On one hand Thibault sees augmented reality (AR) and other metaverse technology as bold new tools for activating emotional storytelling and customer engagement in retail stores for leading fashion and style brands like Lancome, L'oreal, and Maybelline.
As experts in experience marketing and consumer engagement, “it makes a lot of sense that fashion brands like Dior and Gucci are exploring new ways to excite and build relationships with their customer base.” Just take a look at their instagram accounts and you’ll see dozens of fun, experimental AR fashion filters and 3D lookbooks.
The Wilkins Avenue AR (https://www.wilkins-avenue.com/) founder balances this enthusiasm for powerful storytelling with a strong, personal understanding that people can be left behind when technology advances.
“If we move too quickly into the metaverse we can leave people behind.” Thibault notes, sharing a story about how his grandfather who grew up before the internet struggled to keep agency and connection when “everything went digital.”
Luckily for Thibault, Wilkins Avenue AR clients ask for experiences that are accessible and can reach the most number of users. This aligns perfectly with the accessible design principle that designing better experiences of edge cases actually improves the experience for all.
This talk highlights a crucial part of the ethical and accessible development of the metaverse—the power and responsibility the “client” has in creating safe, welcoming, and ethical XR apps and experiences. As most metaverse projects in the current moment are built by consultants and agencies as the primary stakeholder, brands have enormous power, and responsibility, to ensure that inclusivity, safety, and accessibility are included in how the project’s success is measured.
By inserting their values as key progress indicators (KPI) for the project clients of AR and VR technologies and help push the creative and development teams to think and create more ethically and inclusively. As strategists and advocates for XR, we’ll be taking this advice.
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Did you catch the cameo from AWE Co-founder, Ori Inbar?
Since 2010, over 5,000 XR companies and 60,000 professionals have come together at AWE events to learn from the brightest industry minds, to experience cutting-edge technologies first-hand, to challenge each other with crucial conversations, and to build the connections that drive a diverse and vibrant community and ecosystem.
Learn more at awexr.com
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The AR Minute with Nathan C is back for season 2 of no-fluff, no-jargon interviews that demystify the worlds of AR, VR, XR and whatever else we’re calling metaverse technology these days.
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The AR Minute brings you into the conversation with the people building the metaverse—discussing the real work and challenges of innovative technologies, rather than focusing on the technical specs and future hype.
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www.awesomefuture.studio