WE/AR Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the VP of Product, I led the Design, Product, and Support teams in building a consumer banking app with debit card targeted towards video game enthusiasts. Our product is a banking app that provides points back on purchases with debit card which could then be used to purchase games, gift cards, and gaming hardware in our shop.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

When starting this project we wanted to build our presence in XR world and create the first virtual reality banking app. We hired the WE/AR team knowing about their experience and expertise in this industry. WE/AR helped us create a VR app for Meta Quest 2 that worked in combination with our iOS and Android mobile apps.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had been following WE/AR and their CEO, Daria, on social media and in the AR/VR Industry. They are clearly experts and proved this during our development project. The quality and price ratios was a perfect fit for us.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Scope of work: VR app development using Unity. UX/UI design based on guidelines provided by our in-house design team, 3D development, VFX effects set up, Space Skybox creation. The WE/AR team adapted our mobile app layout to VR and tied the front end to our secure banking backend.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 4 people from WE/AR: a Business Development Manager who helped us to summarize the brief and scope of work, a Project Manager and Assistant Project Manager, and our Account Manager who was our main point of contact for the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The app has created incredible buzz in our industry and increased our brand awareness. We've become a pioneer in the VR world with it.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The timeline of project was divided into a few stages including R&D and Pre-project Workup, UX/UI design, and the development itself. We had occasional Google Meet video calls where the results have been presented and the overall communication have been handled via Slack chat.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

We were surprised how well WE/AR Studio grasped our idea and visualized it exactly like we had imagined. They are very responsible provider and they paid very good attention to details. I found that they were independent when necessary, but worked closely with our team when needed. The whole process felt like an extension of our own internal team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Actually I would not change a thing. The working relationship was incredible and I can’t wait to work another project with WE/AR!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the creator and founder of Tourism Education Company. It’s an educational and entertaining guided experience by friendly monsters which informs about the history and values of the city of Amsterdam.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

I’ve decided to create a gamified AR experience accessible via mobile application that can be used for tourism and locals. For that purpose, I’ve reached out to WE/AR Studio as they are the experts in the industry and have a solid portfolio.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I’ve reached WE/AR Studio through their website. The crucial deciding factors were their experience in creating similar projects and their attitude to work. The team at WE/AR Studio cares about what they do and how they build relationships with their clients.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

WE/AR Studio have developed a mobile app for Android and iOS with the help of AR foundation and Unity engine. The app includes 2 modes: Story mode, where users can view the short animated stories in AR with the voiceover, and a play zone, where users can place the AR characters in their environment and play with them by changing the size, position of the monsters.

WE/AR Studio developed UX/UI based on brand guidelines that we’ve provided them with, they have adjusted the 3D models for Unity integration, synced animation with the voiceover, and set the geo-location limitations so users could place the monsters exactly where we needed them. WE/AR team also helped our animator to set up the animation for importing it in Unity. The Account Manager and 3D artist was communicating with my animator directly.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

My main point of contact was their Key Account Manager, but I also had meetings and online sessions with their team: UX/UI designer, Unity Developer and Project Manager, 3D artist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I’ve received great feedback from my team and potential investors on the MVP and AR functionality that was created by WE/AR Studio.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project management is very well structured, all the changes and features have been documented in specific annex and word orders. We had weekly video Google Meet calls and daily check-ins on the progress over the calls, emails and WhatsApp chats. We could hop on a call with Account Manager any time of the day, they were always available. The timelines were constantly communicated in timely manner and the deadlines were met.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their 24/7 availability and speedy adjustments based on my feedback and comments were very impressive. I was impressed with their determination to have a precise position for the characters on the locations, they had a great approach on how to achieve perfect positioning of the AR objects on historical sites. The quality of Unity-development was on a very high level, they have managed to overcome and figure out solutions to lots of technical challanges.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

It’d be great if they would also provide animation services, so we won’t have to outsource this additionally, but they achieve great results in communication with external resources as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Head of International Relations Department at the IT Ukraine Association. We are the largest national association of IT companies in Ukraine and we represent the interests of more than 77 thousand IT professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

Ukraine is one of the countries that suffered from mines the most. Unexploded ordnance and explosives were taking more and more lives as a result of the war in Eastern Ukraine and as of that time according to UNICEF, one in three children injured there suffered from mines and explosive remnants of war.

