Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Development are the technological marvels that have brought tremendous changes in how the user interfaces are designed and how designers work across all industries. This computer aided technological advancement has brought so many features that have enabled enriching user experiences where our end users do not just get ease and convenience but interactivity and immersive experiences as well.
However, this advancement, like many other aspects of technology also comes with its own challenges. While it requires a high degree of technological skills among the designers to be able to work on augmented reality design based interfaces, there are a lot of other challenges too that they face. One of these significant factors, that are needed to be considered while deigning, are the contextual factors.
What are Contextual Factors and why does it matter?
Now before we dive into the discussion of why being context specific is extremely important in augmented reality development, let us first identify what we mean here by being context specific.
Imagine trying to create an experience for a user but failing to identify what language the user speaks. Imagine showing an image that might trigger the religious or emotional sentiments of the user. All of these can be major blunders. No matter how skilled and advanced your designs are, the end user will not award you any credits for the technicalities involved if he or she is triggered with something or the other while navigating through your designs. Therefore, context must be given due consideration while creating augmented reality designs.
Following are a few main contextual factors that take the leading importance in doing so:
Language
While you are creating an experience for your users, make sure it is as close to their real life as possible and nothing is as relatable as our own native language. Almost all platforms offer a feature of providing multiple language options in your work, whether it is a website or a mobile app or a software. Enabling users to translate the entire content into their own native language would instantly make them feel more at home and will provide them the comfort that the competitors are probably not. So that is a win-win.
Religious and Cultural Factors
What works for one kind of audience may not work for the other. So while creating augmented reality based designs, cultural and religious factors may be kept in mind to make it more interesting and relatable for your targeted audience. Showing content that may hurt someone’s religious sentiments or is against their cultural norms can potentially make you lose your audience.
Psychographic Factors
When I say designing is both art and science, I mean it. I say it because it does not only involve the actual designing and the skills related to designing, it is rather an art, creativity and the whole science and philosophy of understanding your audience. In depth research needs to be done with hard core protocols to understand the preferences and general attitude of people who you are targeting through your design. What does your audience generally like, what they do not, what are their lifestyles, what are their spending patterns, everything has to be understood before actually getting down to the game of designing.
Geographic Location of your Audience
The geographic location of your target audience changes a lot in what they might be interested in and what they might not be. In addition to the language, cultural and religious factors, the lifestyles, preferences, climate, and behaviors everything changes with the location. So considering geography can provide you another plus in creating exclusive experiences through your designs.
Targeted Age Groups
Age group is the most important factor among all of these I believe. The entire dynamics of your immersive design has to be changed according to targeted age groups. Have you noticed how everything is so bright and colorful on the famous YouTube channel for kids called cocomelon? This is because it is scientifically proven that colors attract young minds in their developing years and they learn better with it. Find a channel with lesser colors and boring feel and the kids will never be glued to it like they are to cocomelon. The same philosophy goes in designing for adults of different age groups as well. Are you targeting students? Are you targeting corporate professionals? These questions will determine your basic dos and donts of the augmented reality development process.
