A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words… Or Maybe $1 Million?

At Instrux Studio, we’ve always believed that a great illustration can communicate a complex idea faster—and often more effectively—than words alone. Recently, one of our illustrations had the opportunity to help do exactly that on one of television’s biggest stages: ABC’s Shark Tank.

HiberTec Homes appeared on Season 17, Episode 17 to pitch its innovative approach to protecting homes from wildfires and other extreme threats. The concept is as ambitious as it sounds: custom modular homes designed to automatically lower into a protective underground vault when danger approaches, then return to ground level once the threat has passed.

• 

• 

• 

It’s an extraordinary engineering concept—but also one that can be difficult to explain in a few sentences.

That’s where visualization becomes invaluable.

Instrux Studio was commissioned to create an architectural illustration and infographic that clearly demonstrated how the HiberTec system works. Our illustration shows the home in its normal above-ground position and then safely lowered beneath the surface, helping viewers immediately understand a sophisticated combination of architecture, mechanics and engineering.

On Shark Tank, that big idea resulted in a big offer. HiberTec accepted a deal from real estate entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran: $1 million for a 20% stake in the company.

For us, it was exciting to see an Instrux Studio illustration associated with a project receiving national exposure—and a perfect example of why technical and conceptual illustration matters.

When you’re presenting something that doesn’t yet exist, or explaining technology that’s difficult to visualize, the right image can make an idea tangible.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sometimes, apparently, it might be worth $1 million.

See HiberTec in Action

Watch a snippet of HiberTec Homes’ appearance on Shark Tank:Watch the Shark Tank clip

Learn more about the technology behind HiberTec Homes:Visit HiberTec Homes

View the illustration created by Instrux Studio:View the HiberTec illustration