Augmented Reality in Everyday Life
Augmented Reality is a kind of mediated reality, similar to viewing things through a camera lens with the information turned on. When looking through a viewfinder with info turned off, the world in front of us is modified by the camera’s lens, the focus, the depth of field, the height and width of the frame etc are all affected. Yet when we turn the info on we also see numerous boxes, text, numbers and any other reference to the picture displayed in the viewfinder. Our visual experience is mediated in either case, but with info on its affected that much more.
It would seem that with the introduction of augmented reality to the realm of digital apps, the key elements affected here are the camera, which will now become an integral part of AR apps, the screen, which will behave somewhat like the viewfinder of a camera with a 360 degree lens, the user — i.e. the person using the app who will now experience apps in quite a different way, and the space in which an app is used, as these spaces will also be integrated into the visual realm of the app.
To a much greater extent now than there was previously, there’s a lot of potential for the person using the app to participate in creating the app experience. From a UX perspective, this very fact will affect the UX design process in profound ways. To a greater extent, UX researchers will need to analyze how people move, gesture and accomplish tasks in a real-world setting more than they have done. They’ll need to not just speak with potential users but also observe peoples’ actions closely, paying more attention to the settings in which we conduct our lives and use apps. What kinds of real-world considerations do we need to bring into the games, home-decorating / fashion / educational apps when we’re designing? What will delight people and what will make people feel angry/annoyed / burdened by? How can designers incorporate user collaboration into the design in an essential way?
Along with needing to develop new research skills, we’ll need to adapt our visual language and design techniques to the AR experiences. How will we note signifiers in this new context? Where previously a well-placed button with a clear call-to-action sufficed, will a few lines and arrows take its place? What role will words play in helping the user understand what to do? It will be interesting to see how designers play with the form and rules when creating the new AR experiences. Prototyping will have to match the 3-dimensional aspect of AR experience. The changes are numerous and far-reaching.
With the introduction of AR into everyday digital experiences, the role of the UX designer has transformed. We need to consider carefully all the ramifications as we meet the challenges.
