VR and Visualisation- why they go hand in hand.

At DJS we have been examining VR for several years now.  Whilst there can be no doubt this exciting tech is having a huge global impact in gaming and home entertainment, its role in property marketing has always been a more difficult question.   

In too many instances in the property world new technology is used before it can be fully evaluated.  There is also too little thought to how it fits into the wider marketing process.  We feel that too often VR has fallen into these traps in the clamor to use it to seem on trend without seeing if it makes a difference to the bottom line.  However as the technology improves and the use of VR is more widespread the industry’s attitudes are changing and a more savvy use is prevailing.

The visualisation industry also needs to make the tech as approachable as possible. Often when planning a visualisation project the question of a film is raised.  There are several factors that mean that films, while hugely impactful and impressive are inherently expensive.  VR can give many of the same benefits of a film at a fraction of the cost. They add to the clients understanding of a scheme and help them buy into the architectural and interior design intent. Knowledge is power, power to say yes to a sale.  However if a set of still images are being produced then the cost of a VR may well not incur any additional modeling and can therefore be produced as minimal cost – as we always say, we try to make our 3D assets work hard for our clients – adding value and adding impact without adding cost.  This means that VR can be a great alternative to a film on sites where budgets are a problem.

DJS are currently encouraging most of our clients to consider VR as part of their visualisation work although as mentioned earlier – only if the project has the means to deliver the VR experience in a beneficial way, either through a sales event or marketing suite.  VR is not hugely expensive and it should be seen as part of the visualisation process and planned in from the start to see its benefits communicated with the bottom line.