Even With AI Agents, Someone Still Has to Do It
Agentic AI collapses the cost of trying anything, but someone still has to decide what to build, judge the output, and own the result.
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Your Next Customer Isn't Human
AI agents are about to start shopping on your customers' behalf. What agentic commerce means for product data, brand presence, and conversion.
The XR Split, 6 Months Later
XR shipments grew 44% in 2025 while VR headsets fell 14%. Why 'smart glasses' is really three products, and what the split means for brands.
Lacoste Gamification Strategy
Lacoste's Roland-Garros retro game breaks down into repeatable mechanics: easy entry, rising difficulty, gated rewards, and clear incentives.
Starbucks Japan Frappuccino Hunt Gamification
Starbucks Japan's Frappuccino Hunt looks simple but runs on scarcity, streaks and social proof. A breakdown of the behavioral engine behind it.
The Pop-Up Store is a Swiss Army Knife…
A pop-up store is not just a temporary shop. Eight distinct functions it can serve, and how a digital experience layer sharpens every one of them.
Retail Strategy Tips for 2026
Five principles for retail strategy in 2026, drawn from Vogue Business and our own store projects: the shops that win make people feel something.
Leveraging The XR Industry Split
Snap spins out its AR glasses as Specs Inc and Google partners with XREAL on Project Aura: how to navigate the 2026 XR rationalization.
The Apps Are Dead, Long Live the Apps!
Coding agents now build working apps in minutes. What happens to the app store model when software becomes personal, disposable and generated on demand.
Escapism: A Much-Needed Concept for Brand Experiences
What teamLab's 2.5 million annual visitors teach brands: why escapism outperforms utility when designing an immersive experience.
Meta’s XR Layoffs: A Hard Rationalization?
Meta cuts 10% of Reality Labs and everyone declares VR dead. What the layoffs actually signal about the metaverse and the XR business landscape.
XR Commandment #7 - Use the Space, Not Just the Screen
Designing XR for depth and motion: spatialize the interface, encourage movement, and four principles that keep a headset experience from feeling flat.
XR Commandment #9 - Context, Not Just Content
Sunlight, darkness and congested 5G can sink a flawless XR activation. Four principles for designing around real-world context and testing on site.
XR Commandment #8 - Engage All the Senses
Visuals alone do not create immersion. Why audio is decisive, and how touch, scent and physical props raise the impact of an XR activation.
XR Commandment #4 - Make It Feel Like Magic
Perceived value must beat perceived friction: how loading times, AR detection and VR controls decide whether an audience stays or walks away.
XR Commandment #1 - Deliver Real Value, Not Tech Hype
XR adds friction: downloads, headsets, unfamiliar interfaces. If the value behind the technology is not obvious, users will not accept the trade.
XR Commandment #2 - Know Your Goals and Track Them
Why XR activations should be measured like any other campaign: hidden polls, in-experience choices, and the audience data an immersive activation can capture.
XR Commandment #5 - Don't Forget Social Sharing
If users can't share it, they will forget it. Why shareable assets belong in the campaign design from day one instead of bolted on after the build.
XR Commandment #3 - Make It Simple and Accessible
XR projects are assumed to be complex and expensive. Why one-step experiences often deliver more value, and how to keep an activation accessible.
XR Commandment #6 - Don't Just Replicate Reality
Why replicating your real store in VR produces a poor experience, and how imagination and impossible spaces make far better virtual environments.
XR Commandment #10 - Don't Make Your Users Sick
Comfort decides whether an XR experience succeeds. What Apple's 180-degree 8K Metallica film gets right, and how to test for motion sickness early.
What 'Immersive' Actually Means - Digital Explorers' Diary #66
What 'immersive' actually means in 2024, how location-based entertainment differs from the buzzword, and how audiences really perceive these venues.
"We Build Immersive Experiences" is not a value proposition - Digital Explorers' Diary #65
'We build immersive experiences' describes what you do, not why anyone should care. How to turn a technical capability into a real value proposition.
Compelling Brand Experiences On Apple Vision Pro - Digital Explorers' Diary #64
What makes a brand experience worth building on Apple Vision Pro, plus AR contact lenses, Google's AI announcements, and haptic gloves.