Thus, we cooperated with UNICEF to develop an interactive virtual reality product to raise awareness among children in eastern Ukraine about the danger of mines.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Prior to this project, WeAR Studio had experience in developing training simulators, including engine repair and diagnostics of engine rooms inside boats. Although mine risks hide as many nuances as an open field in the East can hide anti-tank shells, conceptually the task itself (teach people specific tasks / instructions) is similar.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

VR experience is built as 10-15 min education journey to home with tests and quizzes on the way there. The story, voiceover, complexity of tests are adjusted to the target group. For younger children there is a guide who supports along the journey.Reflects mines and ordnance used in this very conflict, real trees and bushes, residential buildings, road surfaces that are relevant for this region.

3D environment of different styles in one application. Models texture optimization for VR to keep the original quality of an image. The procedural generation of environmental details (grass, trees, surface) at the development stage. The sounds of birds and wind were recorder there.

Even shadow for trees has been designed. The solution ensures a quick data collection of pre-test and post-test to measure the progress of learning. No private data collection, only location, sex and nickname should be filled in the form.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

6

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

https://twitter.com/UNICEF_UA/status/1456557830429986817 Qualitative research on pre-testing of VR and its comparison with traditional sessions has been conducted among 75 children and adults and proved its effectiveness:

• edutainment approach draws attention and triggers the audience that allows to learn better,
• the realistic pictures immerse into the context and work with behavioral patterns,
• every child has their own VR experience and individual completion of the journey with no distraction from the mates in receiving life saving information ensure higher efficiency of the programme unlikely from traditional face-to-dace sessions.
• The data on pre- and post-tests within the VR journey collects via access to Wi-Fi automatically (usually in the end of the day, when headsets arrive to the office) and allows to track the learning progress and usefulness of VR tool immediately and remotely.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Agile project management, Jira software

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I liked their proactiveness and rapid responses. Also, the communication processes in general, a very agile approach to working with the customer

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No, hardly

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company is a solutions company providing consultative creative as well as software experiences for clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create an AR app that provided more utility than just AR so it needed a blend of Unity developers who were strong in various areas including UI/UX, back end and of course AR. The goal is to provide the user both beautiful AR placement with other informational features and integrations.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Interviewed multiple other teams and individuals. Deciding factors were WeAR's portfolio of experience, depth of team members, reviews and diligence shown in the proposal phase.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Native AR mobile app. UI design and 3D Maya files were created and shared to WeAR. WeAR then built all the front and back end and AR development. It was all done in Unity.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project manager and a developer worked with us daily. They had additional development leadership supporting and account management who ensured client satisfaction.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The app performs very well and is so far very highly ranked in both the App and Play Store.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project managers were highly effective. Available daily and very supportive ensuring the project stayed on track.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Top notch AR and VR talent. They were very accommodating and nice people.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

This was FANTASTIC teamwork across the board! The only area for improvement I can suggest is slightly more cross-device testing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

i´m a Project Manager of an international company that provides integrated and cross-industry Engineering and IT services. We develop and re-engineer software products for the industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

We’ve engaged WE/AR Studio to develop a virtual copy of a real machine that transfers hazardous and medical waste to a normal disposal process through shredding and sterilization.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We’ve found out about the WE/AR Studio from one of our partners with whom we’ve been collaborating for a while. After having a conversation with the COO, hearing how enthusiastic they are about their projects and checking out their products, we have made a decision to choose the WE/AR Studio as our partner.

They have shown great flexibility and always ready to swiftly find a beneficial solution in case of any bottlenecks.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They helped us to make a transition from a mobile app that we’ve developed to a HoloLens 2 platform. Users of the app can see how the machine works using AR technology.

The app recreates virtual simulation of the machine performance and shows how the actual process inside the machine goes and how its engine runs. The engineers have been working with Unity engine to develop the app.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I’ve been working with COO, Project and Account Managers from WE/AR Studio team. Also, there was a 3D modeler, Unity Developer and a QA specialist involved.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We’ve observed how this AR app has increased our client’s sales results and brand awareness. We’re using the app as a showcase for our services for current and potential clients.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

During the development we had regular calls to sync on the progress. WE/AR Studio prepared the detailed roadmap on the production process. The dedicated Account Manager along with the PM have been handling communication, answering our questions, and conveying answers from their development team, suggesting their ideas as well.

