We’ve seen tons of experimental 3D websites, ambitious ones, pretty ones, playful ones, ugly ones, failed ones, and nowadays they have probably all vanished, and we only see 3D either for decoration, a few special effects, or rarely to present models of actual products. But I’m not 100% sure.
So the question is:
Is there a serious website that uses exclusively a 3D interface, not to annoy with loading delays and weird controls and environments, but to actually offer a far better interactive experience to the user for all its services / products - while maintaining a wow-factor?
I did some search and couldn’t find any of this species, but I had to ask here, to be sure.
I’m sure there are plenty, I’m not sure about “serious” (as I think this is nft based) but one of the better I’ve come across in terms of this is kprverse, although there’s a small “2D” header and a footer, all of the panels look like 3D render targets, have great “click hold” interactions and is overall as rapid as (if not more) than a standard barebones website with a few images…
I guess to exclusively use a 3D interface, without it being Gamified is tricky, information needs to get across and the lightest weight to do that is through standard text…
Thanks, I liked the characters on the second one, as it seemed like painted, but they were actually 3D models - I haven’t seen such a good artistic approach before.
But there was no depth of interactivity, just wondering around a bit in a limited manner, very little value to the user, a gimmick you see once, and forget…
EDIT:
but again has accompanying text information.
Of course there will be accompanying text information, that doesn’t go against the spirit of a complete 3D interface, provided the 3D visuals play an important role, extending significantly information, intuition, etc.
There are countless 3d examples of data visualizations and media walls. But complex menus are avoided in UI/UX. Many games use depth because it’s expected. To acclimate casual traffic (not showcase), coverage shouldn’t plummet on CanIUse, Lighthouse, and analytics. Conversely, most menus and data can easily adopt a depth filter.
Consider these efforts:
Movie treatment: Minority Report, Iron Man
Website versus App: distinction between MySpace, CNN, and Quake Arena (has narrowed)
Structure, style: the Web benefits from fundamental modularity
Skeuomorphism: Apple championed shiny buttons and wood shelves
Reading mode, RSS feeds: …backlash from excessive effects and distracting advertisements
Usability: coverage and convenience, manpower and rewrites
Burnout: the uncanny dead-zone where users resent being “walked”
Patent trolls: social prominence doesn’t indicate technical feasibility
Hi,
This is indeed a good question! I have previously done some research on 3D-style interfaces, ranging from such things as 3D folder/directory structures, and basic websites to navigating the web as a 3D visualisation. I think as others have pointed out, it all looks really nice, especially when you encounter it for the first time, but on subsequent visits it can get pretty tedious as you just want to go to a certain page or link, etc. and you don’t really have a feel for where you are on the site without some 2D elements giving some kind of guidance. I see a lot of infinite-scrolling 3D websites that quickly get annoying as they never seem to get to the point of what they are all about! I have tried to an extent with my own website (https://www.drt-software.com/) but again I had to add a 2D interface to aid in navigation as users kept getting lost. Did you have some specific project idea that you are working on?
Cheers,
Tony.
Two years ago I was planning to make such a 3D educational website. Due to some considerations, I decided not to do it. The main reason was: if the site would utilize 3D interface, it should be experienced in 3D. As that time VR headsets were not that widespread … So, it would be a torture if users were forced to use and navigate in a 3D scene through a 2D screen.
Apparently, even if I had built this site, some 2D layouts would still be present in it (e.g. 2D text is easier to read than 3D text, a list of items is easier to use than a cloud of items).
Well, when the gamers saw unexpectedly the first 3D arcade machine (a rally), they were in awe, and made a long queue to play it, again, and again!
Sure, although I have no idea to what point can SEO be applied to an all-3D website, and how - if at all.
No “social prominence” here. I’m just looking for specific 3D websites.
But there is nothing “technically unfeasible” in terms of usability in the area we are talking about.
Good points, but solvable.
Yes.
VR engagement can’t be compared - I like VR, but the downside is that it requires a whole expensive device in your face, and in many cases a whole setup - and very few have one.
It doesn’t have to be a torture.
Every problem has at least one ideal solution. And many others close to it.
A good 3 years ago I ported my simulation of an absolutely minimal processor from Windows to the browser. cpusimulation.hofk.de
Originally I wanted to generate a “real” 3D user interface with three.js.
However, the effort became too much in relation to the actual goal of the port and I only added some 3D elements to the display. The right side at CPU-Simulation-8Bit is 3D and with the 3D arrows you move up and down in RAM. It would need standard 3D elements in the browsers themselves.
But even with 2D the browsers are not consistent.
If you look at the picture at the beginning of Quaternion - Axis, Angle Visualization, you can see the version of Firefox’s slider at the time, which was in contrast to other browsers with round controls. If you start the program now, everything is round in Firefox, too. In that case beside the point, but in other scenarios it can disturb the whole layout.
To test what would be feasible I experimented with some elements.
The selection of the machine commands instead of a listbox by raycast from a rotatable wheel with several columns (in the picture a column wireframe).
Or pulling out the commands like a tape measure.
Instead of on one surface on 4 surfaces all around, so that no matter from where you look at it you can select the command.
I made this two websites in the last 6 months.
Both are 100% 2D-3D based on threejs and my own framework.
Im proud to see both websites works well on smartphone, desktop, VR and SmartTV
