June 28, 2018
VR and AR are already starting to have an impact in many design workflows, we talked in a previous blog about the use of VR and AR in product design here, today we’ll go more in depth in this area and other design use cases, discussing the advantages, and how you can get started using some of these tools on devices you may already have.
Product Design
Similarly to how 3D printing has transformed the manufacturing industry, VR and AR will rapidly improve and speed up the prototyping phase of product design when integrated into the workflow. Allowing designers to almost instantaneously view a virtual copy of an object as if it were in front of them, getting a sense of scale and a better idea of how different components of a physical product might work together.
Interior Design
A publicly accessible example where you can see this in action already is Ikea Place, a free application made by the global furniture company Ikea in which users can place furniture to visualise what it might look like in a thier home, office etc. For consumers it allows them to visualise how different furniture would look in pre-existing environments and test the scale of different pieces of furniture. Ikea Place is already massively accessible being available to download on the iOS App Store as well as on the Google Play store for phones that support ARKit or ARCore.
Another example from Ikea is their Ikea VR experience. This tool allows a user to modify the appearance and design of a full-scale kitchen. It is limited in its ability to modify the layout of the room but can still give a sense of how a tool like this can be used when designing a space to achieve the desired look and feel.
Visualisation
In engineering, AR can be used to superimpose 3D models of buildings into pre-existing environments. Engineers can view the 3D models from various angles and see the suitability of the design in its intended location before construction of the building begins. VR can also be used in this process, with VR headsets giving users the ability to view CAD models in 3D space. This can be extremely useful and valuable to test the scale, ergonomics and sightlines of a building before production begins.
VR and AR are already having such an impact in design and it seems that in the future it’s only a matter of time before it will become a standardized part of many design workflows.
If you have an idea you want created get in touch with us and we can bring it to life. Whether it’s a quick prototype, a full product or even just to brainstorm, our team will be here to help. From the beginnings of your prototype to the final product we can support you with professional advice and delivery.