Different relationships with space.
VR, AR and MR describe related approaches to immersive technology. The language is not always used consistently, so it helps to focus on what an experience actually does.
| Approach | Typical experience | Design question |
|---|---|---|
| VR | A digital environment surrounds the viewer, typically through a headset. | How will a person navigate and understand the virtual space? |
| AR | Digital content is added to a view of the physical world. | What does the digital layer add to the person’s surroundings? |
| MR | Often used for experiences where digital content is spatially related to, or interacts with, the physical environment. | How should physical and digital elements relate to one another? |
The boundaries can overlap.
MR is sometimes used broadly and sometimes for a more specific set of capabilities. A device may support several types of experience. Product labels alone do not tell you whether an application understands room geometry, supports shared interaction or allows free movement.
For a project, describe the behaviour you need: placing an object on a surface, responding to a wall, following a person’s hands or coordinating several participants.
Choose for the purpose.
Consider the audience, the physical setting, accessibility, interaction and available equipment. A gallery installation, a training scenario and a mobile artwork may need very different approaches.
Try this: take one creative idea and sketch a VR version and an AR version. Note what becomes easier, what becomes harder and what changes for the participant.
Keep the person in view.
The technology should support the experience. Test whether people understand the interaction, feel comfortable and can complete the intended activity. Keep the first prototype small enough to learn from.