New worlds, New environments, a developing frontier for design.

Modern society is more connected to technology than it has ever been; school is online and we meet with friends through zoom. With a screen in front of us for longer, there is a growing need for immersive, interactive design for digital platforms. 3D modeling is one of the most powerful tools for experiential design. 

     3D modeling began as 3D visualization. There has been attention to perspective within art since the Renaissance, but the intent of making an abstract object look dimensional really came in the 20th century. Early artists like El Lessitsky employed geometry to construct these forms, but the introduction of the computer completely changed the landscape of 3D creation. It offered a new, digital space for objects to exist. 

     Today, studios like Pixar and Disney create worlds and stories through 3D modeling alone. Marvel movies use special effects to fantasize our reality. Oculus Go enables the user to explore the digital realm themselves. Companies like Bitmoji and Genies make avatars for people to create and use for digital communication. These technologies paired with our deeper attachment to technology makes me question the possibilities of design and effective communication within this medium.

     Hotels like marriot are using technology like 360 videos and 3D tours to take users through their spaces. But this technology isn’t perfect, and it’s noticeably clunky for the user. I’d argue that this medium is underutilized and thus underdeveloped. 

     3D spaces can be made for classrooms and specifically science or physics classes that benefit from visual learning. With so many schools only offering online education, so much of the educational experience is lost whether it happens during learning, or the lack of meaningful collaboration, or the fact that there are more barries to open conversations with peers. If more designers put energy into thinking about digital, virtual communication and education more time will be spent developing this possibly limitless medium.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *