The direct answer
What to do first
Write a quick room brief, find three to five promising models, compare their proportions and color direction, then keep the strongest options together in a private project board. Add a short note and rating to each finalist before choosing what to download.
1. Write a room brief in two minutes
Begin with the decision you need to make. A useful brief can be as simple as: “Reading corner — warm oak, compact footprint, one relaxed focal chair.” For a hospitality project, it might be: “Boutique lobby — soft seating, quiet palette, clear walkway.”
Add two or three visual cues and one practical constraint. This gives every candidate the same test and stops an attractive model from taking over the shortlist just because it appeared first.
- Name the room and the focal object.
- Choose cues such as compact, sculptural, warm oak, linen, or low profile.
- Add a constraint such as footprint, view angle, or number of seats.
2. Start close to the decision
Use a relevant category, Space, or search phrase in the public Catalog. Scan the image-led cards and open the candidates that match the brief. An account is only needed when you want to save candidates or use download access.
Keep the first pass deliberately small: three to five choices is enough to compare direction without creating another browsing project. Open the detail page for each finalist so the title, category, Space, and available description are in view.
- Browse armchairs and lounge chairs for a focal seat.
- Browse pendant lights when lighting sets the mood.
- Browse interior scenes when you need a compositional starting point.
3. Compare the choices as a set
Put the candidates next to each other and ask the same questions of each one: Does the proportion fit the room? Does the silhouette leave enough breathing room? Does its color or material direction support the palette? Is the view you need available in the preview?
This is where a visually similar group becomes useful. A compact chair, an oversized chair, and a low lounge chair may all look good alone; together they make the scale decision visible.
4. Save a working shortlist
Save the promising candidates to a private project board while you browse. Use a note to capture the reason each model remains in contention, such as “Reading corner — warm oak, compact footprint” or “Keep for wide camera angle.”
A 1–5 rating can capture your first reaction, while selection marks the few options you want to carry into the final review. You can keep different decisions in different private boards as the project develops.
5. Make the final choice
Return to the finalists and remove the models that fail the room brief. Compare the remaining proportions, colors, and camera view, then choose the model that solves the project rather than the model with the most decorative detail.
Before downloading, check the information available for the asset and confirm that its format, software/version, textures, units, and permitted use fit your project. If a field is missing, leave it as a follow-up question instead of guessing.
6. Download with a clear handoff
When the candidate is ready, use the authenticated download flow from the detail page. A Free account includes 20 new asset acquisitions per UTC calendar month, so a short final list helps you spend those acquisitions on models you are ready to use. Re-downloading an asset already acquired by the account does not use a new unit.
Keep this beside the project
A short checklist
- The room brief names the focal object, visual cues, and one constraint.
- The first pass contains three to five realistic choices.
- Proportions, silhouettes, colors, and camera needs were compared together.
- Each finalist has a useful private note and, where helpful, a 1–5 rating.
- Selection marks the options moving into final review.
- Format, software/version, textures, units, and permitted use are checked before download.
Read the documentation