Contact Us
SearchCase Study
Virtual Room Painting Software
More reasons than ever to get excited about watching paint dry
Challenge
A world-renowned industrial color measurement company wanted to provide consumers with an advanced, interactive, virtual room painting kiosk. The application was to allow customers to paint a room, including one of their own, using a variety of colors. They called it Personal Designer. Cool idea, but the initial development team had been moved on to other projects. The project needed an infusion of heavy-duty software and consumer-focused design to make it ready it for market.
Background
X-Rite is a leader in color measurement technology and a long-time AO customer. We have a good working relationship with X-Rite and a solid track record helping them incorporate Agile methods and Test-Driven Development into their software development (even in X-Rite’s embedded software). One of X-Rite’s lead graphic designers revived Personal Designer and brought in AO for some of the heavy lifting.
Project Overview
X-Rite wanted a partner to help develop an interactive paint selection kiosk for consumers.
Industry
Consumer Paint Color Visualization & Selection
Project Type
Interactive Kiosk Software
Project Size
- 9 Months
- 7 Developers (6 Atoms)
Services
- Software Development
- Interaction Design
Technical Nitty Gritty
- Flash
- OpenLaszlo
First, the Bold Brush Strokes
AO came in on the ground floor and worked as part of the X-Rite team. Participation grew from two Atoms to six. This early and continued involvement contributed to Interaction Design solutions that produced an attractive, intuitive interface. Intense image analysis techniques, developed and patented for this project, ensured accurate paintable images that allowed for nuances such as ambient light and shadows.
Deft Trim Work To Fill In All the Blanks
AO drove color user-interface innovations that enhanced usability and appeal — such as selection by color trends, choosing from a color wheel, or search for colors by type or by palette. A range of media interfaces were incorporated as well — USB, CD, color measurement instrumentation — to give customers the option to use their own photos and paint samples as well as stock photos and palettes. The application was also adapted for a web browser in anticipation of online use.
Results
- Personal Designer 2.0 software exceeded initial test expectations
- Consumers reacted well to the self-directed interactions and found the interface easy to use
- X-Rite support people were very pleased with the effective software update mechanisms
- Capability built in for a possible future web launch allowing customers to explore paint schemes online
Gallery
Personal Designer Room Painting Screenshot
Note walls repainted on right side of photo
Personal Designer Palette Selection Screenshot
Copyright © Atomic Object LLC. - Grand Rapids, MI 49506 - (616) 776-6020 - Contact Us