AR Beauty: Revolutionizing Tokopedia’s Shopping Experience
Aiming to transform the beauty industry, Tokopedia has embarked on a creative journey that leverages the power of augmented reality (AR) to change the way users shop for beauty products.
With the commitment to enhancing the shopping experience, Tokopedia has integrated pioneering AR technology into its platform, allowing customers to virtually try on cosmetic products from the comfort of their own homes. Leading this initiative is Tokopedia Senior Software Engineer Adriani Zenytha, whose expertise and dedication have played a pivotal role in developing our innovative AR experience.
Let’s delve into Tokopedia’s utilization of augmented reality and explore how Adriani and her team have empowered users to make more confident purchasing decisions!
Sekar Wibowo during the recording of Tokopedia’s podcast episode on AR.
Hi, Adriani, can you tell us more about Augmented Reality?
Augmented Reality is frequently mistaken for Virtual Reality, but they are different. Augmented Reality enables the integration of virtual objects into our real-world environment, using devices like phone cameras, webcams, or dedicated AR glasses. It enhances our perception of reality by overlaying digital elements onto our surroundings.
On the other hand, Virtual Reality immerses users entirely in a simulated world, accessed through specialized VR goggles, controllers, or headsets. It offers a complete virtual experience where users can interact within the simulated environment.
How did Tokopedia’s AR journey start?
During the pandemic, people were confined to their homes while still having to fulfill their daily needs. As part of the technology team, we wanted to improve users’ online shopping experience and make it as simple as possible.
We started thinking about how to create an online shopping experience that was similar to an offline one, where customers could test out a product before purchasing it. During this time, social media filters were gaining popularity, and we found out that AR technology was behind it. We brainstormed how we could leverage AR with regard to users’ shopping experiences, and before we knew it, AR Beauty was created.
How can I try the AR Beauty feature on Tokopedia?
So far, we’ve partnered with Maybelline and L’Oreal. To try out the feature, go to their Official Store on the Tokopedia mobile app and look for, for example, lipstick. When you click on a product, you will see a button under the photo that says “Try on the product”. Then, your camera will turn on and you will be able to virtually try on the lipstick shade.
What were your biggest challenges in developing AR for Tokopedia?
Developing AR for Tokopedia’s Beauty category was made possible by the collaborative efforts of many teams; including the product design and product management teams and other groups that were in charge of managing the development timeline, strategy, as well as legal affairs. We had weekly meetings where we updated each other on our progress and challenges and leveraged a lot of online channels to discuss and further collaborate in smaller groups. This went on for several months.
Despite the strong collaboration, the implementation of AR came with its fair set of challenges. As AR technology is new, we had to conduct a lot of research beforehand on how the technology works and how we can implement it into our ecosystem to serve its intended purpose of alleviating users’ shopping experience.
How do you view the future of AR? Is an AR Certification necessary for tech enthusiasts?
At the moment, AR is mainly being used in the entertainment and gaming industries. Moving forward, I think AR will be beneficial for a broader range of industries, such as education, and in other products or applications that we use on a daily basis.
As an Engineer, I think it’s important to always keep up with new technology trends. By getting the AR Certification, you’ll learn important skill sets that will make you an expert in AR. So, once you need to apply the technology in the future, you’ll already have the skills to do so. Learning something new can only benefit you.
For those interested in learning about AR, learn the fundamentals and experiment with the technology. If you haven’t tried Tokopedia’s AR feature, go to your Tokopedia mobile app and give it a go!
To learn more about the AR Beauty feature on Tokopedia, listen to Tokopedia’s podcast or watch the video on Tokopedia’s YouTube channel.
