The Future of Spatial Design

Embracing Simplicity and Clear Visual Communication

When the Apple Vision Pro was first announced, my mind buzzed with the possibilities.

I had visions of creating stunning, high resolution visuals that could be viewed and interacted with in a real world environment. As a 3D artist, I envisioned pushing the boundaries of realism. I wanted the completely immersive environments promised in Ready Player One or the completely engulfing experience Arnold Schwarzegger had on Mars in Total Recall. (Ok…technically that was a medically induced coma-dream that may not have been a hallucination but it DEFINITELY was, amirite?)

However, as I sunk my teeth into it creating visuals, I started thinking I might be wrong. While I believe the Apple Vision Pro represents a huge leap forward in wide spread adoption of immersive technology, we are still years away from creating truly believable immersive experiences outside of spatial video.

Real time render engines all headsets (even the super advanced on in the Apple Vision Pro) lack the ability to produce elements like translucency, subsurface scattering, or other advanced calculations that happen in the real world around us every day. And I just don’t see advances in render technology happening fast enough to make a significant change that would be cost effective enough for the majority of people. So continuing down the path of realism will just end up in the uncanny valley with Tom Hank’s characters from Polar Express.

So that’s it? Just pack our bags up and give up on AR/VR/XR?

Nope.

Because I realized that I was falling for the old fallacy of the 3D world in the 2000s and early 2010s that better visuals simply meant more realism, more fidelity, and more nuance. I needed to push past my own preconceived notions of what it meant to develop images in a new medium.

And I think I found the answer.

The more I pondered this, the more I became convinced that clear, simple, and effective visual communication will be the key. Instead of striving to create the next "Avatar: Way of the Water" within a headset, we should focus on designing elements akin to small, clear icons—simple, intuitive, and highly communicative.

The Apple Watch is a great example. Despite its minimal screen real estate, it effectively communicates to the viewer with simple stick people.

This example underscores the power of clear visual communication over technical complexity. As AR and VR technologies continue to develop, this clarity and simplicity will drive the most impactful spatial designs.

There’s just one issue. I have no idea what that aesthetic is going to look like. So I decided to just get curious and dive in. And I began with the basics. I enrolled in a Motion Graphics course at the online School of Motion website.

Now…was it embarrassing as a Head of 3D Tech Artists at Adobe to be enrolling in a 3rd party online school for After Effects?

Absolutely.

Do I care? Absolutely not.

My age and experience has taught me that my own fear of embarrassment holds me back from doing the things I truly want to do. No one else cares if you have an Master of Fine Arts degree and take an intro to drawing course to brush up on your skills. It’s that same old spotlight syndrome I wrote about a while back.

Conclusion

I’m not suggesting that everyone must pivot to motion design. Rather, I encourage resisting the impulse to equate complexity with value. Clean and simple visuals that effectively communicate ideas and emotions are incredibly powerful. While I appreciate the intricate details of highly realistic 3D models, true excellence in design often lies in simplicity and clarity. And that is where I see the future of immersive design heading.

For those interested spatial design's current state and future, I highly recommend checking out Brett Morris' Medium posts. Brett has worked for years as a 3D Artist working in Motion Graphics and his insights are both enlightening and educational, offering valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of AR and VR.

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The 3D Artist Community Updates!

This week, we welcomed the great Alwyn Hunt to The 3D Artist Community AMA Stage!

Alwyn has been a force in the 3D industry for over twenty years. He's an artist and an educator, and he has helped thousands of up-and-coming artists on his own website, The Rookies.

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3D News of the Week

Axis Studios in Scotland collapses with 160 job losses - BBC News

Google’s Early VR Modeling Tool ‘Blocks’ is Getting Revived as Open Source Software - Twitter

Gravity Sketch 6.3 has landed! - Gravity Sketch

Sordi.AI with the Apple Vision Pro - LinkedIn

Master Environment Design via a Case Study with This Comprehensive Course - 80.lv

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3D Merch is here!

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3D Tutorials

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3D Job Spreadsheet

Link to Google Doc With A TON of Jobs in Animation (not operated by me)

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Hello! Michael Tanzillo here. I am the Head of Technical Artists with the Substance 3D Growth team at Adobe. Previously, I was a Senior Artist on animated films at Blue Sky Studios/Disney with credits including three Ice Age movies, two Rios, Peanuts, Ferdinand, Spies in Disguise, and Epic.

In addition to his work as an artist, I am the Co-Author of the book Lighting for Animation: The Visual Art of Storytelling and the Co-Founder of The Academy of Animated Art, an online school that has helped hundreds of artists around the world begin careers in Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Imaging. I also created The 3D Artist Community on Skool and this newsletter.

www.michaeltanzillo.com
Free 3D Tutorials on the Michael Tanzillo YouTube Channel

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