CBRE Residential is one of Australia’s largest real estate companies. They specialise in high-end off-the-plan properties, but they had a problem. Customers need to visualise their future homes before they're built. So developers construct display suites on-site, which are then demolished before construction. This is both time-consuming and expensive.
Opera residences collateral
CBRE commissioned several partners to build an innovative replacement for this sales model. X+O and Hatch Australia were accountable for the physical space. Cruiser Interactive was responsible for the technology and Virtual Method for VR and 3D elements. I was responsible for all UX and visual design.
The finished suite
The digital solution needed to be faster, cheaper, easy to customise, and immersive. CBRE's office would be home to an immersive 3D sales experience, removing the need for a physical display suite. The digital suite needed to do more than present information. It had to captivate potential buyers – by selling the feeling of each property.
The room featured a widescreen TV with sound-insulated speakers and ambient lighting. Customers sat at a custom table with an integrated touchscreen. This setup presented a unique design challenge. I had to coordinate video, images, and 3D animations between a table, a TV, and a tablet.
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Table map interaction
My first step was to create user flows that showed how the experience would work across all devices. These flows had detailed timings and jump points based on Hatch's research.
The goal of the visual design was simple: it needed to be adaptable for a variety of projects. I opted for a minimal design aesthetic with textured backgrounds for the table. I played with different textures for inactive states or scenes. When viewed from above the textures ground the interface into the experience.
Table top options
I also designed an app for sales agents to set up the room before each customer experience. The agent could manage settings, pull up documents and adjust the sales journey.
