Home cosiness has always been the key to the success and peace of mind of any family. Every person strives to emphasise their own individuality with the help of various elements of decor. Over the past year, a unique e-commerce platform in the field of luxury design without analogues in its niche – MDMaison – has pleasantly surprised and won the hearts of many.
Today Timur Egorov, a Co-Founder of MDMaison, will open the curtain of internal processes and success that to a greater extent was caused by Timur’s successful implementation of augmented reality (AR) technology to MDMaison’s operational processes
– Timur, good afternoon. Very glad you could take the time to tell us about your project. Firstly, tell us a little bit more about the platform for our readers.
– Good afternoon. MDMaison e-commerce project is a platform for the sale of tableware (crystal, silverware, porcelain) and luxury décor items, as well as provides services for the selection and completion of interiors. Working with designers and architects in central and eastern Europe and the USA, the company is recognised for its influence in the selection and supply of opulence tableware and furnishings for venues.
A unique feature of the project is the possibility to ‘try on’ tableware in the interior with the help of augmented reality. Our app always displays personalised tableware suggestions. Then each suggested item can be ‘tried on’ using AR technology to see if it fits in terms of colours, patterns, shapes, etc.
– A very unusual idea and actually very interesting. How was the idea born? Why did you decide to realise it?
– In today’s world, more and more people prefer to shop online, even when it comes to premium crockery. However, the problem is that these items are not always available in stock and have to be ordered in advance, waiting for several months. This is also due to the fact that bulky items are difficult to just bring in and then return.
To simplify the choice, customers were introduced to the idea of virtually trying on tableware using augmented reality technology. Customers are offered several collections that match their requirements in terms of price, shape, colour, etc. Using a mobile phone or tablet, they can see how these items will look in their kitchen or dining area.
We have also made an AI decorator for users who don’t want to be contacted beforehand, but get an immediate quote for their interior by simply uploading a photo and providing an email. The algorithm will then select the collection and the offer will be sent immediately.
MDMaison launched an online shop with an original structure, which has had its design (UI UX) revised several times and continues to improve. In addition, a Project Zone was developed to facilitate interaction with designers and clients, as well as a mobile application for efficient project management. This whole set of activities is aimed at creating a unique and innovative product capable of meeting the needs of the most demanding customers.
On a dedicated Project Zone page, users can create their own projects, receive offers, control production and delivery of orders both on the website and in the mobile app. This significantly increases customer satisfaction and the level of trust in the service.
Using modern approaches and solutions, we aim to create an online shop that is unlike any other and improve the user experience. Augmented reality technology helps to increase conversion to purchase, enabling customers to make quicker decisions about their cookware choices.
– How was the work on the project carried out? How many specialists did you need to involve?
– More than 400 items have already been digitised in the process of working on the project to create 3D models. For the most popular items, we plan to develop an automatic script that will be able to process and create 3D models. This will help us to create models of all items on our website. The development of this script is already underway. A specialised team of 9 people, with a deep knowledge of AR and AI technologies, required significant input. A wide range of technologies such as Postgresql, Python, React, NextJS, React Native, Unity and AWS were used.
In the field of tableware and decor, an online shop with an original structure was launched, which has repeatedly revised its design (UI UX) and continues to improve it. In addition, a Project Zone was developed to facilitate interaction with designers and clients, as well as a mobile application for efficient project management. This whole set of activities is aimed at creating a unique and innovative product capable of meeting the needs of the most demanding customers.
While working on the AR solutions project, we actively interacted with designers, architects and decorators. This allowed us to develop an innovative concept and process for creating and processing 3D models. After all, when digitising crockery models, there are certain peculiarities that need to be taken into account. Firstly, the surface texture of tableware is heterogeneous and varied, with a great variety of colours, inlays, and different glossy or matte shades. All these factors make it difficult to create the most realistic models possible. Each collection of crockery needs to be treated to its specific characteristics: some require special lighting to render the gloss as real, in other cases the inlay needs to be refined so that it doesn’t stand out too much. The texture of matt and fluted collections also requires special attention and treatment.
It is important to accurately convey both the thickness and height of the items in AR. For example, if the thickness of a plate is slightly different from the standard thickness, this can lead to a visual error where it appears that there is not a plate but a round piece of paper on the table. When placing plates on top of each other, as in classical serving, shadows play a key role: they help to avoid the objects merging with each other. The shadows should be as realistic as possible, so as not to overlap the bottom plate and create a merging effect. All these aspects are important when creating a 3D model, as they have a significant impact on the user experience.
Our team paid special attention to ensure effective interaction between different specialists and to create an integrated system capable of meeting the needs of the most demanding customers. And also to create an AI decorator to automatically generate offers with crockery. Our work has resulted in high quality standards and innovative solutions that have opened up new opportunities for the design and architecture industry.
– What results have you achieved in figures over the last year by applying these technologies?
– The company has seen a marked increase in revenue over the last year, thanks to the application of augmented reality (AR) technology to virtually try on crockery with customers. This has increased conversion to sale by 20-30% compared to customers who did not use this feature. But it wasn’t just the company’s revenue that increased – brand awareness also increased significantly. Customers appreciated the convenience and innovativeness of AR technology, which led to strengthening the company’s image and increasing its attractiveness in the market. The company already has its own loyal audience of top designers at this point, with new clients coming in monthly from both B2B and B2C segments. Thus, the use of AR for virtual cookware fitting proved to be not only an effective tool for increasing sales, but also an important element of the company’s branding strategy.
– Tell us about your plans. What do you plan to surprise your customers with?
– While actively developing new features, the company is focusing on improving the table setting process. One of the key aspects is to make it possible for users to set the table with a large number of different items, which will allow them to create unique and stylish compositions.
As part of the new standards, a variety of serving styles are being developed, including French and English approaches, as well as other traditional and contemporary options. This will allow users to choose the appropriate style depending on their preferences and occasion.
One of the innovative solutions is the ability to combine serving pieces from different collections and brands. Users will be able to create unique and interesting compositions by combining different elements and styles.
Additionally, special models are being developed for use in virtual reality (VR) and meta-universe. This will allow users to immerse themselves in a unique table setting experience, explore different options and enjoy the creative process in the digital space.
– Finally, share how this project has helped you personally?
– This project has brought me a lot of new knowledge and opportunities. It allowed me to dive into the world of new technologies. In the process of working on the project, I dived into learning about a new technology stack, which opened up a lot of new opportunities for me. I have also deepened my understanding of the prospects for the development of augmented reality and its application in various spheres. I now look at the possibilities of using AR and AI differently, realising that their role in our daily lives will only increase every year. AR technologies will become better and better, and we will be able to integrate them into our lives to a greater extent, which will allow us to be more efficient, open new opportunities and expand the boundaries of perception.
– Thank you for your time. I wish you further success in your project.