COMPETITIVE AUDIT
To learn more about Augmented Reality (AR) use in social media and to get a better understanding of the problem I conducted a competitive audit.
The Problem
Primary social media platforms do not leverage the power of augmented reality to create location-specific media, and their limitless content overstimulates users leading to a loss of autonomy.
Design a product that allows users to place location-specific posts, graphics, stickers, messages, etc. that integrate with the real environment through AR. Users would be able to share their posts with whomever they allow into their network, as well as follow people in their network as well as influencers or companies of their interest.
Product Line
The product would primarily exist as a mobile app.
Featrure Set
Follow friends or people of interest. Ability to view posts created by people in their network. Receive notifications of posts when arriving to a location where the post was left. Ability to look through one's screen and add a graphic, or post to the environment for another user to find. ​
Target User
The primary target users are teenagers, young adults, and companies who advertise via social media. Other users may include agencies such as city tourism agencies, non-profits, education companies, live entertainment companies, artist, and illustrators.
Tone
Before conducting research, I feel interested in exploring several different tones. (1) Graffiti as a high art: focussing on inspiration from artists like Basquiat, Kieth Haring, and Banksy who elevated street art to the gallery space. (2) High tech: lean into the futuristic tones of the idea. (3) Social and friendly: Promote community, acceptance, inclusivity, and being part of something bigger than oneself.
Direct Competitors
Indirect Competitors
OSXR
Adobe Aero
TicTok
Ingress
Pokemon Go
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Ikea
Adobe Aero
OSXR
Features That Attempt to Solve the Problem
The current social media apps like Google, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram use AR to add-to or change the appearance of the user or their environment. The user can take that augmented picture or video and share it with their network. The platforms do not make these posts location and environment-specific for users to find. (You could find posts like you find Pokemon on Pokemon Go)
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OSXR is a company that offers ideas to address this problem the most, by showing concepts of how augmented reality enhances a museum experience. They provide a lot of ideas of how AR can be implemented for different uses, but they do not show it used as a social media platform where users have the ability to also place the post through AR technology.
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Google and Adobe also show how AR technology can be used in location and environment-specific situations, but do not extend to span a world of social media as vast as Instagram.
Summary
Top competitors are Facebook, OSXR, Google, and SnapChat. Each competitor provides the user with the ability to add to or alter their environment through AR and then communications with their network. None allow users to place location and environment-specific graphics and posts to share over a social media platform.