Our five-pronged approach focuses on your individual strengths to develop your unique qualities towards making you an exemplary pi- designer.
Saili Sawant
23/07/2024
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If you are into art or immersive experiences, the Van Gogh 360° exhibition must have been on your go-to-list! But did you ever think, what made this one stand out among a swarm of similar art exhibits? The answer is simple: immersive design.
In 2024, the emerging primary immersive trends included virtual events, elevated AR shopping experiences, and MR integration in education. All of them being boons of the immersive design and technology fusion. This innovative approach transcends static visuals, transporting users into interactive narratives that redefine how we communicate ideas and experiences
From Instagram users being able to use AR filters in a snap to brands offering interactive virtual try-ons for new-age consumers, immersive design is becoming the new normal. So, is it the next big thing for communication designers? Let’s find out.
Immersive design involves a range of interactions focused on drawing people into an experience that is either virtual, physical, digital or a fusion of all three. A contribution of British designer Alex McDowell, the concept of immersive design came into existence in 2007. Primarily, immersive design is an extension of graphic design that tackles the overall interaction of the product with the end user. But here’s the catch.
Communication design focuses on clear and concise visual communication through various niches such as graphic design, UX/UI design and more. It utilises visual elements like typography, photography, and illustration to craft experiences that are primarily consumed passively by the audience. Think of brochures, websites, or social media graphics – they present information in a visually engaging way, but your interaction with them is limited.
Immersive design, on the other hand, takes communication a step further. It strives to create an environment or experience that fully engulfs the user. Imagine stepping into a virtual museum exhibit or exploring a historical scene through a VR headset. Immersive design leverages technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and multi-sensory experiences to push the boundaries of storytelling. Here, the user becomes an active participant, not just a passive observer.
While a communication design course lays the foundation for clear visual communication, an immersive or interactive design course builds upon it, creating an interactive and all-encompassing experience. Think of it this way: communication design delivers the message, while immersive design allows you to step right into the story itself.
The COVID-19 Pandemic made digital experiences an integral part of our everyday lives. From consuming OTT content to attending Zoom meetings, online services made their way into the crevices of our daily activities. Thus, people move further towards elevating their digital experiences, adding to the popularity of immersive design.
Brands are also taking the digital route to expand their marketing propositions. While graphic design has long been a cornerstone of brand storytelling, with its compelling visuals and clear communication, today's forward-thinking companies are pushing boundaries by incorporating immersive design into physical spaces. This innovative approach goes beyond static visual communication, transforming architectural environments into interactive playgrounds that engage visitors on a deeper emotional level.\
Marriott Hotels launched a VR campaign, the "Virtual Travel Teleporter," that whisked guests away on virtual vacations. Using Oculus Rift headsets within special booths, participants felt transported to Marriott destinations across the country. To further immerse travellers, the experience incorporated 4D elements like mist and warm air for exotic locations. Encouraged to share their adventures with #GetTeleported, the campaign successfully built brand awareness and enticed viewers to book their next real getaway.
Immersive design is a fusion of multiple principles that come together to form its crux. Here are some primary principles that weave the basis of immersive design.
Your primary aim with immersive designing is to elevate your user's experience by creating a multisensory and interactive environment. It should make users feel like active participants by incorporating physical movement, decision-making opportunities and emotional connections. The design should not just be visually appealing, but also create a transformed, immersive experience within the architectural space. Imagine a retail store that utilises the power of visual communication to transform the space into a dynamic, interactive experience. Think Apple's clean design aesthetic, but taken a step further. Visitors wouldn't just be browsing products, they'd be actively engaging with them in a way that feels immersive and emotionally resonant.
Immersive design is an intriguing and attractive concept to imagine. However, if not implemented in alignment with practical utility, the design could be futile. For instance, Google Maps uses AR technology to provide real-time navigation instructions.
You can only immerse the consumer in an experience when they are soaking in the interaction with all their senses. Thus, sound control, visual storytelling, and real-time interaction become integral to achieving holistic, immersive designs. Disney is a brand that excels in telling stories by immersing audiences through their theme-park attractions.
The consumers of today are craving experiences that cater to their individual preferences. Thus, predicting future user behaviour and analysing demand patterns is a must. Netflix’s tailored suggestions ensure users have something new and personal to explore every time.
Immersive designs should be accessible, ensuring a safe and comfortable space for all users despite their physical disabilities and interaction modes. Microsoft ensures inclusivity with all its endeavours, ensuring its designs are secure and accessible.
Immersive design brings together all aspects of communication and graphics in an orchestrated experience. One can do short term courses to learn immersive design but it holds its own disadvantages. These could include lack of hands-on training, time limitation, and lack of in-depth expert supervision. Here are some international colleges known for their communication theory programs and design principles:
Being a world leader in creative communication education, the London College of Communication offers specialised courses in Design, Media, and Screen.
The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism offers effective communication courses across various domains.
Stanford University offers in-depth courses in Communication and Media by focusing on media in all its forms.
While India has communication design programmes, few focus on critical thinking and pushing boundaries. Listed below are a few Indian institutions that offer Communication Design courses wherein students get to learn the fundamentals of storytelling, user experience (UX) design, and emerging technologies like VR and AR – all crucial building blocks for creating impactful immersive design experiences.
1. NID
By fusing theory, skills, and design projects, the National Institute of Design aims at offering a wide spectrum of communication design courses.
