What’s Next for XR Design? Exploring AR, VR, and MR Trends and Tools

With Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap MR glasses reaching consumers, major companies like Google and Apple are joining the race, and AR, VR, and MR are expected to become mainstream within five years.

XR design is emerging as the next trend in experience design.

XR (Extended Reality) is an umbrella term that includes augmented reality (AR) , virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) . XR design requires creators to consider not only traditional screen experiences but also VR, AR and MR environments.

1.1 VR – the era of co‑creation with AI

VR (Virtual Reality) offers immersive experiences by placing users in a virtual world through headsets. Designers must think about sensory feedback, such as haptic “error feedback” when colliding with objects, exemplified by Bhaptics’ haptic vest.

Voice interaction can make VR guidance feel like a conversation, as shown by IBM’s virtual advisor.

Future integration of VR and AI will enable collaborative design in a shared virtual space.

1.2 AR – seamless connection between people and objects

AR (Augmented Reality) overlays virtual content onto the real world via devices like smartphones or AR glasses. It creates a shared data layer that enhances communication, exemplified by Magic Leap’s AR glasses enabling real‑time collaborative viewing without screens.

AR also powers smart‑building experiences, such as Gensler’s sensor‑embedded spaces that display contextual information through AR.

1.3 MR – reality‑coexisting interaction

MR (Mixed Reality) blends real and virtual worlds, allowing virtual objects to interact with physical spaces, as demonstrated by Microsoft HoloLens highlighting real‑world targets for remote guidance.

New XR experiences

Recent XR experiences include AR concerts (e.g., Gorillaz 2022), VR fashion shows (Prada 2021), and XR autonomous cockpits by Eidride.

Professional XR design tools

Popular tools are Unity (VR mode for immersive creation) and Unreal Engine (supports AR, VR, MR with templates).

Easy XR entry points

Web‑based XR experiences can be tried with platforms such as Artivive, Sketch AR, MywebAR, and Assemblr, which let users create AR/VR content without installing heavy software.

XR design is a fascinating new field with many opportunities ahead, and we are only at the beginning of this immersive future.