Sketches, visualizations, story boarding, animations and treatments. They’ve all been used to bring ideas to life and give a hint of the emotions a fully formed “thing” might evoke–at least enough to convince a client to stump up the cash to go into production.

Many of us have experienced the frustrations of these lost-in-translation moments first hand. But just as technology has opened up new possibilities for the sorts of ideas we can execute, it has also increased the ways we can articulate these ideas throughout the creative process itself. With a little effort you can simulate a lot of magic and create a prototype that excites people each time it’s displayed.

Here are four simple ways to bring an idea to life.