Dipping Your Toes into VR

Virtual Reality - May 8, 2018

Overview

You gotta start somewhere. In 5 years or so, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality will be all around us – in advertisements, in movies, in hospitals, at trade shows, in auto repair shops. You and your company will eventually be faced with it, either from a customer or a supplier. It will soon be critical for you to understand what it is, how it’s used, and how it will impact your industry and your business.

So where should you start?

Like everything we do at Ignition72, we start with research. We’ve already done that for you, so here are a few good general articles about VR:

Next, gather some folks at your company and start talking about it. And not just the management team – as with any good discussion, the more diverse the group, the better the ideas. Find out what VR experiences they’ve already had, and what they thought about those experiences. If they haven’t experienced VR, do they want to? Are they intrigued by it? Write these responses on a board and describe them – were they fun? Disorienting? Awe-inspiring? Motivational? Boring? Now, ask yourself – do any of the adjectives you’ve written down describe your company in any way?

From here, it’s time to make a decision. Maybe you table this topic and revisit it next year because it’s too early for you. (Hint: If you’re in travel, healthcare, entertainment, hospitality, or architecture, you’re already behind!) Maybe you decide to do more research. Or maybe it’s time to explore a bit. Perhaps acquire a low-cost headset (several good ones are on Amazon for under $30) and download some experiences. Or buy a few dozen Google cardboards and ask people in your company—and maybe your best customers—to start using it. There are many, many experiences already in the app stores—download some and see what it’s all about.

Now what do you think about VR?

Can you see a way your company (or your customers) could benefit from it? Consider these questions:

  • Can our recruiter use it to entice top-notch employees?
  • Can our biggest customers use it in their own businesses?
  • Can we use it at our next conference or trade show?
  • Can our customers use VR to better understand what we sell?
  • Can we use it to gain an edge over our competition?
  • Can VR help our manufacturing or employee training processes?

Virtual reality does not have to be slick, expensive, or cutting-edge to be useful. It should be professional, relevant, and to the point. When you are ready to have a discussion about how VR can help your company, it’s time to talk to an experienced professional. Ignition72 has a team of animators and specialists in VR programming, music editing, voice recording, and other special effects, and we can help you make VR part of how you do business.

Kris Appel
kris@ignition72.com