Drawing for Product Designers by Kevin Henry – A foundational guide to communicating materiality and form through sketching.
Material Innovation: Product Design by Andrew H. Dent and Leslie Sherr – Explores emerging materials and how they influence form, function, and aesthetics.
Online Resources
Material District – A curated archive of innovative materials for designers and architects.
Core77’s Design Directory – Features articles and interviews with designers on the use of materials in industrial design.