Augmented Reality and the Importance of UX Design

We’ve been hearing for a while now that augmented reality (AR) is the future of businesses. The past few years have seen more brands learning about and experimenting with AR on their websites, apps and social media.

But, the time for experimenting is over. Augmented reality is here, and its growth is exploding. When asked, 60-70% of consumers see a clear benefit of AR technology and growth is expected to expand to over 1 billion users by 2020.

Knowing this, we need to be looking at how augmented reality is changing the user experience as we know it. With technology that’s capable of providing such personalized experiences, a focus on UX design is now more crucial than ever.

Augmented reality (AR) is radically changing how we engage with our devices, which is the very core of UX. This means that we need to equip ourselves with knowledge about the changes and challenges to expect in the future of UX and website design.

Unless you’re in the business of UX design, you might not think it matters, especially if your brand isn’t personally invested in AR technology – yet.

Even if your business isn’t using augmented reality, you should still be aware of how it’s changing consumer expectations. But, if we’re being completely honest, it’s also important because there’s a chance that the time will come when AR is no longer an option for businesses that want to win at the UX game.

Plus, augmented reality presents some unique opportunities for businesses to more easily identify UX hurdles. For example, with AR brands can receive real-time user feedback and engage with them in ways that were previously not possible. The more we listen and focus in on UX, the easier it becomes to build customer loyalty with augmented reality and UX.

With the rise of augmented reality, UX for web design just became exponentially more complicated. Take for example mobile responsiveness. We’ve spent some time designing websites that translate well across any device, but what happens when you take AR technology and implement it for a smartphone?

For example, when viewing a 3D image on smartphone, the size constraints of the mobile screen need to be considered. Plus, we also need to be continually looking at the load speed of websites and apps that use AR technology.

With increased technology comes increased UX expectations, and if you’re not ahead of the game in anticipating the user’s needs, they’re not likely to stick around. How can your AR solution help your application users with their most critical tasks?

For many businesses, augmented reality is still a mystery. However, the future is here, and smart brands know that now is the time to learn more about what’s ahead in the world of user experience. If you’re ready to use AR to engage with your customers, we’d like to help.