Immersive Luxury Experiences: Top 3D Technologies You Must Know

Hello lovely readers, innovators, and marketers shaping the world of brand engagement. I'm back with some insights.

Have you ever wondered: What technologies are used to curate immersive websites and digital showrooms?

Well, you've come to the right place for answers. In this article, we explore the top three technologies playing pivotal roles in reshaping the future of immersive experiences in luxury and premium consumer products.

Before we dive in, An immersive web Experience is a web- or application-based immersive showroom run on a digital device. It is a 3D virtual space, allowing customers to walk through and discover product showcases, interact with them, and integrate unique features such as product customization tools, product baskets, information displays, and gaming features. It's a space that adds next-level interactions to your online customer experiences. Some say they will replace 2D websites in the near future.

Let's dive into the details!

Unity: Beyond Just Gaming

Capabilities:

Unity is a Gaming Engine previously used to create mobile games and is known for its extensive cross-platform support. It offers brands an opportunity to design 2D, 3D, VR, and AR experiences. Its expansive toolkit facilitates rendering, scripting, animation, and more. To curate such experiences you may need a team of 3D Designers, Level Designers, UX and UI, and Developers skilled in coding with c# for customizing the experience.

Advantages:

• Versatile Deployment: Ideal for mobile apps to immersive VR product showcases, and Augmented Reality Content.
• Seamless Integration: Incorporate Unity-driven content into websites or brand-specific apps with ease.

Cost Insights:

Unity Software allows any experience to be packed as an HTML file, which makes it easy to run it on your server's infrastructure. Important is that the experience is light in design, only has a few objects and generally less big for a smooth experience.

Example:

Fashion University Marangoni revealed its metaverse "The Talent District" dedicated to the education sector. An unprecedented innovative project capable of reflecting the aesthetic and avant-garde side of Istituto Marangoni. It's a great example of showcasing the software's capabilities.

Unreal Engine: Realism at Its Best

Unreal Engine powered by Epic Games is widely used to curate high-fidelity computer games. In recent years, however, it's been widely used for brand experiences powered both on apps to guide customers in shops, or web-based experiences.

It is celebrated for its ability to deliver photorealistic visuals in real-time 3D. Its toolset encompasses modeling, AI-enhanced operations, animation, and 3D Imagery. In short, you can create fully interactive digital experiences and all the marketing materials such as Imagery and Video assets in one software.

Advantages:

• High-Fidelity Graphics: Reproduces the tactile and visual appeal of luxury and premium products.
• Blueprints: A visual scripting feature simplifying the development process for developers and designers.
• Exclusive Marketplace: Epic Games owns various asset sites, which sell hundreds of 3D modeling assets for Unreal Engine. Home to premium assets aligning with the aesthetics of luxury brands.

Cost Insights:

This Solution requires a higher investment in streaming costs. Using pixel streaming (a method that enables you to directly stream the experience from the cloud) you may pay per visitor, or for the monthly hosting on a cloud infrastructure, which can become quite an investment if the experience is run on your global channel.

Example:

A great example is Clinique's Virtual Lab. Clinique is one of the few brands that integrated a digital experience into a long-term commitment to provide a more immersive experience as part of their brand communication and e-commerce.

Customers can find out about specific products, the history of the brand, and how they curate their unique formulations. This experience is powered by Journee a Berlin Tech Company that enables streaming high-fidelity experiences on every device.

Three.js: Tailored for The Web

For web developers, three.js has been a great tool for creating web-based games, running on every browser, as well as interactive websites.

Three.js stands out for enabling dynamic 3D graphics directly within web browsers, requiring no plugins. This means that it runs like a website on your server. Built on WebGL, it’s the epitome of efficient web-based 3D applications. It's extremely versatile, as it allows full customization based on unique 3D spaces, and it's best for smaller 3D product showcases, rather than fully walkable experiences.

Advantages:

• Web-Centric: Delivering 3D experiences without necessitating additional software.
• Open-Source Versatility: Brands can customize to their heart's content.
• Performance-Optimized: Ideal for brands eyeing swift, interactive web-based engagements.

Cost Insights:

The maintenance fees of three.js are pretty low as three.js acts as a website and can simply be uploaded on your server. However, due to this, all assets, 3D models, and the experience itself must be designed in very small file size to ensure a smooth experience. Therefore I recommend curating smaller gamified experiences without a full world to walk through.

Example:

To test a new format using three.js, we have created our own little dynamic 3D product showcase for maximum engagement. Feel free to check out our MINI EXPERIENCE in your desktop browser.

My Final Thoughts: Why invest in a digital experience?

Having explored all three you may wonder, why should my brand invest in a digital experience?

In an era where the digital realm is seamlessly intertwining with our tangible world, luxury, and premium consumer brands cannot afford to be spectators. The expectations of today's discerning consumers have evolved. They no longer just seek products; they crave holistic experiences that resonate with their identity and aspirations.

Investing in transformative technologies such as Unity, Unreal Engine, and Three.js offers a unique advantage in this context. Firstly, these tools allow brands to create immersive, authentic, and memorable engagements that transcend traditional advertising. They encapsulate the essence of luxury—exclusivity, uniqueness, and personal connection.

Moreover, the digital realm offers scalability. A single well-crafted digital experience can reach millions worldwide, breaking geographical and logistical barriers. It also provides an avenue for interactive and real-time feedback, allowing brands to continuously refine their offerings based on real consumer insights.

In conclusion, the question isn't whether luxury and premium brands should invest in creating digital experiences; it's about how soon they can adapt and excel in this new frontier. In this digital age, brands that master the art of immersive engagement will undoubtedly lead the charge, setting new standards for luxury and consumer connection.

Ready to Transform Your Brand's Digital Journey?

All experiences require experts in these various software. I am proud that my studio has tested all three tools. From consulting to the tailormade spatial concepts by Giacomo Mason and the production of the assets, we offer an end-to-end journey for your next experience. Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to elevate your current digital strategies, I'm here to guide and assist.

Thanks for joining me today and until next time.

Sarah Philomena

Creative 3D Consultant