We’ve been using WhatsApp, email and Google Meet for communication. The development of the app took around 2 months. Also, we’re reaching out to the WE/AR Studio team for implementation updates to the app and adding new models.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

First and foremost, the WE/AR Studio team has a great understanding of the XR industry and the most recent technologies as they specifically focus on development of the VR/AR solutions.

They can work completely independently as well as in collaboration with internal teams. WE/AR Studio team has shown great interest in the project's success and is a great business partner for us.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

They should keep working at the same pace!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of a beverage company. We produce energy drinks ‘Smart Energy’ and ‘Smart Dragon.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WE/AR Studio, and what were your goals?

We reached out to WE/AR to сreate 3 different Web AR experiences: 2 portals that will transfer a user to another environment and a marker-less experience that generates an animation of a dragon, the symbol of our product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We’ve looked up various VR/AR Studios and WE/AR had the best portfolio. They were flexible and have met all our business needs. Our decision was also based on their business attitude, they were very flexible, approachable, and available for any questions.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They created 3 different web AR experiences. Using the portal experiences, the user is redirected to the open space, cosmis environment or London downtown having a 360-degree view, the portal appears as a part of augmented reality in the user’s real-world environment.

There is also Capture and Share functionality that allows a user to record/take pictures of the experience and share it via social media after it’s saved to the user’s gallery. For the development they were using 8th Wall SDK. The experiences were in compatibility for iOS and Android devices:

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

My main point of contact was Account Manager, I was also in touch with Project Manager and Business Development Manager throughout our collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

These Web AR experiences have improved our social media engagement, sales and revenue. The AR has made a wow-effect on our customers and improved our brand awareness. In total all 3 experiences have got around 2k views on the first days of publication.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had constant communication with the Account Manager during development to ensure everything goes according to the plan. They along with the PM were suggesting different scenarios and design options from the very beginning to help us. The team was showing me results on the development milestones.

We were communicating via WhatsApp, email and Google Meet. The development of all 3 projects took 3 hours in total, including Pre-project workup, Production and Delivery stages.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The WE/AR team has a unique expertise in AR/VR development and they specialize specifically in this niche. They helped us to understand how to make the best out of the Web AR and were providing a lot of useful suggestions and showed great flexibility. What impressed us the most is how well-structured and organized the team is.

I’ve been presented with the detailed roadmap in the beginning and all the timelines have been strictly followed during all stages. The team has been providing us with prompt updates on the go as well.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I cannot think of anything that should be done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the chief curator of UI ART LINE (www.uiartline.com) which is a public art project to instill vitality and a positive atmosphere into the daily lives of citizens by excluding commercial advertisements and exhibiting high-quality cultural and artistic contents in the 13 stations of the Ui-Sinseol subway line at Seoul, Korea.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WeAR Studio, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create an AR ART filter and collaborate with Michele De Andreis, a famous fashion photographer and one of our artists who participate in our projects. WeAR Studio's members did the best to present the artist's intention and we are satisfied with the final result.

SOLUTION

How did you select WeAR Studio and what were the deciding factors?

I've met Daria in Seoul a year before during K- Startups Grand Challenge 2019 and was impressed by her activities.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Merged artist's photographies for moving images and created ART AR filter that all citizen can use it for free at home. It's quite an interesting project, especially under the COVID-19 situation.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Daria & Alex.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are all satisfied with our collaboration with WeAR Studio. It didn't matter at all that the company is out of our country. They were very communicative and cleared the project professionally in such a short period!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Great!!

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Communicative! Professional! Adventurous!!!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO of PictoryTale, a Norwegian company developing augmented reality solutions. Specifically, geolocation-based ones. We cater to both the B2B and B2C segments, providing different solutions to a variety of audiences.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WeAR Studio?

We needed help building a geolocation-based AR platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been using WeAR Studio’s development team to realize our vision. They’re our prime partner in developing the backend of the platform and a mobile app.

We’ve used their Unity AR specialists to create the mobile app, and they’re developing the backend on Node.js. They’ve also created web servers for us, as part of the platform, and they’re responsible for deployment. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve used anywhere between 5–10 members of WeAR Studio’s team.

How did you come to work with WeAR Studio?

They were already here when I joined the company. I don’t know how my CEO came in contact with WeAR Studio, but they were definitely the right fit. They understood the technology requirements clearly from the first meeting.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $30,000–$50,000 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with WeAR in July 2019, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’re measuring success in terms of deliverables. We have a delivery model by which we provide full requirements to WeAR Studio, and the output is the whole platform implemented correctly. They’ve been doing that pretty well since 2019.

