The 10 Pillars of Immersive Experiences Design: Part 1

How Cutting-Edge Technology is Revolutionizing Digital Marketing and Beyond

May 17, 2024

Imagine a realm where the ordinary bounds of time and space are mere suggestions, a digital landscape where reality bends to your will. That is not science fiction; it's the cutting-edge field of immersive experience design. Here, we harness the power of AR, VR, XR, and spatial computing to create worlds that fully engage your senses, transporting you to places you've only dreamed of. These experiences can transform how we interact with brands, sparking curiosity and pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible in digital marketing and beyond.

What exactly are Affordances?

An affordance is what a user can do with an object based on the user's capabilities. In essence, an affordance is an action possibility in the relationship between a user and an object.1

"When affordances are taken advantage of, the user knows what to do just by looking: no picture, label, or instruction needed." - Don Norman, the Grandfather of User Experience, Co-founder and principal, Nielsen Norman Group.

What do we mean by 'affordances' in Emerging Technologies?

Immersive affordances are novel opportunities that emerging technologies represent, allowing us to engage with and manipulate virtual objects/ worlds naturally and intuitively.

The 10 Pillars of Immersive Experiences Design:

1. Bend Time and Space: Re-imagine Reality.

2. Create Presence: Craft the Now.

3. Empower Users and Places: Agency Unleashed.

4. Transform Size and Scale: Alter Perception.

5. Shift Vision: Perspective Play.

6. Inspire Movement: Dynamic Motion.

7. Explore Augmented Identities: Beyond Self.

8. Foster Co-Creation and Socialization.

9. Maintain Clarity: Transparent Interaction.

10. Integrate Playful Affordances: Play as Engagement.

In this post, we delve into the first five pillars that form the foundation of crafting engaging, and immersive experiences:

1. Bend Time and Space: Re-imagine Reality.

Time and space are the ultimate canvases. Stretch, compress, and twist them to create a temporal and spatial dance that defies conventional boundaries, making users question the very fabric of their existence. Spatial affordances also allow users to teleport instantly, eliminating physical boundaries and enabling exploration of expansive digital terrains and phygital objects.

Ask yourself: How can manipulating time and Space enhance narrative engagement?

"Dear Angelica" is a VR film created by Oculus Story Studio that allows viewers to experience memories non-linearly. The film's narrative jumps through time, creating an immersive and emotionally engaging experience that manipulates the viewer's perception of time and space.

2. Create Presence: Craft the Now.

The essence of immersion is presence. Build experiences that anchor users so profoundly in the moment that the outside world fades away. Every detail, every sound, every interaction should resonate with authenticity, pulling them into a vivid now. Enhancing presence tricks users into believing they are fully present in the story and contributes to bonding with the brand.

Ask yourself: How does enhancing the user's Presence impact their immersive experience?

Accenture's VR training enhances new hires' sense of Presence and engagement by immersing them in the company culture and work environment before their first day.

3. Empower Users and Places: Agency Unleashed.

Users are not mere spectators; they are co-authors of the narrative. Empower them with meaningful choices and design environments that respond and adapt. Every decision should ripple through the experience, making the world and its inhabitants feel alive.

Ask: How does enhancing the user and place agency impact their experience?

Walmart's VR Training for Black Friday allows employees to practice handling intense shopping scenarios by simulating time and space, which helps them prepare effectively without real-time pressures.

4. Transform Size and Scale: Alter Perception.

Play with dimensions to surprise and delight. Shrink users to the size of ants or expand them to the scale of giants. Transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, making every change in size a gateway to new perspectives and emotions.

Altering the Relative Size of the object or the user’s avatar offers the user new perspectives and ways to interact with virtual elements. Scale affordances enable the magnification or reduction of objects, promoting creative thinking and problem-solving within the digital space.

Ask: How does changing scale alter the user perception and experience?

The Gillette Stadium Takeover XR campaign by Gillette Labs effectively harnessed the principle of altering size and scale to create a WOW effect. By transforming the stadium during Monday Night Football using mixed reality, they showcased a colossal Gillette razor, captivating fans and offering a fresh perspective on the stadium’s renovation and cutting-edge razor technology.

"The Body VR: Journey Inside a Cell” is an educational VR experience that takes users on a journey inside the human body at a microscopic level. By altering the scale, users can see and interact with cells and biological processes in a way that is not possible in real life, providing a new perspective on human biology.

5. Shift Vision: Perspective Play.

Manipulate points of view and frames of reference to challenge the ordinary. Let users see through a bird's eye or a microscopic camera's lens. Shifting perspectives can reveal hidden layers and unexpected connections, enriching the narrative.That offers users fresh perspectives that challenge their assumptions and spark discoveries. That can lead to deeper engagement and a heightened sense of immersion.can lead to deeper engagement and a heightened sense of immersion.

Ask yourself: What new perspectives do varying points of view offer users?

Kellogg's VR marketing research shifts the perspective to observe consumer behavior in a virtual store, providing valuable insights into product placement and customer preferences.

The above examples demonstrate the power of immersive design in elevating entertainment, digital marketing, and corporate training while also enhancing employee performance and providing deep market insights. By harnessing the essential elements of immersive design, brands, and organizations are developing compelling training modules and research projects.

In my upcoming post, we'll delve into the remaining five pillars of immersive design.

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