Immersive experiences.
Perhaps, it’s not so much about being able to do the things on Star Trek, or The Jetsons, but more about convenience and accessibility. For now, I will focus on the consumer space and experiences.
For many years since my childhood, I have dreamt of a world with particle beams, or whatever that thing is in Star Trek…I dreamed about living like The Jetsons. Putting a pill in the microwave and it became an entire meal.
A world where technology meets the physical world, not the other way around. Yes, flying cars too…but mostly, wearing a wrist device that I can materialize what I want into my hands, and perhaps beam myself to another location if I so desired.
Of course, while these could be perceived as childish dreams, we have acknowledged that we live in a world where the word impossible means that we simply have not discovered how yet. We are far from the world of my childhood dreams but we have advanced dramatically in very short years.
VR, AR, XR
VR content works within specific confines, it can be limited, and so is anything that requires a physical device designed to experience it, physically. VR presents a big challenge in creating virtual environments and adopting immersive technologies for developing applications. As devices evolve they have to be optimized to sustain and adapt, or perhaps adopt VR in order to work.
VR is not horrible, but it removes what I consider real-life sensory response to environments. If digital is to be successful, it must harmonize with the physical landscape.
Perhaps we must reframe purposes, not try to make things do what they can’t, or not present them as such, but present them for what they are intended to do.
To my knowledge, VR requires a device to be worn on the head to shut away from the physical space and immerse the mind into a new experience. This is great for gaming and other intended isolated experiences, but it really comes down to the individual comfort and sometimes VR requires safety harnesses and platforms to prevent injury, it’s a larger investment but I am sure a pleasurable one.
There have been concerns about medical, or I think most likely psychological problems and the limitation VR can offer to people who may have vision problems. Epilepsy was a big one brought forward, but I am not a technology expert or a medical expert, I am merely commenting on convenience, access, data processing, and experiences.
What I believe is that design must always consider the human condition and the intended experience, purpose defines the approach. Design does not necessarily solve one specific problem, it’s not plugged in. It’s aimed at impacting singular problems by solving larger ones. It’s inclusive.
Design also has to include accessibility, information, and ease of use. The digital transformation is not simply uploading to digital, we have to design for digital. Let’s not separate digital, it is an extension of the physical space.
VR itself is not an issue, it’s really up to the user's choice, and in private usage is quite fine if it’s preferred. However, when we extend this thinking into the consumer space, shopping, advertising, and general information sharing, VR loses its appeal, it’s a headset. Notwithstanding its bulky bit, most likely no one will walk around with something like that to go shopping.
“Extended Reality is growing with a fast pace, there’s no doubt about XR in costumer, commercial and industrial, both in terms of the technology and applications with a first-hand experience with the flows of the technological landscapes, progressively over the past few years.
The extended reality technology is changing with a progression encompasses virtual, augmented and mixed realities. VR-content is working with in the confining of limited computer power with a big challenge that in lies in the fact that creating virtual environments adopting immersive technologies for developing applications optimizing modern devices that sustain the change the way of working. It increasingly offers a convenient alternative for early-stage market research and cost-efficient portable VR solutions.” — extendedreality.news
Riiot Digital focuses on are experts in AR, XR and VR. They focus on quite a few areas and applications. “Providing E2E Corporate Training, Compliance & Education Solutions in Virtual & Augmented Reality. IoT Integration with predictive AI models, leveraging best-in-class data analytics and visualisation for collaboration and Actionable insights.” — riiot.digital
Riiot Digital is a window into limitless applications and development taking place in technology and digital. This type of thinking goes way beyond what brand and consumer experience can mean, I do not think about brands to design for brands, I think about consumer needs and the problem that needs a response. Brand design is a response to the consumer in how a company communicates and represents itself, this dictates the intangible and visual identity and intended perception and experience.
What inspired this article?
I attended a LinkedIn live event hosted by Victoria Taylor (Human Centred Experience & Experiential Consultant, in short) and Richard Grant (Experiential Technologist, Innovator, Film Maker, Artist). The conversation opened up a lot of questions and provided insightful thinking.
My overall commentary was centred around the consumer and brand space, it is where I work. I have written articles on behavioral change, design, and brand perspectives, if we are going to engage technology with client brands and their consumers then there are specific things to think about. Especially in retail and entertainment.
We need to perceive design not as a plugin, but as a way of thinking. A process of constant criticism of how to make the human experience and behaviour different, better. In order to have a seamless digital experience, we must observe and think about how we think and behave physically. How can an architect, a graphic designer and a performer work together for a digital world? The right questions reveal the right answers. Do we need someone from NASA? If budget is an issue, rethink the idea, not cut corners.
The aim is influence through stimulation of the senses. Intrigue them.
The value proposition needs to be defined for the clients. Otherwise, we are just putting companies online to exist and blend in. The metaverse is a nice trendy title…but there are only digital and physical environments, customer experience must be streamlined across both. The immersive experiences must be harmonized between the two. AR, XR is my recommendation, not VR.
Digital and immersive experiences are a principal ways of thinking and behaving. An immersive moment can happen while shopping in a physical space a much as it can on digital. We simply have to observe and define what the primary intentions are. Advertising marketing, brand design and development, and packaging design are primary areas of focus when it comes to AR, XR, and VR in regards to consumer-facing responses. Technological responses must be influenced by them on the backend.
