3D configurators in various industries

Individualization and interactive experiences are very popular with online stores. 3D configurators serve as revolutionary tools: They allow end consumers to design products down to the smallest detail according to their wishes and bring imagination and reality together. The use of 3D configurators is by no means limited to online stores for products. From virtual tours for real estate to training courses – many different companies benefit from the technology.

Checklist: For which companies is a 3D configurator suitable?

3D configuration offers great advantages and there is enormous potential for certain companies. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every company and every industry. If the following points apply to your company, you should consider configuration technology:

• Your products are complex, customizable, or modular and require detailed understanding.

• You value premium quality and customer experience.

• Your sales processes extend beyond your own national borders.

• You operate in a highly competitive market where innovation is in demand.

• You strive for growth through your enthusiasm for cutting-edge technology.

• You are open to deep ERP and CRM integration.

• You make decisions based on data.

Standing out from the competition through added value

Digital commerce continues to pick up speed. Mega platforms such as Amazon offer millions of products and the price war is extremely tough. There is only one way to avoid this battle: You need to stand out from the competition by offering your customers unique added value.

3D configuration is a powerful tool when it comes to taking on a premium role with innovation and outstanding service. A 3D configurator allows your customers a high degree of personalization and your company to be unique. If this is in line with your business goals, you should think carefully about introducing new technologies.

A look at selected industries

The following use cases range from established to visionary concepts that are still waiting to be realized. Let yourself be inspired and imagine how this technology could enable groundbreaking innovations in your industry.

Successful examples of (3D) configurators

Mindnow's expertise with configurators is based on many years of experience. Back in 2019, we launched Motolino, the 1st Vespa configurator in Switzerland, a ground-breaking solution. Since then, our expertise has constantly expanded.

Today, we at Mindnow not only develop high-quality 3D models, but also integrate them into web platforms and enhance them with Augmented Reallity so that visualizations are placed in the real world. This holistic approach ensures that we can cover a wide range of needs and applications without limitations.

A good example that we at Mindnow are very proud of is the 3D bike configurator from Thömus with headless CMS, live rendering and AR. We even won a Swiss Web Award for this project!

Find out more about the technical refinements of this project and 3D configuration in particular in our article The rise of 3D configurators for customized retail experiences.

We are currently working on the next generation of advanced configurators. I can't tell you too much about it yet. But the sectors in which we operate here are definitely extremely exciting. A few years ago, these projects would have been hard to imagine:

• 3D configurator for robot spare parts: For a robotics manufacturer, we are building an expandable configurator that allows customers to easily order high-end spare parts, regardless of the robot.

• AI-supported fashion design configurator: For a fashion brand, we are designing a fashion design configurator that uses surveys and integrations to create trends that designers (and possibly end customers) can implement quickly and easily using design sliders and GenAI.

Conclusion: Enormous potential in various industries

3D configurators have a wide range of applications and enormous potential – across all industries. They are great tools for selection and visualization, improve the understanding of products, enable collaboration between different user groups and generally increase efficiency.

The development of logics and visualizations for more complex products and the further development of these tools with other technologies such as GenAI promise even greater innovations that will shape the future of industries and enable experiences beyond our current imagination.

Would you like to sell your products or services online worldwide, differentiate yourself from the competition and create additional value? Or pioneer user experience in your industry? We would be delighted to bring our expertise with 3D configuration to your field!