In the past, it was difficult for a customer to have an exact idea of what his future bathroom or a new office would look like. Usually there was an approximate plan. For the rest, the imagination had to suffice. That’s over now, thanks to the latest technology!
There are now apps for everything, and technology is not stopping at the interior design of public spaces, offices or private homes. There are apps for measuring a room without a tape measure. There are those that show you how certain furniture will look in that room and, of course, there are those that help design the entire room environment. This way, the customer can see exactly in front of them what they will end up with when they choose a certain color or piece of furniture. What already works so well on a small scale can, of course, also advance large projects, such as the development of entire business complexes. Here, customers can even sit down at a virtual table and discuss which design they like best and where changes are needed.
Virtual reality with all-round view
This is made possible by apps like HOK VR. With this, users can see a 360-degree image of everything they want to receive later. This makes it much easier to imagine what they want and helps them make more targeted decisions. Uncertainty is often a major obstacle when it comes to making a choice, especially when a lot of money is involved. State-of-the-art augmented reality systems make the experience of looking around even more impressive. Here, the customer is fitted with special glasses that allow him to move around the room and look around in his virtual world. This makes the experience of a room, a building or a park more intense, almost tangible.
Advantages of augmented reality from a designer’s point of view
Augmented reality solutions also offer many advantages for designers. They can not only present to customers what previously existed only in their heads. They can also control, improve and revise their own work. Instead of a fixed chart, everything is tangibly in front of them and can be changed with a few button presses. This helps to avoid planning errors, re-evaluate ideas, and enter into dialogue, not only with their own self, but also with the customer themselves. A priceless new opportunity for even better work results. To do this, it is necessary to keep learning and to take a closer look at the latest applications, because otherwise, of course, they cannot be used in the workplace. Programs are only as good as those who know how to use them properly, so learning is a basic requirement for successful work with and through them.
Great opportunity for traders
Large companies, such as the Swedish furniture store Ikea, have long since recognized that they need to offer their customers more than just a small pencil and a tape measure. Customers can now not only plan their kitchens online free of charge using a 3D system, for example, they can also set up entire rooms conveniently in the middle of the furniture store using an app and thus check what they like and what they might still need. After all, the selection is large enough. The Primer app works in a similar way. Here, customers can use their own cell phone camera to photograph paintings, wallpaper and furniture and then move them into their virtual room.
Image copyright: Andrea Piacquadio