Kaylee Van Hise
3D Showroom
/24
The Problem
Canoo needed an innovative digital solution to showcase its electric vehicle line with a huge caveat: no cloud-based rendering or user-end 3D rendering. Initial concepts based on cloud-based rendering would have resulted in exorbitant hosting costs—ranging from $10K to $150K per month. Additionally, the solution had to function seamlessly on mobile devices and outdated browsers, adding another layer of complexity to the challenge.
Process
We approached the project with a focus on accessibility, performance, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring the virtual showroom could reach the widest audience without compromising the experience.
Researched audience demographics, device usage, and technical limitations, revealing that a significant portion of users accessed the site via mobile browsers, raising concerns about user experience .
Developed and refined concepts through collaborative ideation, ultimately selecting the virtual showroom approach while exploring cost-effective alternatives to traditional 3D rendering
Prototyped and tested the equirectangular method to ensure accessibility across all devices, allowing users to experience the showroom without performance barriers.
Solution
With high hosting costs and technical constraints ruling out server-side rendering and WebGL, we needed a creative alternative that balanced immersion with accessibility. Our solution was simple, elegant, and achievable with the resources available: a 180° by 360° still image to simulate a three-dimensional space.
This approach allowed users to navigate the virtual showroom seamlessly through interactive hotspots, creating an engaging experience without the performance issues or accessibility barriers of traditional 3D rendering. High-quality equirectangular images were used to construct a virtual environment that could be explored dynamically, even on mobile devices.
Outcome
Following the launch of the virtual showroom, Canoo's website traffic saw a significant surge. Monthly pageviews skyrocketed from 17k to 100k within the first month, with sustained traffic levels stabilizing at three times the previous average. This increase in engagement validated the showroom’s accessibility-focused approach, proving that a well-optimized, immersive experience could drive user interest without the heavy infrastructure demands of traditional 3D rendering.