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		<h1>How to make augmented reality apps that people will care about</h1>

		<p>There has never been a better time to learn how to build augmented reality experiences for smartphones. <a href='https://developer.apple.com/arkit/'>ARKit</a> for iOS and <a href='https://developers.google.com/ar/'>ARCore</a> for Android are now available for anyone to experiment with AR. They&#8217;re both quite accessible for beginners, and they&#8217;re updated frequently. Although smartphone-based AR isn&#8217;t as immersive as a head-mounted display, the real magic is that these new tools work with hardware that's already in millions of people's pockets.</p>

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			<img src='tony@2x.png' alt='AR interface inside Iron Man&#39;s helmet'/>
			<figcaption>We&#8217;ll get there one day. Image via I Like Interfaces.</figcaption>
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		<p>Even though AR is really shiny right now, it&#8217;s still only a tool. It can give you superpowers, but it can just as easily make you frustrated and bored. Here&#8217;s a list of things that will help you make excellent AR experiences.</p>

		<h2>The power and limitations of AR</h2>

		<h3>AR can visualize the impossible</h3>
		<p>The best AR experiences let people see something, do something, know something that they couldn&#8217;t before. AR is too costly to be spent on experiences that you can have without AR (don&#8217;t make a weather app). If you&#8217;re looking for inspiration, try <a href='https://experiments.withgoogle.com/ar'>AR Experiments</a> and <a href='http://www.madewitharkit.com/'>Made With ARKit</a>.</p>

		<h3>AR requires a specific context</h3>
		<p>Consider that people will use your app in a wide variety of settings. AR experiences require good lighting, enough space to place virtual objects, and they don&#8217;t work on moving surfaces (like in a vehicle).</p>

		<h3>AR sessions should be short</h3>
		<p>After a long AR session, your phone will be very hot, have no battery, and your arm will ache. Nobody wants that. Keep the duration of the experience to under a minute to maximize &ldquo;wow&rdquo; and minimize &ldquo;ow&rdquo;.</p>

		<h3>AR experiences need to be play tested</h3>
		<p>Since you&#8217;re on the cutting edge, there are almost no established patterns, even for basic AR interactions. As you&#8217;re developing your app, try it out early and often. Many interactions that are intuitive on flat 2D interfaces don&#8217;t make sense at all in 3D space.</p>

		<h2>AR is amazing (sometimes)</h2>

		<p>There&#8217;s a lot of crazy and amazing things you can do with AR. However, when someone tries your AR app, they&#8217;re giving you a lot of their time, effort, and battery life. You can definitely make it worth their while, but be prepared to experiment a lot to figure out what works.</p>
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