For Brands and Retailers: How to Engage and Win Online Shoppers in 2022 Free Guide

Category: 3D and AR Commerce

November 11, 2021

NFTs 6 Frequently Asked Questions

Digital artist Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple, sold his NFT entitled “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” at Christie’s for more than $69 million. This piece of digital art is the most expensive NFT ever sold in auction.
It all started in 2007, when Winkelmann decided to publish a digital picture online every single day. Little did he know that 5000 days later, he would compile them together into one big image, and become a millionaire.
We all hear these crazy stories about artists (Grimes) selling their NFT soul, or giant fashion brands (Gucci) selling a digital purse to an avid consumer at a higher price than the actual physical product.
To understand what this all means and how it works, we’ve answered 6 frequently asked questions about NFTs for you.
1. What are NFTs
NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token. Non-fungible means unique, that can’t be replaced
An NFT can be any kind of digital or conceptual content – images, videos, pixels, music, and even experiences or abstract ideas – that exclusively belongs to its owner and potential buyer. So theoretically, if it’s something that exists online, you can acquire it as an NFT.

2. What are the pros and cons of NFTs ?

Pros:

You’re an artist, and your work needs a less traditional environment to thrive? NFTs are for you. The NFT marketplace is an alternative site to sell art that you otherwise wouldn’t have patrons for… Not to mention a bigger global visibility!
One of the main reasons that people buy NFTs is their sentimental value; It can be an NFT of a cartoon character from your childhood, or the tears of your favorite popstar. Hence an advantage of owning an NFT is less of an advantage, and more of an emotional purchase. And they say love doesn’t cost a thing.
The most important benefit of buying an NFT is, of course, making money by reselling it. Such are the rules of investment 101.

Cons:

According to a Bloomberg article from April, the value of an average NFT is down by approximately 70% since February. Some consider NFTs to be a speculative market. That would mean that its growth and evolution is purely based on people’s projections of it in the future.
Another downside of NFTs is that anyone can download the digital art without having to buy it. Then what’s the point of spending so much money on them, you ask? We still don’t have the answer to that question. The aspect that remains true is the fact that the ownership of a particular NFT is exclusively its buyer’s and no one else’s.
3. How do I buy an NFT?
The vast majority of NFTs utilize the Ethereum blockchain. So if you have cryptocurrency, you can buy NFTs. Easy! You can purchase them at NFT-specific marketplaces. Platforms such as OpenSea, Rarible and Foundation are currently booming with artists and brands selling their digital artworks and products for mind-blowing amounts of money.
4. What is the NFT secondary market?
As you may know by now, NFT’s primary market is when a random person buys an NFT from an artist on an NFT marketplace. The secondary market is when the buyer of an artwork resells it. And that’s where the real money is being made, because the resale price is usually higher than the base price set by the artist. Don’t worry, the artist gets a percentage every time the NFT is resold.
5. How do I create an NFT?
We’ll leave it to the professionals so here’s a video that explains how to create NFT art from scratch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7l_Z3IeGCg
6. Is the NFT world safe?
The raison d’être of blockchain technology is to avoid “double-spending”. Which means that a bitcoin holder cannot spend the same bitcoin more than once. Buying and selling NFTs uses the same principle. The artist cannot sell the same NFT to multiple buyers, but the tricky part is that there are no guarantees that they haven’t created different NFTs of the same artwork.
Since NFTs are still new, rules and regulations are just being set recently. For example, you can sue an artist for selling the same artwork to several buyers on different blockchains.

In conclusion, the business of NFTs is a fascinating universe, and it’s only at its beginnings. Is it a bubble that’s going to burst? Or will it keep growing and entering different industries? No one knows what the future holds. All we can do is observe, analyze, and even ride the wave and enjoy the adventure!
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Team@Designhubz
November 10, 2021

Matching Virtual Makeup Try-Ons to Different Skin Tones

When your potential customer is shopping online for beauty products, how do you know which foundation suits their face? Skin tone-inclusive makeup is one of the biggest challenges in the cosmetics industry nowadays
When the shopper is dissatisfied with a product, most brands have return policies. The returned products are usually tossed away for sanitary reasons since the article has already been opened and used. On the customer’s end, the experience leaves them frustrated, swearing to never buy another single product online. Which is a lose-lose for both parties. A total waste! 
So how do you make sure your clients are getting the most accurate pigment for their skin, and consequently maximize your sales? Designhubz has all the answers.