2. IIAD
Within the larger domain of a communication design course, Delhi-based award winning Indian Institute of Art and Design prepares students for varied specialisations including immersive design opportunities in myriad forms, not just teaching them but also leading them into relevant industry projects for practical applications.
For instance, Communication Design students at IIAD used their skills to upgrade exhibits at Delhi's National Museum by creating interactive experiences using holograms, multi-touch walls, and even a digital "pond." Visitors can now explore the museum with a custom app, learn about Buddha's life through animated films, and even "walk on water" with a special projection.
Wondering what are the best career options after completing a Communication Design course? Listed below are some options to think about:
A graphic designer is vested in clearly delivering a strong message through visual storytelling. Can specialise in motion graphics and animation for use in interactive experiences (e.g., Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D).
A web designer looks into the visual elements of a design, creating holistic websites that attract more traffic. Can focus on web development frameworks that create interactive experiences like AR/VR websites (e.g., A-Frame, Babylon.js).
An advertising manager conceptualises and creates advertisements that help draw light to a certain product or service. Pursue specialisations in interactive advertising formats like playable ads or immersive experiences within social media platforms (e.g., Facebook Instant Experiences, Snapchat AR Lenses).
A packaging designer focuses on using graphic design to make a product more appealing to its potential buyers through intriguing packaging. Explore augmented reality packaging that unlocks interactive content when scanned with a smartphone (e.g., Apple's ARKit, Google's ARCore).
A UI/UX designer aims at elevating the product-user interaction through
functional and aesthetic products. Can specialise in user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design principles for virtual reality (VR) applications (e.g., Oculus Quest Developer Center, HTC Vive Developer Portal).
A creative director looks into the creation of creative elements like advertisements, products, and logos.Can Lead teams in creating interactive and immersive experiences across various platforms, ensuring a cohesive brand message (e.g., agencies specialising in XR experiences like The Mill, MESH Agency).
The COVID-19 pandemic made consumers crave more engaging and interactive experiences from the comfort of their screens. Thus, virtual communication, remote jobs, and online collaboration became the new normal. Here are some trends introduced to the world of immersive design during the pandemic.
Immersive techs like AR and VR help create immersive and engaging experiences for events like concerts, conferences, and trade shows.
E-commerce features like Sephora’s Virtual Artist help new-age brands gain audience attention and enhance their user experience.
Immersive design has taken learning a notch higher. Now, with platforms like Labster, students can access new learning experiences in a virtual environment.
With new paradigms like Metaverse and Web3, immersive design is helping brands of tomorrow tread the path of a digital breakthrough.
"Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life" is a large-scale installation by Yayoi Kusama, created specifically for her 2012 retrospective at Tate Modern. This immersive exhibition is one of her biggest works to date.
To give visitors a deeper understanding of Kusama's mirrored rooms and their global impact, the exhibition also includes a special presentation of photographs and videos. Some of these materials have never been displayed before.
By focusing on high-volume surgical procedures, Arthrolense helps physicians leverage real-time data to make treatment decisions based on patented AR hologram technology.
Ventures like CryptoArt Studios are exploring new expressions at the cusp of art and technology. Through NFTs and digital artworks, there is a limitless range of options to explore.
The many benefits of immersive design contribute to its augmenting popularity among new-age consumers. Here are some of those potentials of immersive design.
Since immersive designs engage all our senses at once, consumers are more inclined to seek such experiences. Thus, they become an effective tool for communicating with the audience.
Immersive design makes way for a completely new range of opportunities for designers to explore. Besides, it also opens up new ways of creative expression and marketing for new-age brands.
With immersive designs, end-users can easily mimic objects from the real world. Thus, it offers a seamless experience for every user who approaches it.
Despite its extensive range of impressive benefits, immersive design comes with its own set of challenges, some of which are listed below:
Since immersive design is a fairly new concept, its implementation is quite costly.
Being an idea that hasn’t been explored to its full potential, immersive design is still in its experimental phase. Thus, it doesn’t make sense to replace the tried and tested traditional practices with immersive tech all at once.
With users adapting to creative virtual experiences in their daily lives, immersive design will likely top the charts as the most popular technology. However, that does not mean that traditional practices will cease to exist. Instead, new designers are needed to transform the industry with skills like motion design and multi-sensory engagement to strike the perfect balance between traditional and contemporary.
There is a need to fuse physical and digital spaces to weave holistic, immersive design narratives. Such spaces have the power to bring a revolution in every possible field, from retail to healthcare.
So, if you love creating designs that blur the boundaries between real and digital spaces, immersive design is the right choice for you. Learn more about the specialisations, fine-tune your skills, and scale new heights as a new-age immersive designer.
- Did you enjoy reading this piece? Author Saili Sawant has also written another interesting piece on the role of fashion photography in building a brand. - Want to pursue visual communication design as a field? Then this piece on careers in visual communication is a must-read for you. - If you’re interested in the static world of communication design, then do read this piece about photography, environmental values and visual communication. - For expert opinions from IIAD’s top education leaders, check out this comprehensive webinar on the career opportunities in communication design.
About The Author
An Architect turned Writer, Saili has worked as an Architectural Writer, Marketer, & Curator. For the past 3 years, she has collaborated with multimedia publication houses, firms, studios, organisations, luxury brands, & educational inst ... itutions; both national and international to communicate and market the AEC industry as an Architect in Marketing. She is a commentator on the design industry’s upkeep through her social handles while also being an avid reader and traveller.
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