How much work is it for me as the client to have a VR project developed?
As the client, you have a manageable amount of work in a virtual reality project, since the development team handles the technical work and development. Still, there are some important steps that require your involvement to get the best possible result: you help shape the concept, provide materials and give feedback on interim versions.
1. Initial consultation and needs analysis
A VR project starts with a kickoff meeting in which we answer the key questions: What do you want to achieve with the VR application? Who is the target audience? How will the app be used later on? We help you find the right way to use virtual reality. This phase takes only a few hours and is crucial for setting the course of the project. If the project turns out to be extensive, or if it is planned for continuous, long-term use and future expansion, we recommend an ideation workshop.
2. Providing materials and developing the concept
In the concept phase, you work out the concept together with us. We do most of the work, but we need regular feedback, input and corrections from you. In this phase, you should also provide as many as possible of the materials needed for development. These include 3D data (such as CAD files), product information or visual references. While we develop the concept for the VR experience, you usually only need a few alignment meetings to make sure everything is heading in the right direction. This process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the scope of the project.
3. Development and feedback
During the actual development phase, your main contribution is feedback. We give you a VR headset, and we regularly install the latest versions of the project on it over the internet. Thanks to our ongoing check-ins, you get regular updates and can suggest changes and requests directly in the VR simulation. Depending on the complexity of the project, the technical work takes between 6 weeks and 9 months, but your input is limited to regular meetings and feedback rounds.
4. Finalization and handover
When the project is finished, we take care of installation and training for your team. This way, you and your team learn how to get the most out of the VR headset and the application. This process is straightforward and done within a few hours.
5. Subject-matter content
How much input the development team needs from you depends a great deal on the topic of the VR app. Normally, the development team can get up to speed on a topic quickly and contribute ideas during development. However, you can’t expect VR developers to be able to judge the details of a surgical simulation for heart specialists, for example. In cases like that, very close and intensive collaboration between the developers and the client or the specialists is necessary.
Conclusion
As the client, you have a manageable amount of work, since we do most of it. Your role is limited to aligning on the concept, providing materials and giving feedback during development. So you can focus fully on your day-to-day business while we develop the VR solution for you. On larger projects, though, the input required from you can increase. That’s why it’s a good idea to have several people in your company who can support the development team and answer its questions. Especially if the VR project involves highly specialized content for which the development team can’t build up sufficient expertise itself (for example, a medical simulation for surgeons), the input required from you increases considerably.
