Augmented reality (AR) is quickly revolutionizing the fashion industry by providing spectacular, captivating experiences that make customers’ shopping experiences more exceptional.
Be it a fashion brand that wants to extend its online visibility or a designer hoping to find new and original ideas to present his/her collections, AR has no limits.
Looking at the ultimate guide below, you get every piece of information that you require to apply AR to your fashion brand together with the guides for newcomers.
Getting Started with AR: Essential Tools and Technologies
Before diving into AR tutorials, it’s essential to understand the tools and technologies you’ll need. Here are some key components:
AR Development Platforms
- Unity: an all-around software relatively well-known for developing AR games. It supports ARKit (iOS) and ARCore ( Android).
- ARKit: ARKit from Apple – a development that offered enhancing AR feature currently for iOS devices.
- ARCore: Google’s augmented reality application for android with competent ar functionality.
3D Modeling Software
- Blender: An open-source 3D modeling studio that can accurately be used in the creation of complex AR content.
- Autodesk Maya: A professional level 3D Modeling software that is used to design accurate models and realistic animations.
- 3ds Max: Another one of the most potent 3D modeling application suited more for detailed designs and movements.
Additional Tools
- Vuforia: A tool for creating marker-based and also markerless augmented reality applications.
- Spark AR: A tool by Facebook for designing AR effects for both, Instagram, and Facebook.
Step-by-Step AR Tutorials for Fashion Brands
Augmented Reality (AR) introduces digital information into the physical environment of the consumer hence changing the way consumers engage with products.
You may also read: Augmented Reality Apps: Why Fashion Brands Are using AR
Applying AR in fashion, one can find the possibilities not only in virtual fitting, AR lookbooks, engaging window dressing, and actually AR fashion shows.
The use of AR means that fashion brands can offer buyers stimulating shopping experiences that will help such brands stand out from other similar companies.
Virtual Try-Ons
Step 1: Choose Your AR Platform
Choose whether you want to aim at the iOS platform or the Android or both. Unity is a perfect fit for working with different platforms and it does support both ARKit and ARCore.
Step 2: Create 3D Models of Your Products
Take advantage of 3D modeling software that will enable you to come up with superior models of your apparels, accessories, or footwear. Texture of the object, color of object, details of the object should be taken into consideration for a realistic view.
Step 3: Integrate AR Functionality
By working with Unity you will be able to import your 3D models, as well as build in AR features into the application. Enable the augmented reality camera and plane detection so users can position the virtual models in real life.
Step 4: Develop the Try-On Feature
Introduce the try-on feature and allow the user to overlay the clothes on top of their picture in live mode. Employ an input from the camera to identify where the face or body of the user is and the reposition the model suitably.
Step 5: Test and Optimize
Try it in as many devices as possible to get a feel of how the virtual try-on works. Collect responses and comments and possibly make some changes to enhance the consumers’ experience.
AR-Powered Lookbooks
Step 1: Design Your Lookbook
Design virtual catalogs that incorporate your latest line of clothing. Always ensure that the image or the video that you use for each piece is of high quality.
Step 2: Create 3D Models and Animations
To accomplish the AR elements of the lookbook, integrate technologies such as Vuforia or Spark AR into your work. These can be in the form of 3D models of the product, an animated video of the product in use, or as an animated clip with hot areas that, when touched or hovered over, will give more detailed information or tips on styling hair with the product.
Step 3: Set Up AR Markers or Beacons
In the case you are utilizing a printed lookbook, incorporate markers (for instance, QR codes), which make the consumer use their smartphone to access the AR material. In the case of a digital appearance in the lookbook, incorporate the AR aspects into the overall structure of the pages.
Step 4: Develop the Interactive Experience
Design a mobile application with an AR component or enhance your app with AR capabilities. Make sure that the captured markers or the digital lookbook recognized by the app to activate the AR content.
Step 5: Promote and Educate
It’s crucial to test the envisioned lookbook powered by AR on as many devices as possible in order to avoid any problems. After that optimise and spread through your advertising and marketing channels and invite the clients to selection of Clothes in AR.
AR Fashion Shows
Step 1: Plan Your Virtual Fashion Show
Determine what specific products or the specific collection you want to be in the AR display. Thinking about the customers using the display, one should also consider the knowledge or experience that s/he would like the customers to gain.
Step 2: Create 3D Models and Animations
Thus, create 3D models and animations of the products you plan to promote using the AR display. This should obviously be detailed as much as possible so that the participant can have an almost lifelike experience.
Step 3: Develop the AR Experience
Install markers or beacons in your store to let the customers use their smartphones to access the content of the AR. Make sure that markers are visible and accessible to the students.
Step 4: Integrate with Your App or Website
Choose a development platform for Augmented Reality and develop the interactive experience application. This can be product details, how to wear this or that, try on options, and so on. Make the experience easy to use and fun.
Step 5: Promote and Launch
When implementing the interactive AR display in the store, use signs directing customer’s attention towards the AR display and at other marketing materials. Give a simple step-by-step guide on how a customer can access the AR features and what they should be able to see.
Best Practices for Creating AR Experiences
Focus on Quality
Optimal geometry of objects, necessary for the correct work of the application, is the key to an incredible AR application with impressive quality of 3D models and animation. Hire professional designers and developers because your AR content must be of a better standard.
Ensure Accessibility
Ensure that your AR experiences can be created to work on different devices and on different platforms. Check extensively to confirm that it works well and in an optimum manner on the iPhone and other Android phones.
You may also read: 10 Benefits of Augmented Reality: How AR is Changing the Way Customers Shop
Keep It User-Friendly
AR experiences should always be designed with the user as the focus, therefore, make your experiences to be user-centered. Accessibility should also be observed to make the interface easy to use, and the application should also indicate how one can access the augmented reality part of the application.
Promoting Your AR Features
Gather Feedback and Iterate
Poll the users with the intention of knowing their experience so that you can work on the collected information. Employ it in the formulation of continual amendments and improve the AR experience thereafter.
Leverage Social Media
Encourage the use of your AR features on different social networking sites. Levine showed videos and other engaging graphics on the Instagram page to popularize the use of the AR experience.
Hire influencer and brand ambassadors
Often, mobilize other influential people and endorsers for the brand to help spread the word. Share them with your AR features and engage your followers to share how they benefited from the applications.
Highlight on Your Website
Include your AR experiences on the top menus of your website. Users should be able to learn about the AR features through properly placed banners, pop-ups and special sections on how to use it.
Email Marketing
Make a habit of sharing information about your AR features in your email newsletters to your clients. Place the download links to the app and/or the mentioned AR experiences and explain how they are valuable.
In-Store Signage
Whenever there is a possibility to apply AR at the physical store, it would be useful to put the notifications that inform customers about the abilities of the application and how to activate it.
Conclusion
One of the most compelling trends that is actively influencing the fashion industry today is the technology of augmented reality that improves the shopping experience. Virtual fitting and AR lookbooks, smart fitting rooms and window displays, and virtual fashion shows are only a few of the many ways in which AR can be advantageous for fashion companies and help them be the cut above the rest.
If you follow the guidelines provided in this guide and complete the tutorials provided you can successfully apply Augmented Reality into your fashion brand and deliver novel experiences that will help to boost sales and customer loyalty. Harness the potential of AR and learn just how this modern technology can help change the retail customer experience with the brand.
