Imagine being fully immersed in a virtual world, visually interacting with objects and spaces as though they were physically real. This kind of vivid, 360-degree digital experience may soon be possible on the internet through holographic web design.
By applying 3D technologies like WebXR, developers are pioneering new techniques for constructing virtual environments that transport users beyond the confines of a 2D screen.
In the coming years, as web browsers advance to support these technologies, holograms could transform how people explore and engage with online content.
This article explores the emerging concepts and role behind holographic design for websites in shaping the future of 3D websites and digital experiences. By examining the potential role of holographic design for websites, we can gain insight into how 3D web standards may evolve and impact digital experiences in the future.
Table of Contents
What is Holographic Web Design?
Fundamentally, holographic web design implements 3D graphical techniques to produce digital holograms within website environments.
By overlaying web pages with vivid, volumetric imagery resembling true light-based holograms, this emerging technique aims to transport users into virtual, 360-degree worlds through their browsers.
At its core, holographic design leverages modern web standards like WebXR to generate three-dimensional computer graphics and simulate the physical properties of light.
WebXR in the Real World: Spacial Fusion – Image Source: Immersive Web
Advanced rendering algorithms calculate how light rays bounce off multi-planar surfaces, change direction when refracted, and reproduce interference patterns the impression that holograms are projecting outward into real space.
There is an important distinction between true holograms created with lasers and those for digital use. True holograms encode light itself to record and replay 3D object information, while virtual holograms on the web simulate this effect computationally.
By handling complex lighting, shadowing, and reflection calculations on the fly, frameworks like Unity and Three.js make it possible to display convincing holographic effects without requiring specialized viewing devices.
As browser capabilities continue evolving rapidly with supportive APIs, the difference between true and CGI-generated illusions will become increasingly subtle.
History and Evolution of 3D on the Web
The foundations for 3D graphics on the internet were initially laid in the early 1990s through experimental technologies like Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML).
VRML enabled basic 3D scenes and navigation within web browsers at a time when Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were still in their relative infancy. Through the rest of that decade and into the 2000s, early VRML browsers and plugins paved the way for continued exploration of 3D on the nascent worldwide web.
WebSpace, One of the First VRML Browsers – Image Source: AGOCG
In 2011, with the launch of WebGL a major milestone was reached. WebGL is an open-source JavaScript API that unlocks hardware-accelerated 3D graphics directly through the prevailing standard HTML5-compliant web browsers without using any additional plug-ins.
WebGL provided foundational support for later 3D frameworks and has become a core element of modern web design workflows.
Around the same time, game engines like Unity began introducing build pipelines targeting the web platform, encouraging more complex 3D/VR content without native apps. This drove new experiences like browser-based games and simulations.
More recently, the emergence of standards like WebXR in 2019 has driven further strides. WebXR brings cross-browser VR/AR/MR capabilities to the web infrastructure through devices like headsets and mobile devices.
It has enabled immersive experiences like fully navigable virtual galleries or intricate 3D models that can be viewed at scale on ordinary screens. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of the AR/VR industries has attracted billions in venture funding, pushing the development of photorealistic rendering techniques critical for digital human interaction through holograms.
As these technologies have advanced, an entirely new generation of developers has emerged who are mastering the blending of real and virtual worlds through innovative 3D applications on the internet.
The growing adaptation of 3D standards positions the web on a trajectory toward an increasingly promising future for 3D websites.
Design Considerations for 3D Websites
Potential Pitfalls of Poor Usability in Virtual Spaces
While the thrill of virtual spaces entices users, unclear design can disorient them. Without intuitive controls or predictable flow, even experienced visitors struggle to navigate freely and comprehend information efficiently.
Complex navigation schemes that lack clear labeling or logical layout tendencies often confuse rather than inform users about where they are and how to get around. Rapid rotations or jittery panning may induce motion sickness, a risk that requires careful evaluation of each animating element and its duration/frequency.
Usability testing with a diverse range of participants provides particularly crucial feedback on systematically remedying such usability issues while preserving the sense of wonder intrinsic to virtual experiences.
Ensuring Access for All Visitors
3D environments introduce new complexities for accessibility that require proactive consideration from the earliest design stages. Additional care ensures the virtual space can be used intuitively and effortlessly irrespective of users’ visual or auditory abilities.
Strategic use of layout, color contrast, and text hierarchy aims to retain outstanding readability and comprehensibility across vastly varying capabilities. Thorough alternative text descriptions for all non-text elements accommodate complete access for non-visual use as well.
Rigorous testing with a wide array of assistive technologies readily reveals any potential barriers that may impede some disabled persons’ full participation and immersion within the virtual realms. Continuous improvement and adaptation help ensure all virtual worlds leave no one behind in their mission to include all.
Adaptations for Hardware and Connectivity
Browser capabilities and the wide variety of hardware configurations impact rendering quality and complexity. Optimizing 3D content designs for varied processing powers, graphics cards, and unpredictable connection speeds requires careful adaptation strategies.
Implementing adjustable graphical fidelity through techniques like level-of-detail mapping and texture optimizations allows the virtual rendering to degrade or enhance gracefully based on the user’s detected system specifications, preserving interactivity.
