14 Tips to Design Killer Augmented Reality Experiences

10 October 2017 Rahul Ghundiyal

Augmented reality is where it’s at right now, thanks in large part to ARKit. Apple’s augmented reality SDK is out now, it works, and it has an audience in the hundreds of millions.

The tech is still new, and the best practices for creating a killer piece of AR software have yet to be set in stone. We’re in the “Wild West” phase, with dozens of apps, games, and experiences coming out regularly, many of them little more than tech demos.

For example, there are over a dozen apps that offer a measuring tape functionality on the App Store right now.

That said, there are still some things any aspiring AR mogul can do to help their apprise to the top. It’s starting to become clear what works for users, what doesn’t, and what will send an app straight to the trash can.

Here are 14 tips to keep your app from that fate.

Do You Need AR?
As I said, AR is hot right now. However, that doesn’t mean every single app should use it. Unless you’re creating a pure “experience” that only exists to draw attention, put some thought into exactly how augmented reality will benefit your user.
That said, there’s room for AR in a wide range of apps. A shopping list app that uses AR to place a virtual sticky note on your list on any surface? Not so useful. The same app, but it helps you locate your favorite brand on a crowded store shelf? Now we’re talking.
Design for the User
Every AR app has a bit of video game DNA, no matter how prosaic the app’s purpose. What that means is that your users automatically have an incredibly broad range of interactions with your app, even if they’re relatively simple.
They might look at virtual objects from bizarre angles, like trying to crawl under them. They might jump up and down. They might shake their phone. You might not be able to account for everything, but try to handle edge cases gracefully.
Harness the Wow Factor
Since mainstream augmented reality is still so new, it’s still possible to dazzle and impress users. Take the opportunity by adding some splash within the first moments of opening the app. A title or logo hanging in the air, or better yet, sitting on a real-world object, will stick in users’ minds.
This is also a great way to get creative in teaching users how the app works. Instructions or other information needn’t be static text. Asking the user to tap an object is one thing, but how about pointing at a potential target for them?
Give a Free Taste
It’s also because AR is still young that there are a surprising number of people who have never experienced it. That’s rapidly changing, especially with the release of ARKit. As it stands, though, it’s entirely possible that your app will be any given’s user first time with AR.
That means a free demo or trial is more important than ever. The freemium model still works, and some amount of feature- or time-limited functionality will incentivize users to take that crucial first step of installing the app.
If you’re a developer or designer hoping to snag clients for AR projects, invite them to try some of your previous AR work, no matter how small. It just might be their first time.
Calibration for Collaboration
One of the most exciting fields in AR is multi-user apps. Augmented reality, particularly on mobile devices, is ideal for sharing information, working on projects together, and playing multiplayer games.
A multi-user experience can just as easily be a pitfall, though, as it can expose the cracks in an imperfect AR experience. Nothing will bring a user out of the experience faster than the old game of “Can you see this? What if I stand here?”
Avoid this by carefully considering the perspectives of each user, not just the one directly interacting.
Iterate, Iterate, Iterate
Just as developers are beginning to feel out what works best in AR apps, users are going through a similar process. It’s almost a collaboration between developers and their audiences, as people learn the signs of what makes a good experience, and what’s best left behind.
Think of the early days of virtual reality, before developers learned the common triggers for VR sickness. A development methodology that emphasizes frequent executable builds, like Agile, will help shake out these UI mishaps before they’re too baked in to remove.

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Efficient Use of Screen Real Estate
AR is a highly visual and intuitive medium, even more so than other mobile apps. It’s a good idea to keep the screen uncluttered and free of large, visible controls. If controls are needed, try to integrate them into virtual objects rather than superimposed, free-floating buttons.
In most cases, they’re not needed. It works just as well to manipulate virtual or real-world objects, and users are already familiar with the basic conventions of mobile apps. Why include a zoom button when a user will already naturally pinch to zoom?
Minimize the Wall of Text
Similarly, do your best to avoid the “wall of text” when your app is first opened. Instructions are important, and your users certainly need to be clued into important features. However, this information can usually be better imparted through visual cues, or by spacing it out as users explore the app on their own.
This will become even more important as AR goes more mainstream, and users approach new apps with existing skills and knowledge. Once people know how AR apps usually work, telling them again will only serve to annoy them.
Shadows and Environmental Lighting
ARKit offers a great deal of data on the real-world environment, from extrapolating the dimensions and distance of objects, to noting light levels and sources.
Use this data to make your virtual objects realistically fit into the world. It’s easier than ever before to have a virtual object fall under shadows, though having them cast shadows themselves is still tricky.
Applying these effects wisely will go a long way to making your objects look like they’re in the world, and not just superimposed over it.
Test for Different Environments
When designing and testing, remember to test real-world use cases. In other words, take the phone out of the office and try your app out and about. Although your app might work great at your tidy desk, it might be very different in a crowded room, on the street, in a car, at the park, and so on.
Users can and will expect AR apps to work in all these places and more. At the very least, they will expect to be gracefully told why the app doesn’t work if circumstances don’t permit.
Ease the User In
In these early days of mainstream AR, always keep in mind that your users may not be used to the idea yet. For games particularly, it’s a good idea to open the app with a simple object that users can walk around and manipulate.
If you start the game by demanding the user react quickly or exercise any level of skill, they might quickly grow frustrated. With the glut of subpar ARKit apps, we’re likely to see soon, you won’t get many second chances.
Safety First
Do you remember when the Nintendo Wii first came out, and the news was full of stories of kids shattering their plasma TVs by accidentally tossing virtual bowling balls through them?
The same risks exist with augmented reality. Keep safety in mind when developing your apps, and don’t ask users to run, jump, or do anything that could be dangerous. You might go so far as to display a warning if the user is moving too quickly or too violently.
Sound and Haptics
Although AR is a visual medium, it exists on devices that are capable of sound and haptics. Don’t neglect these dimensions of the user experience by focusing too much on the screen. For example, a small bump and clank when a virtual object impacts a real one will enhance the illusion tremendously.
They’re useful in the UI, as well. Using a vibration to confirm that the user has successfully scanned a room makes a necessary chore of AR an oddly satisfying experience.
Take Your Time
Finally, don’t forget that you’re new to this, too. Even the most accomplished app developer has a lot to learn when it comes to mainstream AR. Pad your development schedule to allow time for trial, error, and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board on features if they just aren’t working in practice.
It’s an exciting time in mobile. Our devices already did so much, and now they’re bona fide augmented reality machines, too. It’s only a matter of time before every app uses AR in one way or another, and now is the time to pitch in and help bring us there.