Holodeck
A New Reality for Retail
This project was developed in a course on digital services in collaboration with MediaMarktSaturn.
The goal was to design a product or service that creates a compelling in-store experience for customers. During the ideation phase, I explored different approaches along the customer journey.
Early concepts focused on decision support before purchase or technical assistance after purchase. While both directions addressed real problems, they either already existed in similar forms or lacked emotional impact.
What stood out from our in-store research was something else entirely.
Results from Customer Survey
Around two-thirds of customers visited the store without a specific purchase intention. They were browsing. This meant they were not primarily task-driven, but emotionally receptive. Instead of optimizing efficiency, there was an opportunity to design for curiosity, engagement, and experience.
Based on this insight, I proposed a concept that transforms the act of shopping into an immersive experience.
The initial idea was to create “identity spaces” within the store: rooms that simulate realistic environments where customers could experience products in context. This evolved into a more radical concept: a hybrid physical-digital environment inspired by the science fiction idea of a Holodeck.
Storyboard
The Holodeck is a physical room in the store that appears minimal and almost abstract from the outside.
It is intentionally unfamiliar, designed to spark curiosity. Inside, users wear a VR headset and step into a fully immersive environment. What makes this concept unique is the combination of virtual immersion and physical interaction.
The room contains so-called placeholder volumes: simple, lightweight boxes equipped with visual markers for optical tracking. In the virtual environment, these boxes are overlaid with products. A physical cube becomes a monitor, a speaker, or any other object. Users can touch, move, and interact with them naturally.
This creates a rare combination of haptic feedback and digital flexibility. Unlike traditional VR experiences, interaction is not abstract or controller-based, but grounded in real physical movement.
To ensure accessibility, we developed a simple and intuitive interaction concept. Products can be edited through a double-tap gesture. This opens a selection interface, where alternatives are presented in a spatial matrix. Users can browse categories vertically and products horizontally through simple swipe gestures. We tested this interaction concept in a 2D prototype. The results confirmed that the system was easy to understand and required minimal onboarding. Participants responded positively not only to the usability, but also to the overall idea. Interestingly, many indicated they would be willing to spend significant time in such an environment, even accepting waiting times to use it.
Inside the Holodeck, the entire environment becomes adaptable. Users can configure their own space—whether a gaming setup, a home office, or a kitchen—and experience products in context. Lighting, atmosphere, and layout can all be adjusted to match personal preferences.
This transforms shopping into a form of exploration. Instead of comparing products on shelves or screens, users experience them in a space that feels relevant to their own lives.
Inspiration for Marker Design
A key design challenge was the visual identity of the physical space. Since the room itself acts as a placeholder for any possible environment, it needed to feel neutral yet intriguing. We developed a system of black-and-white marker patterns inspired by fiducial tracking markers, but extended through references to nature, mathematics, and everyday textures.
The goal was to create a visual language that feels like a “data carrier of the future”—something recognizable as meaningful, even if not directly readable. This contributes to the futuristic and slightly unfamiliar atmosphere that draws users in.
Filming of the Video Prototype
Because a live VR prototype was not feasible, we developed a video prototype to communicate the concept. It illustrates the full user journey: entering the space, interacting with placeholder volumes, configuring products, and finally leaving the experience with a personalized setup that can be accessed on a smartphone, shared, or directly purchased in-store.
The concept also opens up further possibilities. Users could continue their experience at home by printing marker patterns and using their own space as an extension of the Holodeck. Over time, this could evolve into a broader ecosystem where physical and digital retail environments merge.
What makes this project particularly relevant is how it reframes retail. Instead of focusing on transactions, it focuses on experience, identity, and exploration. It shows how digital technologies can enhance—not replace—physical spaces, creating a hybrid environment that is both immersive and tangible.