The Concept of LoD Is Categorized Into Five Levels – Image Source: SpringerOpen
Well-designed performance profiles aimed at optimizing bandwidth load based on the initial capabilities reported by each device help minimize fragility risks for resource-intensive sites.
Scaled-back content designs preserve usability on lower-end devices. Overall, designing with flexibility and adaptability in mind ensures virtual guests face no arbitrary technical obstacles or bottlenecks.
Simplicity as the Summit of Usability
Amid hypnotic digital possibilities, function reigns as purpose. Needless animation or unintuitive manipulation undermines goals of informed enjoyment and fulfilled intent.
Direct and predictable control placements and sequences facilitate fluent exploration. Simple, foreseeable interactions preceding complexity welcome all to virtual uplands.
Mastering usability through repeated testing helps 3D sites accommodate user-focused, not just technologically, summiting.
How Holograms Can Enhance Online Content
Immersing Users in New Dimensions of E-Commerce
Through photorealistic 3D modeling and hyper-detailed renderings powered by the latest real-time rendering technologies, holograms allow intuitive virtual examinations of products from all angles on consumer electronic sites.
Showrooms of the future are being built where car configurators, furniture shops, and jewelry retailers offer immersive product demonstrations that enable rotating, zooming, and comparing options to help increase customer understanding beyond what static images can provide.
Complex mechanical assemblies become vividly clear through interactive simulations powered by augmented reality.
Global revenues from AR advertising have grown tremendously in recent years, increasing from approximately $500 million in 2019 to over $1.4 billion in 2020, according to eMarketer.
AR Usage Statistics – Image Source: eMarketer
This rapid growth is projected to continue, with total revenues expected to surpass $8 billion by 2024 as AR advertising becomes more widely adopted, especially on social media platforms.
Augmenting Digital Storytelling and Media Experiences
Volumetric effects enhance online cinema, galleries, and video games with next-level depth and immersion as never seen before. Multi-planar story worlds come to life with a vibrant sense of presence and scale unseen on conventional 2D screens.
In 2021, Helsinki-based Sense of Space launched their ‘Sense XR‘ platform which allows creators of all skill levels to easily develop and publish hologram experiences to WebAR. The platform includes adaptive streaming capabilities that guarantee smooth experiences across different network connections.
Early adopters may find that this expanded access to hologram creation and viewing could lead to increased engagement with digital content in the future.
Musicians debuting immersive album visualizers and promotional experiences using emerging WebXR technologies may reach more globally diverse audiences in the future. The interactive nature of these virtual experiences suggests they could potentially draw in new demographic groups with their novelty.
Transforming Digital Education
Anatomical and scientific simulations promoting hands-on, experiential learning will be able to occur through commonly used web browsers worldwide without plugins. Early research has shown that lessons taught through augmented reality tend to be better remembered by students compared to traditional methods.
Holographic tutorials and simulations are expected to prove far more helpful than static, 2D eLearning alone for comprehending complex concepts, as they allow for a more immersive learning environment.
Conference organizers will gain new possibilities for virtually demonstrating innovations in real-time. Presenters may be able to bring even the most intricate systems to life for remote audiences through interactive 3D simulations.
The ability to experience dynamic 3D content anywhere could enhance access to education on a global scale. As hologram technologies continue to advance, online instructional methods may undergo revolutionary transformation by immersing learners in intricate interactive simulations.
Technical Requirements for Holographic Web
Supporting holograms on the web comes with certain hardware specifications and technical considerations.
While browser capabilities continue advancing rapidly, limitations remain in areas like computing power, display technology, and network infrastructure that influence the feasibility and quality of virtual holographic experiences available to users.
Hardware Requirements for Viewing Holograms
For viewing full-color digital holograms, a display capable of at least 4K resolution with 60 frames per second or higher refresh rate allows for smooth animation.
However, true volumetric sensations remain out of reach without specialized volumetric displays under development.
Most mainstream desktops, laptops, and mobile devices today offer only 2D screens. To compensate, web technologies like WebXR simulate 3D effects through binaural audio and parallax eye views.
Integration with WebXR and Browser-based AR/VR
WebXR brings AR and VR experiences online through compatible headsets. Yet hardware adoption remains narrow, with only a few percent of global users estimated to own devices like Oculus, VIVE, or HoloLens currently.
While continued cost reductions may broaden the market in coming years, native browser playback remains the best option for reaching mainstream audiences. WebXR aims to alleviate constraints through innovative techniques like foveated rendering which reduces unnecessary processing.
In summary, delivering compelling holograms at scale demands ongoing coordination between display, networking, and computing capabilities. Web standards will continue facilitating creative solutions that optimize surprisingly rich experiences within hardware and infrastructure constraints today, laying the foundations for a truly immersive 3D internet of the future.
Business Use Cases and Monetization
As the technology matures, new commercial opportunities are emerging for holograms in eCommerce, digital marketing, and online events.
Retail giants are exploring immersive product visualization to help customers “try before they buy” without the hassles of physical returns. Startups are also piloting virtual fitting rooms that allow shoppers to view clothing using augmented reality mobile apps.
