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As technology continues to evolve, Apple has once again set its sights on innovation with the introduction of spatial design. With the upcoming release of their augmented reality headset “Apple vision pro”, Apple aims to redefine the way we interact with digital interfaces.

Spatial design takes traditional app design to new heights by embracing a 3D environment, providing users with a more immersive and intuitive experience. Let’s delve into the concept of spatial design, highlighting its differences from classical app design and exploring the implications of Apple’s groundbreaking approach.

The Shift to 3D Environments:

One of the fundamental aspects that sets spatial design apart from classical app design is the utilization of a 3D environment. While traditional applications are limited to flat, 2D screens, spatial design allows for a more dynamic and immersive experience.

Apple’s foray into augmented reality will enable users to interact with interfaces that seamlessly integrate into their physical surroundings. This shift opens up a myriad of possibilities for developers and designers to create virtual reality applications that enhance various aspects of our lives.

Of course the first applications made for work will simply rely on using floating screen, helping developpers to accomodate to the transition from traditional interfaces to 3D one without wrecking all our design knowledge.

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Intuitive Interaction through Gaze and Touch:

Apple’s spatial design brings forth a truly intuitive way of interacting with interfaces. With the use of gaze and touch, users can now directly engage with objects and elements in the virtual environment. By simply looking at an item or area and tapping their fingers, users can manipulate and navigate through the interface effortlessly. This natural interaction mimics our real-world actions, making it an intuitive and seamless experience. This groundbreaking approach eliminates the need for clunky controllers or complex gestures, allowing users to engage with the digital world more seamlessly than ever before.

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Challenges for Designers:

While Apple’s spatial design presents exciting possibilities, it also poses challenges for designers. Designing interfaces for a 3D environment requires a shift in mindset, as traditional UI elements and design principles must be adapted to fit this new paradigm. Designers will need to consider factors such as depth, scale, and spatial relationships to create visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces. Additionally, the guidelines set by Apple for spatial design provide a starting point for designers, ensuring a cohesive and consistent experience across applications.

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Expanding the Realm of Virtual Reality:

Apple’s entry into the augmented reality market has the potential to propel the development of virtual reality applications to new heights. With their established user base and reputation for innovation, Apple can open the doors to a wider audience, making virtual reality more accessible and mainstream. By providing guidelines and best practices for spatial design, Apple not only leads the way in this emerging field but also inspires other companies to explore the possibilities of virtual reality.

The launching price at 3500$ will prevent too many people to jump in the VR experience, but set a base of early users that will test and provide feedback to the developpers. In few years, when the price will drop, Apple will allow user’s to access a large library of polished applications ensuring great user experience to the more critical ones.

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Extending the Impact to the Physical World:

The principles and interaction methods introduced by Apple’s spatial design are not limited to the virtual realm alone. As this new way of interacting with interfaces gains traction, it has the potential to influence how we interact with electronic devices in the real world. Imagine controlling your TV, adjusting the settings in your car, or operating smart home devices by simply gazing and tapping, mirroring the intuitive interaction we experience in the virtual environment. Apple’s spatial design could pave the way for a future where our physical and digital worlds seamlessly merge, creating a more efficient and intuitive user experience across all devices.

Apple’s spatial design represents a groundbreaking shift in how we interact with interfaces, leveraging a 3D environment to create immersive and intuitive experiences. Even if Meta was doing the same things earlier, Apple entering this market is a stong signal that VR is indeed a market that awaits to be challenged.

By embracing gaze and touch as primary interaction methods, Apple sets the stage for a new era of virtual reality applications. The challenges posed by this paradigm shift present exciting opportunities for designers to create visually stunning and user-friendly interfaces. Furthermore, the principles and guidelines set forth by Apple could extend beyond the virtual realm, shaping the future of human-computer interaction in our physical world. As we await the arrival of Apple’s augmented reality headset, the world of spatial design is primed for a transformative journey into the realm of possibilities.