Maddy Rao pushes creative boundaries

Maddy Rao is a motion designer driven by a passion for blending industrial and CMF design with motion graphics and animation. As a graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design with eight years of experience, she’s collaborated with teams at HP Inc., Nickelodeon, Already Been Chewed, and others. These experiences have strengthened her ability to adapt her creative approach across diverse mediums, with a focus on 3D design, animation, and product visualization.

In recent years, Maddy has developed a passion for 3D photorealism, crafting high-end visuals that elevate brands and products. During her time with HP Inc.’s industrial design team, she created renders and animations for HP’s product line, contributing to marketing campaigns and internal concept explorations for consumer products. She also played a key role in HP’s “Trend” projects, integrating motion into industries such as fashion, furniture, textiles, and technology. 

With a keen eye for detail and a love for exploring new techniques, Maddi is constantly learning, mixing different mediums, and finding fun ways to bring ideas to life.

I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember, starting with a love for fashion design when I was a teenager and sketching models in wild, creative outfits. Over time, as I explored different art forms and looked at colleges, I stumbled upon motion design, which felt like the perfect fit because it let me explore all my interests in art without having to pick just one. During my sophomore year, I interned with Already Been Chewed and fell in love with 3D design—I realized I had a knack for it, even though it was a pretty male-dominated industry at the time. That passion led me to earn a BFA in Motion Design from Ringling College of Art and Design, and it’s been an exciting ride in 3D design and animation ever since!

Some of my favorite projects would have to be:

• My senior thesis
  
• Growing Space
• My collection of personal 3D explorations 

I use KeyShot Studio primarily during the texturing and lighting phase of my process. While I usually build my models and scenes in Cinema 4D, KeyShot’s ease of use and real-time rendering make it super streamlined for me to quickly apply materials and create high-quality stills. It’s especially useful for rendering textiles, metals, and fabrics, which was a game-changer for my shift into product visualization. Unlike traditional motion design tools, KeyShot Studio lets me focus on capturing intricate product details without long render times, making it ideal for any CMF visualization.

• Real-Time Rendering: It’s so refreshing not to be stuck looking at wireframes. It feels like I’m applying materials to a real room with a swish of my finger!
• Built-in fabric, metal and glass shaders make it so easy to get highly accurate materials. Also love how quick and easy it is to add fine hair/ fuzz details, which enhances the realism of cloth materials.
• Multi-Materials: I can render many variations of a product without manually switching shaders.

The motion design industry has evolved so much since I started, and while it may seem competitive or oversaturated, finding your niche is key. There’s huge potential in bridging animation and industrial design, with plenty of room for innovation. The best way to discover your strengths is to put your ideas on paper, experiment, and bring them to life.

I also encourage motion designers such as myself to explore tools like KeyShot Studio—it helps streamline tedious look development. While its animation capabilities are minimal at the moment, I love that I can import an FBX from Cinema 4D and focus on making it look stunning in KeyShot. In this field, learning more tools is always valuable for expanding your skillset.

“Unlike traditional motion design tools, KeyShot Studio lets me focus on capturing intricate product details without long render times, making it ideal for any CMF visualization.“

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