How to use Augmented Reality to pitch your next consumer product, step by step.
Authored by Ramzy Merrach
Head of Innovation, Brand & Product Architect
Picture this: a boardroom filled with skeptical executives, unsure of whether to give their precious budget to yet another salesperson. Suddenly, you whip out your tablet, point it at a seemingly ordinary product sitting on a table, and like magic, it springs to life before their very eyes. The once-static object transforms into a dynamic and interactive 3D model, revealing its inner workings, features, and potential applications. The audience is left dumbfounded, jaws dropped, their wallets trembling with anticipation.
In a world where supply chain sales can be as dry as the Sahara, augmented reality is a breath of fresh air in the industry. Today, I will teach you step by step how to use Augmented reality to pitch your next consumer product, so strap yourselves in and prepare to be amazed.
Step 1: Identify the needs of your buyers/customers
In the realm of consumer product creation, the journey begins with identifying the very heartbeat of success: customer needs (or buyers' needs, in our case).
To identify customer needs, you must first immerse yourself in their world. Cultivate empathy and actively listen to their desires, challenges, and feedback.
Engage in conversations, conduct surveys, and explore social media platforms to gain insights into their preferences, pain points, and aspirations. Observe their daily routines, frustrations, and unmet desires.
By understanding their world, you will lay a strong foundation for creating a product that truly addresses their needs.
For demonstration purposes, we’ll use a basic pen as an example.
Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash
Step 2: Identify your product features and characteristics
Now that you’ve identified what product you want to create (and why!) it is time to draft your product specifications.
Start by identifying the key features and functions that will make your product stand out. Brainstorm a comprehensive list of desired capabilities, considering both the essential and desirable aspects. Prioritize these features based on their importance to the overall user experience and the value they bring to your target audience.
Specify the performance and quality standards that your product must meet. Consider factors such as durability, reliability, efficiency, and safety. Define any industry-specific certifications or regulatory requirements that apply to your product. Ensure that the specifications reflect the desired level of performance and quality you want to deliver to your customers.
Next, outline the physical and technical attributes of your product. This includes dimensions, weight, materials, PMS colors, interfaces, connectivity options, and any other relevant physical or technical specifications. Be as precise and detailed as possible, as these attributes will guide the design and manufacturing processes.
At that point, you can also have a 2D mockup of your product idea, with the characteristics outlined somewhere. Above an example.
Step 3: Create a 3D mockup of your product
Armed with your product specifications, it is now time to take a huge step towards providing the Augmented Reality experience that will make you stand out, by creating a 3D model of your product. At that stage, if you’re not a 3D designer, I would recommend hiring one, as it takes years of experience to be proficient in that space. However, for the sake of documentation, here is an outline of the process that is required to create a 3D mockup.
Selecting the appropriate software is paramount to creating a 3D mockup. There are several options available, ranging from professional CAD software to user-friendly design tools. Evaluate your requirements, budget, and proficiency level to find the software that best suits your needs. Popular options include SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Blender, and SketchUp.
To create an accurate and detailed 3D mockup, gather reference material for your object. Collect photographs, technical drawings, and any other visual references that will aid in recreating its form and proportions. Pay attention to intricate details, textures, and surfaces that contribute to the object's overall appearance.
With your concept and reference material in hand, it's time to start modeling. Begin by creating a basic shape or outline of your object using the software's modeling tools. Extrude, scale, and rotate the basic shapes to build the foundation of your 3D mockup. As you progress, refine the details, adding edges, curves, and other features that mimic the real-world object.
To enhance the realism of your 3D mockup, apply textures and materials to its surfaces. Utilize the software's material libraries or create custom textures to mimic the appearance of the object. Experiment with different finishes, colors, and materials to achieve the desired visual representation. This step adds depth and visual appeal to your mockup.
Lighting plays a crucial role in creating a realistic 3D mockup. Set up virtual lights within the software to illuminate the object from various angles, mimicking real-world lighting conditions. Experiment with different lighting setups to highlight specific features and create a visually appealing presentation. Once the lighting is set, initiate the rendering process to generate high-quality images or animations of your 3D mockup.
Finally, review your mockup from different angles, evaluate its form and functionality, and seek feedback from colleagues or potential users. Make necessary adjustments and refinements to improve the accuracy and realism of your design. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the final result.
You should have something that looks like this.
Step 4: Convert your 3D mockup to an Augmented Reality experience
Just a heads-up before diving into that part; I don’t work for Vectary, nor am I sponsored, but I found it the best and most cost-effective tool to convert a 3D object into an Augmented Reality experience.
So first, ensure that your 3D object is properly exported. Make sure it is in a compatible file format, such as OBJ, GLTF, or FBX. Check the geometry, textures, and materials to ensure they are optimized for AR rendering. If needed, clean up the model, optimize the polygon count, and apply appropriate UV mapping for texturing.
If you haven't already, sign up for a Vectary account to access its AR features. Once logged in, import your 3D object into the Vectary editor. Simply drag and drop the file or use the import function to bring your 3D object into the Vectary workspace.
Go to the properties menu and under advanced settings add Augmented reality. The AR file will be generated automatically. Once this is done, go back and unhide all the previously hidden objects. Share the project using the button in the top right corner. Then, on a mobile device, just press the AR icon to display it.
Once you have created your AR experience, it's essential to test and preview it before sharing it with others. Vectary allows you to preview the AR scene directly in the editor using your device's camera. This feature enables you to visualize how the 3D object will appear and behave in the real world. Make any necessary adjustments or refinements based on your preview experience.
Here is a link to a video demonstrating the process.
Step 5: Time to pitch.
You can take it from there, but below is the final result that we send to our buyers, at City Global, with the AR QR code at the bottom right (scan it!).
This is how it looks like on my living room table. Obviously, the pen has been scaled up for demonstration purposes.
Conclusion
A few years ago, you had to rely on 2D or 3D imagery in order to convince a buyer to allocate you some of its budgets. Today, Augmented Reality empowers you to demonstrate how a product is going to look in its environment, without having to go through a lengthy prototyping process.
Moreover, recent advancements in technology made AR cost and time efficient, and we can foresee a future where AR won’t be an innovation in the supply chain industry, but a norm.