How do we classify skin tone?

There are 2 main references for skin tone. It started with Von Luschan’s chromatic scale that was later replaced by the Fitzpatrick scale. Von Luschan’s schema was used to classify races in populations worldwide. While Fitzpatrick’s scale was to study tanning habits. As Designhubz, we use Fitzpatrick’s as the basis for skin tone calibration. It has less bias, while being a solid foundation to accommodate as much of the spectrum as possible. The interesting part is that we can and are planning to accommodate any and all shades (and everything in-between) using deep learning as we gather more sample data from our users.
How does deep learning work in this case?
Deep learning analyzes a user’s skin – not just their tone – and combines it with all the data collected from them, and similar skinned users’ behavior, in order to create more nuanced scales in between the existing ones. The result will create a more personalized recommendation rather than lumping people with comparable skin color. 

What is it used for?

1. Hyper personalized recommendations: we factor in each user’s skin tone to find the best complementing or contrasting makeup color. This feature can also be used for other items such as eyewear.
2.Accuracy in product depiction: our software blends the skin shade with the makeup to display a representation as accurate as currently possible of what the applied product will look like, while factoring in environmental elements such as lighting. It’s crucial to mention that its capabilities are always improving!

What kind of lighting is optimal when shopping online for makeup?

Indirect or natural lighting are best to capture your user’s face. For example if they were facing the sun, the skin would look lighter/paler, whereas skin looks darker in a dimly lit room. Another important aspect is for the shopper to show their actual appearance on camera. And that means no filters!

What does our future hold?

Future features could include pore detection, reflectivity index, skin type (oily, combination, dry etc.) and fine line presence to recommend suitable products. Our goal is to depict the applied product even more realistically on human skin. We aim to create the most realistic online experience in the industry of online makeup shopping.
If you want to find out more about our product or book a demo, check our Makeup Try-on solution and give it a try!
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Team@Designhubz
November 10, 2021

Eyewear Competitive Analysis

Shopping for glasses and shades is always fun: shoppers try out different colors and sizes, classic models or more eccentric shapes. Buying eyewear in a boutique has been the way to go, since it’s important to see how the item stands on the face, if it squashes the cheekbones or on the contrary, feels like floating.
As Bob Dylan used to say, “Times They are a-Changin” and technology has had an enormous impact on consumer behavior. According to eMarketer
, the US ecommerce market “will surpass 10% of total US retail sales for the first time in history”.
That’s where Designhubz comes in. A year ago, we introduced the Facial AR Try-on functionality. It’s web-based, and available across all browsers and devices. It’s THE solution that brings the in-store experience to any retailer’s ecommerce website or app.
Our Facial AR try-ons include:
·Extremely High Quality product visualization in 3D & AR
– Instant change of variation – no load time between different colors
We took it a step further, and we created a competitive analysis between our Virtual Try-On Eyewear solution and others available on the market, specifically our main competitors, Ditto and Fittingbox. And here we are, sharing our findings!
1. The mirror experience
When we go out shopping, we naturally take mirrors for granted as they’re everywhere, and they’re our only way to judge whether we will eventually purchase the item we’re trying on or not.
With online shopping, seeing our reflection with the product takes another dimension.
Ditto’s recorded experience is basic to say the least. You open your camera, and you are guided to turn your head left and right. After which you receive a recorded video of your face with the glasses. How time-consuming and non-intuitive!
Fittingbox has a live try-on feature, but it lacks the superior quality face-tracking functionality that Designhubz’s avatar has. It’s important to mention that all the products in our AR viewer blend with the lighting environment, while the other solutions don’t allow that.
2. The fit
The fit is one of the most important and tricky aspects of shopping. It makes or breaks a shopping experience, and can end up with returned products, refunds and broken hearts.
Ditto’s Pre-fit means that it does the eyewear fitting on the face before the experience on the platform. Which entails analyzing the recording of your face, doing the fitting, and then showing the result.
Fittingbox has no fit. They simply place the eyewear on your face, just like a Snapchat or Instagram filter.
While Designhubz’s solution does it all: our deep-learning algorithm provides you with the exact size and scale in real time.
3. AI recommendation
Ditto and Fittingbox do not have this essential and crucial step for a seamless shopping experience that we offer our clients. Our AI recommendation engine will give you eyewear options from the catalogue that you may not have considered, that would actually be the perfect fit for your facial features and shape.
4. Variations
This is where Designhubz also shines! When you try out a model that has several colors and variations, our AR solution let’s you instantly switch from one variation to the other, without any loading time.
5. Position
While Ditto and Fittingbox have a fixed positioning of the product, with Designhubz you can change the placement of your glasses from your eyes, to down on your nose. We’re all about that attitude!
6. 3D mode
And finally, one of our sexiest features: our high quality 3D modeling and instant swap between 3D and AR. You will have the product in all its 3D glory, with the tiniest detail in texture, color, and design.
If you liked what you read, schedule a demo to learn more about how you can start engaging and converting your online shoppers today!
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Team@Designhubz
November 16, 2020

