Things to think about while designing an Augmented Reality app
In this expeditiously changing world of AR, catching up can be overwhelming, here are few tips for designing a good AR app.
What is AR?
We, humans, have progressed rapidly in the last few decades when it comes to technology, kudos to us!! Augmented reality is nothing but one such flourishing technology which essentially creates an extension to our real world. AR is much more than just 3-Dimensional objects floating on our screens. It focuses on creating a real connection between anthropomorphic gestures and these 3-Dimensional objects, which aids in creating the one-step-further experience than normal.
My experience with AR apps
All of us have at some point in our lives been associated with AR apps, be it as a user, as a developer, as a designer, or as an envisioner. Ok, let’s admit it we all have a few ideas for an app in the back of our minds! I have experienced AR both as an envisioner and as a designer, and of course as an avid user. When it comes to designing, in comparison to normal apps, there is both a lot of freedom and a lot of curtailment within Augmented Reality. When we talk about freedom it means that AR has a wide scope of incorporating many exciting features within one domain. The best design would require informed use of this freedom and exploring the possibilities with that knowledge.
For example, here’s a quick mockup of a project idea that was based on human gestures used to animate daily life objects in order to convey memos to close ones living on the other side of the world. This in particular is a mockup of your table getting animated when someone wants to give you a reply. The scope here was vast, however, instead of having too much information superimposed onto the real world, minimalistic and user-focused design makes for a superior user experience.
AR on everyone’s mind, adults & kids alike!
When we think about AR, the thing that comes to most people’s minds is an experience that they will have fun with. In reality, although the majority of companies offer apps for entertainment purposes (e.g. Pokemon go.), this is not the only place where AR is used. Other than these products for public use, AR is widely used in enterprise products that offer solutions to lessen the user's burden for any task at hand. (e.g. app for a mechanic or a pilot)
The obvious reason why people love the AR experience is that it’s engaging, interesting, and also at times thrilling! These are the main focus points when it comes to entertainment apps. Whereas what users of an enterprise app look for is reducing their workload in some way and probably offering a helping hand at certain tasks which would help them reduce time consumption.
Considering the above examples it is evident that AR covers a large user base all for very different purposes.
Why is UX/UI Important for Augmented Reality?
A good UX/UI process and proper design is essential for any kind of app to be usable. But when it comes to an AR app there are certain disparate inputs we need to consider for delivering functional prototypes.
The most important point to be considered when implementing the flow for an AR app is how we can interpret user commands beforehand and execute them as soon as the user thinks about them. This kind of Augmented-reality experience is also referred to as non-command user interfaces where the system performs the task ahead of the user command. As a simplest and one of the oldest examples of AR application, the parking-assistance in a car. The system automatically starts up the sound and the visual parking guidelines as soon as the user puts the vehicle in reverse gear.
Another important feature to consider while designing an AR app is how we can reduce the user's workload if this app happens to be for enterprise purposes. For example, if we need to design an app for a construction worker, we can possibly offer him information about the method of construction, some sketches in 3D, etc all through an AR app, in such a way that it will reduce his cognitive load. At the same time, we also need to be careful to not offer too much information at once which might, in turn, increase the user’s load.
Because of these and many more such points, designers need to take a different approach at times while creating the flow for AR apps.
Things to keep in mind when designing for AR
1.There are a lot of undefined rules one should follow so as to design a good AR app. The most important good practice being providing a realistic approach to the user. Elements in the app need to be designed in such a way that users should believe they belong to the real environment. For example if the app demands the placement of characters sitting next to the user, proper use of colors and shadows needs to be made in order to convey the realistic feeling. Also, we need to consider the kind of environment the app is being developed for. The design should reflect appropriately depending on if an app is for indoor use or outdoor use.
2. Proper use of Scale is another good practice to keep in mind when designing AR apps. The very first thing users should understand when they open an app is whether the app gives a tabletop experience or it needs a bigger surface like the floor or outdoors.
3. Buttons, signage, and other indicators play an important role in making the user comfortable while experiencing the AR features. Without proper indicators for the placement or movement of 3D objects, the experience would be rendered futile. A simple example of an indicator would be some shadows placed below the object while it is being dragged onto the real world by the user. Even an unembellished circle located beneath the 3D object would make a huge difference in terms of user grasping.
4. Assisting with proper instructions can be a huge reassurance for the user’s to go ahead and use the app with confidence. When a user is new to the app, onboarding the user with proper visual guides or help texts can make for a good path leading to a satisfied user.
5. Another aspect that makes for good practice is readability. As a designer, we should remember that AR apps generally need text to be superimposed onto the real world, & for this to be clearly visible it’s important to focus on the color and style being used for the same.
6. Commercial apps made for entertainment purposes can often cause the user to really get immersed while moving around with the phone and at times forget about his surroundings. This might have an adverse effect on user’s safety. To avoid this the design should allow the user to focus on his surroundings as well as the information in the app. One of the simple ways of doing this is offering good transparency and only relevant information at a particular time on the screen.
7. User posture is another concern that affects mobile phone users widely these days. However, due to the nature of the AR apps, this fault in the posture can get aggravated unless we can somehow make the user comfortable with the help of superior design elements.
8. User feedback should be quickly recognized and responded to by the app. A good design will have thoughtfully placed elements to attain user feedback in a seamless way. Limited inputs & simple gestures can go a long way in making the app a success amongst regular users.
9. Prototyping & user testing is important for any kind of app, but especially relevant to AR apps since without prototyping there is no way of knowing where and how objects will be placed in the surroundings. When it comes to prototyping for AR, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel since there are many prototyping tools available. For example, Apple’s low-tech prototyping techniques can be helpful for a new designer who might be intimidated by the overload of opportunities available in the AR world. Another tool that designers over the world are using for prototyping is Figma. It also offers a scope of exemplification and design of AR apps.
10. The use of anthropomorphic gestures like facial expressions, voice notes, hand gestures, etc can be an element that will help take the AR app to the next level in terms of usability. Some gestures like facial expressions are the future for technology across all platforms and incorporating them appropriately with good tools could lead to an app that is extremely user-friendly and serves an important purpose.
Figma for quick AR mockups
The prototyping tool that designers swear on, Figma, is also compatible with Augmented Reality! This amazing tool can be used in combination with other tools such as Torch AR to create an Augmented Reality prototype app. If the app requires the inclusion of 3D objects, a plugin called Vectary 3D offered by the tool Vectary can be used along with Figma. This tool will help designers import and view prototypes of 3D objects via Figma on any AR-supported phone. For the purpose of solely designing the app, Figma can also be used as a standalone s/w without the need to be combined with any other app.
The scope for using Figma for prototyping AR apps is extensive and when used in combination with some plugins or other apps can lead to a neat, well-designed utility app. Here is a glimpse of a prototype for an AR app the purpose of which is “How Augmented Objects react to Anthropomorphic Gestures” leading to a fun and immersive experience for the interested user!
In summary
The world of Augmented Reality and the scope within it is enormous, be it for an envisioner, a designer, a developer, or an avid user. And with advancing tools & technology we are now able to explore this scope with great freedom. We as humans should take advantage of this freedom, think outside the box and build things by blending technology seamlessly to enhance our daily lives.
