How do you design holograms and projections that enhance storytelling and immersion?

1 What are holograms and projections?

Holograms and projections are different ways of creating images that appear to be three-dimensional or floating in the air. Holograms are made by using lasers or LED lights to reflect or refract light onto a transparent surface or a thin film. Projections are made by using projectors or screens to cast light onto a surface or a medium, such as fog, water, or fabric. Both methods can create realistic or abstract effects, depending on the content, the angle, and the distance of the viewer.

2 How to choose the right technology?

When designing holograms and projections, it is important to select the technology that best meets your project's needs. Factors like the size, shape, and location of the image, the lighting and sound conditions, the audience's perspective and interaction, the budget and time constraints, and the availability and compatibility of the equipment should all be taken into account. Some of the most common technologies used for this purpose include Pepper's ghost, a classic technique that uses a glass or a film to reflect an image from a hidden source; holographic display, a device that uses lasers or LEDs to create a 3D image; projection mapping, a technique that uses projectors to map images onto irregular surfaces; and augmented reality, which uses smartphones, tablets, or glasses to overlay digital images onto the real world.

3 How to design the content?

When designing holograms and projections, it is important to consider the purpose, message, and style of your project, as well as its story, theme, and mood. Additionally, the format, resolution, and color of your content should be taken into account to ensure the quality and visibility of your image. Common content types include video, animation, text, and graphics; all of which can be used with or without sound to create realistic or stylized scenes, characters or actions; abstract or expressive shapes; information; dialogue; narration; visual or symbolic representations of data, concepts or emotions; charts; icons; and logos.

4 How to test and refine your design?

The final step in designing holograms and projections is to test and refine your design before you present it to your audience. You need to check the technical and artistic aspects of your design, as well as get feedback from others, and make adjustments accordingly. Simulation is a software or hardware tool that allows you to preview and edit your design on a computer screen or a mock-up device, without using the actual equipment or space. Prototyping is a low-cost or scaled-down version of your design that allows you to experiment and evaluate your design in a realistic or similar environment, using the actual equipment or space. Lastly, user testing is a process of observing and interviewing your potential or actual audience, to understand how they perceive and interact with your design, and what they like or dislike about it.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?