Envisioning Holograms: Design Breakthrough Experiences for Mixed Reality

Explore the approach, techniques, and mindshift needed to design truly breakthrough experiences for the Microsoft HoloLens and Windows Mixed Reality platform. Learn what’s so different about working with holograms, how to think spatially, and where to start designing your own holographic projects. You’ll move rapidly from initial concept to persuasive prototype―all without the need for expensive tools or a designer’s skill set.

Designing for mixed reality is a completely new experience for everyone involved, and takes some experimentation to get right. You won’t nail your first mixed reality project by relying upon your previous mobile or web design expertise as a guide. Mixed reality requires a different kind of design thinking for its unique challenges.

Breakthrough holographic design starts with envisioning―the act of visualizing what could be. By rapidly depicting a desired experience and trying out its real-world interactions, you can quickly turn your initial vision into a tangible example of innovative design. Envisioning Holograms digs into why holographic computing is the future, takes you through the mixed reality design process, and gets you ready to take advantage of its endless opportunities.

What You’ll Learn

• Understand what makes mixed reality a challenging design space
• See how envisioning quickly and persuasively brings ideas to life
• Get to know your audience, medium, and palette
• Explore several innovative rapid envisioning techniques
• Identify the key elements of your own holographic experience
• Design an engaging holographic experience from start to finish

Who This Book Is For

While aimed at those designing for Microsoft HoloLens and the Windows Holographic tool kit, the techniques in the book are equally applicable to those designing for other holographic hardware. This book is for the designer who is new to thinking in 3D and wants to quickly learn best practices, and the developer who needs to do design work while building exciting new products for Microsoft HoloLens, and the marketer who has a great story to tell in this exciting new medium of mixed reality.

Table of Contents

Part I: A New Frontier
Chapter 1: What’s So Special About Holograms?
Chapter 2: Why is Holographic Design So Challenging?
Chapter 3: How Can Envisioning Help?
Chapter 4: When Should I Use Envisioning?
Chapter 5: Where Do We Start?

Part II: Envisioning Holograms
Chapter 6: Shifting Your Mindset
Chapter 7: Choosing a Technique
Chapter 8: Breakthrough Examples

Part III: The Envisioning Process
Chapter 9: Flow
Chapter 10: Frame
Chapter 11: Prototype
Chapter 12: Test, Refine, Restart
Chapter 13: Invaluable Tools

Part IV: Holographic Designs
Chapter 14: HoloScenes
Chapter 15: Datascrapers
Chapter 16: HoloArt Gallery
Chapter 17: Design Insights