Augmented Reality is the Future of Ecommerce and Online Retail- Here’s Why

It’s a well-known fact that technology and changing consumer demands have been the two key forces driving the evolution of ecommerce and online retail. From delivering omni-channel experiences supported by on-demand deliveries and superior logistics to leveraging behaviour analytics and delivering better, more personalised consumer experiences.

Currently, one such technology is standing at the precipice of yet another transformation. It’s none other than augmented reality, popular known as AR. In fact, the rapid adoption and standout results achieved by augmented reality commerce has grown so much that 75% consumers expect brands and retailers to offer AR-enabled experiences.

In this article, we look at 4 reasons why augmented reality is the future of online shopping:

  1. Easy virtual try-ons for improved online conversions
  2. Seamless see-it-your-own-space that boost buying confidence
  3. Virtual store aisles that breed familiarity
  4. Interactive marketing and brand campaigns for higher engagement

4 Reasons Why AR Is The Future Of Online Commerce

In many ways, augmented reality is tailor-made for the world of ecommerce and online retail. Essentially, augmented reality enables online shoppers to virtually try-on products on themselves or place them in their own space- with their smartphones and tablets.

As a result, countless brands like IKEA, Target, Gucci, Burberry, Nike, Converse, Sephora, Warby Parker and more have rolled out highly realistic and accurate AR shopping experiences, primarily because:

– These try-before-you-buy experiences remove purchase indecisions and boosts buying confidence which leads to increased conversions

– They also reduces returns as consumers are more likely to buy the right product when they can check size, fit, texture by trying it themselves- like they would do in a physical store

– Not to mention, augmented reality makes online shopping interactive and engaging, unlike static product images and videos

It’s fair to say that up until now, there’s never been one technology that single-handedly offers these many benefits. So without further ado, let’s dive into exactly why augmented reality is transforming online retail and commerce:

1. Easy Virtual Try-Ons

Perfect for: apparel, shoes, makeup, eyewear, hats and accessories

Up until now, shopping online meant going through countless product images or videos, checking the size guide, in most cases ordering two different sizes and returning one (or both) if it doesnt match fit or style expectations. This has been one of the biggest challenge for brands and retailers to overcome as they strive to not only reduce returns but remove purchase indecisions.

footwear-virtual-try-on

The new way: With AR enabled virtual try-ons, consumers can now try out products on themselves. So for instance, they could see how a shoe looks and fits their feet or how a shade of lipstick or sunglasses looks on their face. This naturally removes purchase hesitations as customers no longer need to second guess how something would look on them.

