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Microsoft’s annual hackathon served as the catalyst to bring together a team that wanted to reimagine the 3D shopping for Microsoft customers so it would align with their shifting expectations and changes in traditional retail due to COVID-19.

“Customers want to see and feel the product from all angles,” says Haklitch. “3D was the answer to enable that, where we have a portfolio of products that a customer can use their mobile or desktop device to zoom in and see the minute details that you would not necessarily get from a photograph of the product.”

Haklitch walks through the product discovery experience that’s live on microsoft.com, where you can see a suite of products and accessories, read about each item’s features, and even get in touch with a store associate.

“Having all of these accessories is not necessarily feasible for every retailer in a physical store,” Haklitch says. “In a digital world, we can curate what we recommend to customers and have a much larger portfolio of products to explore.”

In the next iteration of the augmented reality shopping experience, a customer will be able to hold their mobile device in front of a physical product and learn more about relevant features, marketing content, and in-store promotions that a retailer might be running.

“This experience will define our North Star for months and years to come,” Haklitch says. “With this rhythm of innovation, we know that will continue to accelerate our digital transformation in retail and beyond.”