A Story of Future Technologies - Digital Explorers' Diary #63
A near-future story of ambient technology, plus the psychological effects of passthrough headsets, voice as an interface, and the end of Windows Mixed Reality.
Metaverse: The Future Social Network - Digital Explorers' Diary #62
Disney's $1.5 billion stake in Epic Games and what it signals about the future of social media, plus a summary of the first Apple Vision Pro reviews.
Vision Pro and Apple’s Strategy - Digital Explorers' Diary #61
Why Apple's Vision Pro marketing is a positioning masterclass, plus the Visual Turing Test and Asgard's Wrath 2, a genuine triple-A VR game.
Game Theory and the OpenAI Drama - Digital Explorers' Diary #60
Game theory applied to the OpenAI boardroom drama, plus Apple Vision Pro updates, virtual meetings in Microsoft Teams, and Meta’s Butterscotch prototype.
Making Immersive Experiences Worth It - Digital Explorers' Diary #59
How to make immersive experiences genuinely worth doing, plus Humane's AI device, the Meta-Tencent deal, Samsung's headset, and AI in Lens Studio.
Why You Need a Mixed Reality Strategy - Digital Explorers' Diary #58
Why your organization needs a mixed reality strategy, plus Snapchat's Louvre partnership, how Gen Z uses virtual platforms, and AI-generated 3D objects.
Start Small With Immersive Experiences - Digital Explorers' Diary #57
Start small when adding immersive experiences to your strategy, plus Snapchat closing its enterprise arm, AI ad targeting, and Quest 3 body tracking.
How Brands Advertise in the Metaverse - Digital Explorers' Diary #56
How brands actually advertise in the metaverse, plus Meta Connect news: the Quest 3, Ray-Ban smart glasses, and photorealistic avatars.
Sell the Benefits, Not the Technology - Digital Explorers' Diary #55
Sell the benefits, not the technology, when pitching interactive experiences. Plus Unity's pricing backlash, the Niantic-Capcom game, and Apple news.
Roblox and the Metaverse's Real Future - Digital Explorers' Diary #54
Why Roblox and similar platforms are the metaverse's real future, plus Nintendo VR rumors, Meta's AI privacy work, and AR e-commerce conversion data.
Five Overlooked Uses for Smartphones - Digital Explorers' Diary #53
Five overlooked ways to use smartphones in experience design, plus first Apple Vision Pro feedback, Horizon on mobile, and OpenAI buying a game studio.
One Year of Weekly Writing - Digital Explorers' Diary #52
One year of the Digital Explorers’ Diary: what 53 weekly issues taught me about consistency, time-blocking, and tracking the immersive industry.
Build on Platforms, Not Standalone Apps - Digital Explorers' Diary #51
Why building on existing platforms beats standalone apps for AR and VR, plus Samsung headset rumors, VR in education, and privacy risks in headsets.
The Immersive Industry Roundup - Digital Explorers' Diary #50
Immersive industry roundup: VR as an anorexia treatment, Augment Therapy's AR rehabilitation games, and a VR animation on show in Tokyo.
Staying Relevant to Younger Audiences - Digital Explorers' Diary #49
Staying relevant to younger audiences through digital experiences, plus mixed reality for Parkinson's patients, X's ad revenue share, and Meta's game push.
Designing for Virtual Environments - Digital Explorers' Diary #48
How to design experiences for virtual environments, plus Meta's open-source Llama 2, ChatGPT and productivity, and Maybelline's virtual makeup in Teams.
The Ethics of Brain-Computer Interfaces - Digital Explorers' Diary #47
The ethics of brain-computer interfaces, plus Adobe's new AI tools, Elon Musk's x.ai, Roblox arriving on Quest, and Zoom inside Horizon Workrooms.
Our Love-Hate Relationship With Tech - Digital Explorers' Diary #46
The love-hate relationship between people and technology, plus the Las Vegas Sphere, apple-picking drones, and augmented live streams for concerts.
Reinvent Yourself, Every Time - Digital Explorers' Diary #45
Why repeating a winning creative formula backfires, plus Meta's avatar motion reconstruction, Apple Vision Pro accessories, and AI rules in game studios.