One notable example is Zalando. They introduced a virtual fitting room for customers that utilizes machine learning, computer vision, and other tools to offer size recommendations tailored for each individual customer.
While still perfecting the technology, over 30,000 customers have participated in pilot programs to test the virtual fitting room experience.
According to Stacia Carr, Vice President of Size and Fit at Zalando, “Our goal with these pilot campaigns is to learn and understand how customers engage with this new technology so we can develop a seamless scalable solution for the future. We can already see that customer engagement with these campaigns increases and, in fact, around half of the customers try more than one size on the avatar…”
Research indicates a strong consumer appetite for AR in retail. Surveys show the vast majority (81%) expect Augmented Reality (AR) to enhance their in-store shopping experience and one-third (37%) think that this technology will eventually become standard across retail stores. With such positive sentiment, AR shopping trips are projected to increase substantially in the coming years.
As the global digital advertising market is projected to reach US$965.6bn in 2028, innovative ad formats using 3D, AR, and VR could capture more consumer attention.
Trials involving AR overlay of environmental ads on sidewalks and public areas show potential for high engagement. Event promoters are testing virtual ticket sales and venue previews to draw global audiences.
Overall, the rise of engaging new monetization avenues points to untapped commercial value as holograms increasingly enhance how we experience the virtual and physical world intersections.
Early innovators applying these emerging technologies strategically across industries aim to gain competitive advantages as adoption rates rise. Continued improvements in performance and capabilities likewise support new opportunities.
Challenges and Barriers to Adoption
While the long-term potential of holographic web design is immense, certain obstacles currently limit more widespread implementation and adoption.
Browser and Hardware Support
Even though major browsers support 3D graphics through WebGL, performance can vary depending on a user’s hardware capabilities. Additionally, newer 3D web standards like WebXR are still works in progress with incomplete support across all browsers. This fragmented implementation landscape can complicate development efforts.
Development Costs and Resources
Building sophisticated hologram experiences also demands extensive programming expertise that requires significant time and financial investments to test, optimize, and maintain new 3D content.
Costs are further inflated by licensing fees for professional 3D modeling software and game engines. New teams may struggle to recoup development costs if user bases are small.
Overcoming Skepticism
A further industry challenge is overcoming skepticism that 3D is merely a novelty rather than providing clear advantages over conventional websites. Unless applications deliver obvious value, many users and organizations remain hesitant to adopt them without established proof cases. Compelling use cases that enhance core services, like medical visualization tools, may see faster uptake.
Access and Infrastructure Barriers
Inequitable access to enabling technology and infrastructure remains a barrier as well. An estimated 2.6 billion people worldwide have no internet, and high-speed connectivity is unavailable in many rural areas.
Disabilities including visual or mobility impairments also require special 3D accessibility considerations that increase complexity.
Overall, addressing these interlinked economic, technical, and social factors will be critical for fulfilling the long-term vision of an openly participatory 3D internet. Concerted cooperation across stakeholders can help streamline standards and lower barriers to entry.
Exploring the Future of 3D Websites
The future of 3D web design is promising as new tools make immersive experiences more accessible.
Sites like the La Fabrique à Souvenirs, or Making Memories Dressmaker’s Workshop interactive storytelling platform effectively leverage 3D and interactivity to engage users. It guides children through a virtual sewing workshop and mini-games to collaboratively create a personalized storybook.
3D Website Showcasing the Power of Design – Image Source: htmlBurger
The environment leverages Nuxt.js and likely Node.js for a smooth and scalable backend.
As technologies like WebGL and Three.js continue advancing, their integration into websites will grow more seamless. We can expect to see a proliferation of compelling 3D environments and innovative design approaches that offer richer online interactions through animation, games, and social elements.
Specialized sites demonstrating 3D’s capacity for learning, creativity, and connection point to new potential applications across many industries in the coming years.
Holographic web design presents an immersive vision of what online experiences may become as technologies continue to advance.
By transporting users into vivid virtual worlds through their browsers, this emerging technique has the potential to transform how people interact with digital content.
However, widespread adoption will still require addressing challenges around hardware and software support, development costs, and access. As use cases demonstrating educational and commercial benefits proliferate, interest in 3D on the web will likely grow.
For developers exploring the boundaries of the possible, holograms portend an interactive internet where the line between digital and physical is blurred in fascinating new ways. The future remains unwritten, but continued innovation will surely bring new dimensions to digital experiences.
Acodez is a leading web design company in India offering all kinds of web development and design solutions at affordable prices. We are also a mobile app development company in India offering Robust & Scalable Mobile App Development to take your business to the next level.
Looking for a good team
for your next project?
Contact us and we'll give you a preliminary free consultation on the web & mobile strategy that'd suit your needs best.
Rithesh Raghavan, Co-Founder, and Director at Acodez IT Solutions, who has a rich experience of 16+ years in IT & Digital Marketing. Between his busy schedule, whenever he finds the time he writes up his thoughts on the latest trends and developments in the world of IT and software development. All thanks to his master brain behind the gleaming success of Acodez.