How did WeAR Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been very good. We have a project manager on their side, who works closely with our solutions architect and project manager. That person is extremely talented and has a good understanding of everything.

Our communication has mainly been directly with the project manager, who relays it to his team. They’ve maintained very good communication with us, updating us frequently and maintaining a flexible and open attitude toward having any number of meetings we may want to have, from daily updates to weekly ones

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to contribute more than we expected them to impressed me. When we provide certain requirements, WeAR Studio won’t just look at those as an ambiguous list and come up with specific questions. They’re fully capable of making their own judgments. They’ve worked in a way that contributes to design, rather than just implementing the specific products we ask them to.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their coordination could be improved a bit, specifically when we have too many changing requirements or need a developer quickly. When we have to deviate from our usual route of development in order to satisfy another project, coordinating that and coming back to our natural product development is something that could be done better.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to communicate a lot with WeAR Studio. They have good, capable managers.

The way to get the most out of WeAR Studio is to involve their project manager in certain design decisions. It’s also important to do a quality check of what the team is and isn’t able to do, according to your expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are one of the leading greeting card design companies in Europe, working on over 1000 creative concepts yearly. We have a large team of designers and creatives working on bringing our concepts to live. Last year we decided to take this one step further and wanted to build an AR layer to the designs we have out on the market. I am a cofounder and main product owner for the app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WeAR Studio?

We came up with idea that all our designs could be brought to life using Augmented Reality. We came to WeAR Studio so that we could build a first version of our app and go out in the fields in order to test it with our sales representatives. We started with greeting cards designs only but soon realized we can be augmenting other items our company designs. Wine bottles, souvenirs, t-shirts and general merchandise we’re creating.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to test our ideas in a couple of specialized stores and see the reactions from people. Also, go to our partners in order to get more orders for AR and add to their products using our platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went to review a couple of portfolio companies and WeAR Studio looked like the one with relevant experience. After an inperson workshop at their headquarter we liked the attention to detail and the ability to think big with us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

WeAR Studio first gave us a round of consulting and helped in finalizing our vision of this future product. Full project workup, architecture, design and development have been performed by WeAR Studio.

What was the team composition?

There were the following experts working on our project at a certain stage: Business Analyst, UX designer, UI designer, Project Manager, Unity Developer, Backend developer and a QA engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

We got to prove the concept and sell this product to our longterm partners thus we are already planning the next stage of development for the platform as we want to onboard more products and test out new types of merchandise. This is planned to become an integral part of our business model this year already.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We have had a dedicated project manager in the team that has been supporting us all throughout the development process. The founders of the Studio has become our consultants in many aspects. We enjoy the collaboration and involvement of the team

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Broad and deep expertise in AR sphere has provided a great benefit to the development of our platform. It’s important to have hand-on knowledge within the team that is there to consult you and help build your products.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can honestly say that we have been very happy with everything. We changed strategy a few times, developed new ideas to explore, the WEAR team is a pleasure to work with. And I can’t think of anything we could improve at this point.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the second-largest mobile operator in Ukraine with 23 million users. I’m an HR Expert.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire WeAR Studio?

We hired the WeAR Studio team to find a helpful business solution to improve Employee Value Proposition and Education.

What were your goals for this project?

The main goal of the AR project was to explain to each employee the values of our company in a more impressive way.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

By market searching and via trying our idea on different vendors. This company suggested an absolutely suitable idea to make a tree of values.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

There were plenty of opportunities for our staff to take pictures, shoot videos and listen to thoughts of managers. The tree elements with a marker-based AR app is the most attractive way to show our values in new digital way. It was useful decision for the enhancement of the employee value proposition as AR helped our team to grasp the right information in their minds during the event.

What was the team composition?

We worked with a 3D artist, UI/UX designer, Unity developers, project manager, and QA specialist.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The best example of the EVP in action was used to demonstrate to our team that we use new technologies. HR was first who show how new technologies can corelate values, goals and pepole.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

We reached to the project manager in WeAR whenever we wanted. All the important details were provided to us promptly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

WeAR was a very responsible studio. They were extremely competent in AR/VR technology, detail-oriented, and always kept in touch throughout the entire process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Fortunately, as we mentioned before, our project was executed according to our HR department strategy and we plan to continue to work on other similar projects with WeAR Studio.