Designing Meaningful Experiences - Digital Explorers' Diary #44
Five principles for designing meaningful experiences, plus stealing a key from a device's power LED, AR ads in Pokemon Go, and blockchain for AI agents.
Assessing the AI Bubble - Digital Explorers' Diary #43
Assessing the 2023 AI bubble after the EU AI Act vote, plus the LVMH-Epic Games partnership, Google's AI garment try-on and the metaverse's climate impact.
Against Blind Techno-Optimism - Digital Explorers' Diary #42
An argument against blind techno-optimism, plus Lenovo's XR headset, the Invisible AI motion capture tool, and fresh Apple Vision Pro insights.
Apple Vision Pro Positioning - Digital Explorers' Diary #41
The Apple Vision Pro as a product positioning masterclass, Meta's Quest 3 announcement, and the week's news on the risks of AI.
AI Regulation Is Coming - Digital Explorers' Diary #40
AI regulation is coming and it will reach your business, plus the Meta Quest 3, Adobe Firefly, France's influencer rules, and AI 'chats' with the dead.
The End of Screens - Digital Explorers' Diary #39
Why screens may disappear as headsets mature, plus the ChatGPT iOS app, TikTok's fund for AR creators, and Meta's talks with Magic Leap.
The Wrong Question About AI - Digital Explorers' Diary #38
Why 'is AI smart or stupid' is the wrong question, plus Google's location AR API, Amazon Everywhere, Niantic's Peridot, and lightweight VR gloves.
Spotting Misleading Tech Statistics - Tech Insiders News, May 2023
How to spot misleading statistics in tech research, plus Meta's AR ads in Reels, the Gorillaz AR concert, AI data poisoning, and Apple fitness rumors.
How to Stay on Top of Innovation - Tech Insiders News, May 2023
How to stay on top of innovation without drowning in feeds, plus AR social commerce research, IKEA's AR catalog, Zalando try-on and AI-generated songs.
Why AI Is Not the Next Television - Tech Insiders News, April 2023
Why comparing AI to the arrival of television is a flawed argument, plus GPU access in Chrome, Snapchat's AR mirrors, and AR-enabled physical objects.
Movies in the Metaverse - Tech Insiders News, April 2023
How metaverse movies could reinvent entertainment, plus Elon Musk's x.ai, the rise of autonomous AI agents, and a new VR headset.
AI's Polarization Moment - Tech Insiders News, April 2023
Why the AI debate is polarizing society the way COVID did, plus VRChat's arrival on mobile and Meta's newly detailed AI roadmap.
OpenAI Plugins Change ChatGPT - Tech Insiders News, March 2023
OpenAI's plugins give ChatGPT eyes and hands, a bigger shift than GPT-4, plus the Nvidia-Microsoft partnership and Snapchat's AR commerce push.
3% of Metaverse Users Wear a Headset - Tech Insiders News, March 2023
Only 3% of metaverse users arrive through a headset, and why that number makes sense, plus the week's AI news and Nvidia's GTC announcements.
The Japan Metaverse Economic Zone - Tech Insiders News, March 2023
Japanese companies form the Japan Metaverse Economic Zone to build shared open infrastructure, plus the escalating AI race and a note for Women’s Day.
Xiaomi's Wireless AR Glasses - Tech Insiders News, March 2023
Xiaomi’s wireless AR glasses and how true AR differs from headsets, plus the ChatGPT API, the AI risk debate, and contributing to open source.
Tencent Rethinks Its VR Strategy - Tech Insiders News, February 2023
Tencent rethinks its VR hardware strategy as ByteDance's Pico climbs, and why that is not proof the VR market is shrinking. Plus values in technology.
PlayStation VR2 Arrives - Tech Insiders News, February 2023
PlayStation VR2 arrives and Bigscreen unveils the smallest VR headset yet, plus why interoperability matters and growing AI alignment concerns.
Cloud Streaming Comes to XR - Tech Insiders News, February 2023
Cloud streaming reaches XR with Google's Immersive Stream and Mawari's $20M raise, plus the Microsoft-Google race for conversational search.
Opus AI's Text-to-Game Platform - Tech Insiders News, February 2023
Opus AI's text-to-game platform and what it means for user-built worlds, plus Microsoft news, a mixed reality alliance, and a practical ChatGPT guide.
