The evolution of the Web has pushed companies to search for new professionals able to ride the wave of the latest generation technologies. The growing use of virtual and augmented reality for architecture and design is now a fact. And the trend is constantly increasing. In the future, paradoxically already past, these emerging technologies will become an integral part of a project presentation and the lifeblood of the entire design process by redesigning the professions that deal with them.
Retracing the evolution of the Web clarifies the stages and reasons that have driven the birth of new professions capable of managing innovative business models that encourage users to enhance their data by subtracting them from the control of big tech, thanks to economic dynamics capable of to take advantage of decentralized technologies such as blockchain, crypto, and NFT.
From Web 1.0 To Web 3.0
Over time, we have gone from Web 1.0 (“read-only web”), a network of static pages with HTML content that the user limited himself to passively “consuming”; to Web 2.0 (“read-write web”), a further developed and dynamic framework wherein the accentuation was on satisfied made by clients as well as on the sharing and cooperation of whole gatherings, presently known as networks. Over this time, big techs have moved from focusing on user growth to monetizing their businesses. The Internet has become more centralized and dominated by a few giant monopolies, and the ethics of data usage, security, and privacy have been questioned. Then came the birth of Web 3.0, a network in which, also thanks to artificial intelligence, people will interact better and will be hyper-connected.
Also called the semantic Web, Web 3.0 is based on the idea of a metadata network able to specify every single page’s semantic context. Web 3.0 is a “read-write-interact web” in which the user can “read,” “write,” and “interact” in a broader and more accessible way. Web 3.0 is not to be confused with Web3. If the first aims to create semantically linked content, the second wants to reinvent the Internet. Web3 is a recent development of the concept of the Internet, which aims to solve the monopolistic problems we have mentioned, with the spotlight on the total decentralization of systems through the implementation of new technologies. The will behind Web3 is to radically change the network’s current functioning regarding the use of contents and the hierarchical relationships underlying the Internet.
How The Web3 Affects Companies
Both DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) and classic companies can now use different business models by exploiting the potential of the Web3, organizing work not as in a traditional centralized company but as in a real community in which the participants themselves are to establish the fate of the company. The advent of Web 3, blockchain, and AI has led to the birth of new and increasingly sought-after professionals. At the same time, traditional jobs are changing, giving rise to more specific and specialized profiles.
Before a company needed a legal consultant, an engineer, a developer, or a UX designer, with the emergence of the Metaverse, one of the most sought-after professional figures would be the Web Designer3. The Metaverse refers to a new digital universe, which will simulate the fundamental aspects of the physical world and allow users to live immersive and shared experiences. Design plays a significant role in adopting this new paradigm. As most users will be integrated into the blockchain world via apps, the way they travel through this space can be severely hindered or supported by design.
The Work Of The Virtual And Augmented Reality Designer
Web3 involves the creation of highly interactive content and immersive three-dimensional videos. And just as the Web explosion led to the Web Designer’s spread, the Metaverse opens up new opportunities for professionals who create VR and AR environments. These are methods and skills that require you to design not only a 2D browsing experience but also 3D environments that interact with the physical dimension of the real world. Web Designers 3 will have a fundamental role in giving a “shape” to the new digital spaces that we will inhabit. The role of a Web3 Designer is to create engaging and multidimensional imaginary worlds that must be credible, explorable, and interactive.
At the moment, technology is most commonly associated with the world of video games, but it also has enormous potential for education and training. The assignment could be to design a simulation tool that teaches surgeons how to perform a new life-saving operation. Or create a hyper-realistic fire used to train firefighters. In concrete terms, it will be a question of designing concepts and ideas for the world of virtual reality; tracking the places and activities that the user encounters in the immersive experience; using computer-aided design (CAD) to convert drawings into 3D models; collaborating with developers to translate projects into code; design interactive VR features that engage and educate users; participate in testing sessions and make design changes that incorporate user feedback.
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