The Problem
Augmented Reality (AR) in e-commerce has historically suffered from high friction. Users were forced to download heavy native apps just to view a single product in their space, leading to massive drop-off rates.
"60% of users abandon an AR experience if it requires an app download. Brands wanted the engagement of AR without the friction of the App Store."
Project Goals
- 1
Eliminate Friction
Enable instant AR experiences directly in the mobile browser using WebXR.
- 2
Simplify Integration
Create a "low-code" dashboard for brands to upload 3D assets and generate embeddable snippets.
- 3
Drive Conversion
Design clear calls-to-action within the AR view to bridge the gap between visualization and purchase.
Discovery & Insights
We conducted interviews with 15 e-commerce managers and analyzed 5 competitor platforms. The discovery phase revealed that while the technology was the main barrier, the *workflow* for content management was equally broken.
Insight 1: Asset Pipeline
Brands struggle to optimize 3D models for the web. They need automated compression tools built-in.
Insight 2: Contextual UI
Users feel "lost" in AR. Standard UI overlays (like "Add to Cart") need to be persistent but unobtrusive.
The Solution
1. The Merchant Dashboard
I designed a clean, drag-and-drop interface for asset management. The focus was on giving immediate feedback on model quality and file size, ensuring performant WebAR experiences.
2. The AR Viewer Interface
The mobile viewer needed to be intuitive. I introduced a "reticle" placement system and gesture hints that appear only when the user is inactive, reducing cognitive load.
Engineering Collaboration
Working closely with engineers, we had to solve for the constraints of mobile browsers.
// Challenge: High-poly models crashing iOS Safari.
// Solution: Implemented Draco compression in the pipeline, reducing file sizes by ~85% without visible quality loss.
// Impact: Load times dropped from 8s to 1.2s on 4G networks.
Results & Impact
40%
Increase in time-on-page
25%
Uplift in conversion rate
3x
Faster deployment for brands
Reflection
Designing for AR requires a shift from 2D pixel-perfect thinking to spatial understanding. The biggest takeaway was that instructional design is just as important as the visual interface in AR—users need to be taught how to interact with the space, not just the UI.