Apple's Reality Pro Headset Leaks - Tech Insiders News, January 2023
Leaked details of Apple's 'Reality Pro' headset, from Siri input to the external battery, plus AI video replacement and clever uses of XR.
Layoffs and Google's AI Panic - Tech Insiders News, January 2023
Microsoft's layoffs and Google's AI panic as a multi-polar trap in action, and why there is still a case for optimism about technology in 2023.
CES 2023 Roundup - Tech Insiders News, January 2023
CES 2023 for innovation teams: the HTC Vive XR Elite at $1,099, the state of AR glasses, and which announcements will actually reach real projects.
Yearly Reviews Beat Resolutions - Tech Insiders News, January 2023
Yearly reviews that work better than vague resolutions, plus a first look at CES 2023, prediction markets, and AI that lets you chat with history.
Eight-Hour Workdays in VR - Tech Insiders News, December 2022
A week of eight-hour days working in VR went badly, and the design lesson behind it. Plus the Gorillaz in AR and a virtual reality food experience.
OpenAI Releases ChatGPT - Tech Insiders News, December 2022
OpenAI releases ChatGPT and what it really changes over GPT-3, plus Sony's latest motion capture and an augmented reality cooking experience.
The Metaverse's Environmental Cost - Tech Insiders News, November 2022
Amelia Kallman on the metaverse's environmental cost and whether we can change course early, plus this week's debate on AI alignment.
NeRF and 3D Capture - Tech Insiders News, November 2022
What NeRF neural rendering changes for 3D capture, plus the Niantic-Qualcomm augmented reality partnership and two new headset announcements.
The FTX Collapse - Tech Insiders News, November 2022
The FTX collapse and what it costs crypto's credibility, plus a headset designed to kill you in-game and a promising low-budget alternative.
Mixed Reality Gaming - Tech Insiders News, November 2022
Mixed reality gaming and 'I Expect You To Die' on Quest Pro, VR inside moving cars, and ready-made map data for browser-based games.
Musk Buys Twitter - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
Elon Musk buys Twitter and the multi-polar trap he may be walking into, plus the AI safety debate and Burberry's move into the metaverse.
The DALL-E API Arrives - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
Location-based game centers evolve with better motion tracking, plus HTC and Pico headset news and the long-awaited DALL-E API from OpenAI.
Meta Connect and the Quest Pro - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
Meta Connect 2022 in full: the Quest Pro's specs and inward-facing cameras, and what Meta's bet means with Apple's headset approaching.
HTC Teases a New Headset - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
HTC teases a new VR headset and Google demos AI audio generation, plus VR eSports and a feature film shot entirely in virtual reality.
Tesla Unveils the Optimus Robot - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
Tesla unveils the Optimus humanoid robot, the Bruce Willis deepfake licensing story, the new Magic Leap, and a major update for location-based AR.
Meta's Text-to-Video Generator - Tech Insiders News, October 2022
Meta demonstrates text-to-video generation and the ownership questions it raises, plus Vogue's metaverse move and a mixed reality fencing demo.
Walmart's Virtual Try-On - Tech Insiders News, September 2022
Walmart's guided-selfie virtual try-on and the returns problem it targets, plus NVIDIA's conference, the hidden labor behind AI, and OpenAI's latest.
GPT-3 Recursion and AGI - Tech Insiders News, September 2022
Replit's recursive GPT-3 experiment as a step toward AGI, plus the environmental cost of the metaverse, AI-enabled stalking, and digital immortality.
Disney+, ShazamKit, and Why It Matters for You
Disney+ triggers an AR experience from your TV's audio using ShazamKit. How sound recognition opens a new interaction channel for creative teams.
The Copilot 55% Claim - Tech Insiders News, September 2022
GitHub claims Copilot cuts coding time by 55%, and why to read that carefully. Plus AR car headlights, politics in the metaverse, and AI 3D creation.
Unity to WebGL With Needle.tools - Links for Tuesday, September 2022
Needle.tools brings Unity projects to WebGL, plus AR gaming, an AI-generated artwork winning a contest, luxury in the metaverse, and career advice.
The Impact of AI-Based Content Generation
How GPT-3, DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion change text, image and voice production, and what that shift means for creative industries.
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