How Viral 3D Figurines Are Made—and What It Means for Design

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Welcome to AI Design Proposal—your bite-sized guide to smart, accessible AI for creatives! Today we’re breaking down the viral 3D figurine craze and the simple workflow behind it—so you can make your own collectible-style “mini you” without paid tools or complex 3D skills.

  • How Viral 3D Figurines Are Made—and What It Means for Design

  • How to use AI to design text into cool fonts?

  • Quick Tips

  • 5 AI design tools

Read time: 4 minutes

Today’s AI Design Breakthrough

Image credit: Joe Foley / AI-generated

TL;DR

Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (a.k.a. Nano Banana), has sparked a viral trend: ultra-realistic, toy-like 3D figurines generated from photos. Anyone can try it using a carefully crafted prompt—and even animate them.

Short Paragraphs

Each time a major AI image tool updates, it unleashes a fresh internet trend. With Gemini 2.5 Flash Image—nicknamed Nano Banana—users are crafting highly detailed, collectible-style 3D figurines from their own photos. Unlike simpler trends before, these capture both likeness and styling with impressively consistent results.

Generating these likenesses is simple: upload a photo into Gemini’s prompt interface, paste an elaborate prompt (often including details like the figurine’s scale, packaging design, and scene context), and let the AI render a high-quality image. The visual trope often includes the figurine on a desk, acrylic base, and a computer screen showing 3D modeling software like ZBrush behind it.

Results range from sweet and playful to slightly uncanny—but always eye-catching. Bonus: users can transform these static images into short animated videos using any AI video tool.

Highlights

  • Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is the go-to tool for this trend—thanks to its prompt-following detail and free access.

  • The signature prompt creates a scene with collectible-style figurine, packaging box, and a design workspace aesthetic.

  • Animation is seamless—still images can be turned into dynamic clips with AI video apps.

Why It Matters

  • DIY professional aesthetics: Anyone can now generate hyper-stylized imagery—leveling the design playing field by rendering collectible renders that look studio-made.

  • Prompt design as skill: The quality of the result hinges on prompt precision—highlighting the growing importance of prompt-writing as part of creative workflows.

  • Creative expression + novelty: The trend captures minds by blending personalization, design, and social playability, making image generation feel tangible and personal.

Actionable Insight

  • Jump in while it’s fresh: Explore Gemini 2.5 Flash Image and experiment with your imagery—capture your style or humor in collectible form.

  • Master your prompt: Use detailed prompts referencing scale, base materials, scene elements, and even software overlays to control style and storytelling.

  • Animate it: Use AI video tools like YouCam Video to add motion—suddenly your figurine isn’t just a pic, it's a mini-showcase.

  • Prototype more broadly: This technique can be a quick mock-up method for character design, 3D packaging visualizations, or packaging concept storyboards.

Tool Spotlight

Tool of the Day: SnappyGifts

Scenario: Perfect for creating stylish text formats for social media bios, captions, gaming usernames, or creative projects.

Value:

  • Wide variety of text styles: Choose from cursive, bold, italics, and other decorative fonts.

  • Easy to use: Generate fancy text instantly and copy-paste it wherever you need.

  • Social media friendly: Enhance profile aesthetics or make your posts stand out.

How it works:

  1. Input your desired text into the tool.

  2. Browse the generated styles and select your favorite.

  3. Copy the text and use it in your content, such as Instagram bios or gaming profiles.

Prompt of the Day

Today's Style: Whimsical Retro Illustration

Example:

/imagine prompt: Whimsical retro illustration, featuring hand-drawn textures, low-saturation colors, anthropomorphic animals, humorous everyday scenes, blending vintage and modern elements, playful and narrative-driven --ar 1:1 --v 6.1 --sref 1831983442

Quick Tips

Title: Design Unique Tattoos with Wonder AI's Art Generator

Tip: Use Wonder AI to create personalized tattoo designs effortlessly.

How to:

  1. Download and install the Wonder AI Art Generator app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

  2. Open the app and enter a descriptive prompt for your desired tattoo design.

    • Example: "A minimalist black ink phoenix rising."

  3. Select an art style that matches your vision, such as Cubist, Synthwave, or Steampunk.

  4. Tap Create and let Wonder AI generate your custom tattoo design.

  5. Review the artwork, make any necessary adjustments, and save or share your design.

Solo - Free AI Website CreatorAI website creator for businesses.

Softgen: AI Web App Builder for quick, no-code application creation.

Linkstac: Dynamic QR codes and landing pages for better digital engagement.

SEXY AI: AI platform for generating erotic imagery and videos.

OpenDreamCreate stunning AI-generated artwork in seconds with OpenDream and unleash your creativity.

Wrap-Up

AI Design Proposal is a premier AI Newsletter with over 50000 AI enthusiasts globally, including professionals from top-tier companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

What We Can Offer:

  • Stay Ahead of Trend

  • Boost Creativity

  • Master AI Tools

  • Daily Inspiration

Thanks for creating with AI Design Proposal today! Want weekly, designer-friendly breakdowns of the latest AI trends (plus ready-to-use prompts)? Subscribe to our newsletter—and turn internet hype into real creative wins.

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