Introduction to Augmented Reality Apps
Let’s take a take a look at what the brand new app offers users, in addition to just a few other examples of brands experimenting with augmented reality on mobile.
Examples of Brands Using Augmented Reality
Ikea Place
Ikea Place, which was recently launched within the US, allows users to position virtual Ikea furniture into their very own home to see how every little thing might look once assembled. Ikea has had a 3D function in its catalogue app for just a few years now, nevertheless the size was somewhat questionable, and it required a physical copy of the paper catalogue to work. In contrast, the brand new Ikea Place app is claimed to be 98% accurate in scale, rendering 3D images to react to light and shade – ultimately giving consumers a rather more realistic portrayal.
So will it encourage consumers to purchase? Ikea Place will likely be effective on this sense, especially throughout the pre-purchase phase when numerous deliberation or uncertainty tends to steer to shopper abandonment. With furniture – and particularly Ikea’s self-assembly furniture – being somewhat of a guessing game (by way of the tip result), the AR tool will help shoppers to make more informed decisions, which could increase sales through the app. As well as functional elements, the app also looks like it can provide numerous inspiration, letting users compare over 2,000 Ikea items to see how different furniture might look in the identical space.
Sephora Virtual Artist
Cosmetics retailer Sephora didn’t wait around for ARKIt – its ‘Virtual Artist’ app has been available via its primary app since earlier this 12 months. Instead of furniture in homes, the AR technology lets beauty consumers see what certain products might appear like on their very own face. To achieve this, it uses Modiface technology to scan lips and eyes, before overlaying different lip colors, eye-shadows, false lashes and so forth. The primary aim of the app appears to be to spice up ecommerce sales, with beauty consumers typically driven in-store on account of doubts about what products will appear like in real life.
While reviews have been mixed – some say it is not any match for trying products on actual skin – there may be a powerful amount of products to check out. Meanwhile, it also serves as a little bit of fun for consumers and one more way for beauty brands like Sephora to offer entertainment and inspiration in addition to the products themselves.
Dulux Visualiser
Another home interiors-related app, Dulux Visualiser uses AR in an easy but highly effective way – to see what your partitions will appear like when painted a unique color. Like most AR apps, it really works by utilizing your smartphone camera to detect wall edges and surfaces, letting users select the particular area that ought to be virtually painted. I downloaded the app and gave it a go, with mixed feelings in regards to the results. While the app itself has numerous cool features, like the power to match paint from furniture or fabric, in addition to an intensive array of colors to select from, the actual AR functionality is a little bit of a let down.
As you’ll be able to see from the below image, when turning my white wall pink, the color merged into the frame. Niggles like this are comprehensible given the technology continues to be in its early days, nevertheless I also found it particularly tricky to stop color from seeping up the ceiling and elsewhere. AR functionality aside, the concept of the app continues to be great, and will definitely be a viable option for patrons who don’t need to head to stores or physically test out multiple paint colors on their partitions.
Bic
Stationery brand Bic has turned to AR to unravel a really different form of problem. Its Drawybook app for teenagers adds a gamification element to colouring – acting as a substitute for standard mobile gaming apps that children often turn to. The app includes storytelling elements, with plenty of interactive stories being specially created for the app by children’s writer, Elissa Elwich. However, the AR element gives kids a reason to do greater than just play games or read. The ‘Draw & Scan’ feature encourages them to create their very own art by bringing it to life with special overlaid effects.
Unlike the aforementioned examples, which have been created to drive sales greater than anything, it is a nice example of a retailer using AR to attach and interact with consumers. It offers kids (and fogeys) something of real value, which in turn is prone to help the brand forge strong relationships with people who use it.
Lowe’s
Finally, two recent apps using Apple’s recent ARkit technology from home improvement retailer Lowe’s, each including recent and revolutionary features. The first, Measured by Lowe’s, acts as a virtual tape measure that allows users to take real life measurements of partitions, sofas or other household furniture via their smartphone camera. Interestingly, it will possibly also extend to areas outside of the house, as an illustration letting you measure your height or an area in a field. The second, Envisioned by Mine, is comparable to Ikea Place and a rather more comprehensive shopping app for TheMine.com – Lowe’s high-end online furniture store.
It allows users to position to-scale 3D versions of furniture of their rooms, and again, re-position or modify to see how it would slot in real life. Will either take off? Envisioned by Mine sounds fun, but I actually think ‘Measured’ might hold greater appeal – and it is because AR apps are inclined to succeed when they’re able to solve a selected problem. While people might turn to IKEA for AR-driven interior inspiration, Lowe’s cleverly taps into the common problem of measurement, essentially allowing it to grow to be an on a regular basis tool for people involved in home improvement, in addition to those that aren’t but who occur to search out themselves with no measuring tape.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these examples reveal the potential of augmented reality to rework the way in which we shop and interact with brands. By providing immersive and interactive experiences, AR apps will help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions, increase sales, and construct brand loyalty. As the technology continues to evolve, we are able to expect to see much more revolutionary applications of AR within the retail space. Whether it’s trying out furniture in your property, testing makeup in your face, or measuring rooms with ease, AR is poised to revolutionize the way in which we shop and interact with the world around us.