Here at Designhubz, we offer seamless digitization that enables brands and retailers to offer accurate virtual try-ons. If you’re eager to take the leap or just curious to check it out, feel free to book a demo here.

2. Seamless See-It-In-Your-Space

Perfect for: furniture, home and kitchen appliances, home decor

Another growingly popular way to leverage augmented reality is the see it in your space functionality. With this online shoppers can place products in their own home, office or any environment to gauge size, fit and style- as if it is right there with them.

It’s no secret that consumers are often hesitant to buy big products online as they would rather check it out themselves in the store- especially when it comes to furniture. And even then they need to first measure out the space they are buying for.

With AR powered see-it-in-your-space, key consumer questions like- how big is this sofa? will it fit and match my interiors? will this fridge look bulky in my kitchen?- are all answered as they can simply point their smartphones to place the product and check for themselves.

At Designhubz, we’re proud to help brands like IKEA offer this exact experience with our Spatial AR offerings. Our product suite is tailored for furniture and appliance brands to unleash this buying experience that gives shoppers the confidence to buy big and/or expensive products with ease. Learn more here.

3. Virtual store aisles

When it comes to shopping at supermarkets or retail outlets with physical aisles, there’s a sense of habit and familiarity that consumers enjoy. With virtual store aisles, the same physical experience can be replicated online. Here, online shoppers can browse through aisles virtually, check product information and add them to their cart.

4. Interactive AR marketing and brand campaigns

For the majority of retailers and brands out there, social media is a big beast to tame. With increasing competition and reducing consumer attention span, there’s no option but to be creative- especially when one is trying to generate engagement and brand reach.

Here, AR experiences have proven to be highly effective. Inherently immersive AR based campaigns have shown incredible results for brands like IKEA, Nike, Sephora, Warby Parker and more. Compared to product images and videos, by far social media users are responding extremely positively to interactive try-ons for example where they can see a product on themselves- right from their Facebook or Instagram feeds.

Bottom Line

Augmented reality has come a long way from its early days, where key brands have validated its use and consumer response. As a new and improved way for brands to reach, engage and sell to consumers, augmented reality is set to reach new heights and become an industry standard in the near future.

About Designhubz

Designhubz offers end-to-end 3D & AR solution for brands and retailers to digitize their physical inventory and deliver conversion and experience focussed Try On and Spatial AR. 

Book a demo to learn more
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Team@Designhubz
October 20, 2020

19 Augmented Reality Statistics to Watch For in 2020 (Based on Up-to-Date Data)

With more and more people turning to ecommerce due to covid-19 induced shutdowns, what happens to products that they’re only used to buying in-store? Do furniture, appliances, automobile and watch brands sit back and take the hit? Absolutely not.

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Team@Designhubz
September 24, 2020

Part 3: 7 Incredible Examples of Brands using Augmented Reality Shopping

Take a look inside to understand the best augmented reality examples from top brands in the retail industry.

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Team@Designhubz
June 24, 2020

Recovering from Covid-19: Rebound Strategies for brands and retailers (to implement right now!)

With the first uptick in months, what strategies do brands and retailers need to implement to rebound from the pandemic?

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Team@Designhubz
June 10, 2020

AR Made Easy: How To Create Augmented Reality Content For Your Brand or Ecommerce Website? (Without Coding)

Creating AR versions of your products is not as difficult as you might think. Check out the 5 step process to convert your physical products into immersive AR experiences.

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Team@Designhubz
May 22, 2020

What Can Fashion Brands Do To Sell Better During and Post Covid-19

With minimal physical sales to rely on, fashion brands need to get creative and readjust not only how they connect with consumers but also how they sell to them.

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Team@Designhubz
Shocked two women friends holding shopping bags using mobile phone.
May 11, 2020

Introducing Face AR Try-Ons: Now Let Shoppers Virtually Try Eyewear, Makeup, Hats and More

With physical stores out of the equation for the foreseeable future, face-based virtual try ons are the magic brands and retailers need to take their sales and online shopping experience to the next level.

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Team@Designhubz