As part of its drive to enhance the shopping experience with technological innovation, Williams-Sonoma is launching its first Tango augmented reality application and rolling out 3D room design and product visualization tools developed for the Pottery Barn and PBteen brands.
The program is the first element in a suite of new products and site enhancements that Pottery Barn will introduce over the next year. The initiative will leverage new technologies designed to help customers find their personal style and transform the shopper’s interior design process into a digital, interactive experience. A 3D Room View tool provides Pottery Barn customers a smartphone augmented reality app for the first time, one powered by Tango technology from Google.
The 3D Room View will initially focus on the living room and will add additional spaces over the course of this year. The app allows customers to add products to an existing room, enabling them to see how new items will look with their current furniture and decor or empty a room to start the design process. The app, among its functions, allows customers to add, move and remove furniture, rugs, lamps and pillows, change the color of the upholstery or pillows, and zoom in to see details or finish. It also allows consumers to tap the help and expertise of in-store design specialists at select Pottery Barn stores in the San Francisco Bay area, with plans to roll out that access across the U.S.
Also available, the 360 Spin by Pottery Barn and Design Your Perfect Desk by PBteen will be the first of multiple product and room planning tools launching for web and mobile use. With 360 Spin, customers can view a Pottery Barn sofa from all angles, with 120 styles available to start. With Design Your Perfect Desk, PBteen customers can pick their favorite workstation and build a room around it, from the paint color on the walls to the accompanying accessories.
“Our brands have always been a source of inspiration for customers, and we’re excited to enhance that experience by introducing the latest AR technology and visualization tools to help customers design a room by envisioning how Pottery Barn products will look and fit in their actual space,” said John Strain, evp/chief digital and technology officer, Williams-Sonoma. “Our vision is to offer innovative shopping and design capabilities across all Williams-Sonoma brands, starting with Pottery Barn and PBteen this spring.”
