3D product configuration
Anna Meyer
7. April 2026
The previous article highlighted the expectations users have for a 3D viewer. However, when dealing with complex CAD and 3D data, the next question arises:
How can these requirements be implemented in practice?
The more complex the data, the more important clear design principles are. They help to make systems understandable, usable and consistent – especially in the context of 3D viewers within 3D product configurators.
DIN EN ISO 9241-110 describes seven central interaction principles for user-friendly systems. These principles provide a clear basis for the design of user-friendly systems.
They can be directly applied to 3D viewers:
User experience should not only be considered at the end of a project, but should be an integral part of the development of 3D tools and 3D product configurators right from the start. In concrete terms, this means UX designers are involved at an early stage and work closely with development and specialist departments.
A key framework is DIN EN ISO 9241-210,which describes the human-centered design of interactive systems. It defines a structured process for systematically incorporating UX.
The process begins with a fundamental question:
Who is the user—and in what context will the system be used?
This includes:
Typical methods include:
The next step is to define what the system should do and how it should perform.
Functional requirements describe specific system capabilities:
Non-functional requirements define quality criteria:
Based on these requirements, initial solutions are created.
Depending on the project phase and available resources:
The goal is to make structure, navigation, and interaction visible at an early stage.
In the final step, the developed solution is reviewed and refined.
This includes:
Evaluation is conducted iteratively, ensuring continuous optimization of the solution.
As new technologies emerge, the demands on user experience continue to grow.
In digital product visualization, key developments include:
Future advancements—such as those driven by AI—will introduce additional requirements. One key principle remains unchanged: strong user experience is essential for enabling users to understand and effectively use these technologies.
ANNA MEYER
UX/UI-Designerin
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