Carl Zeiss · 2020 · innovation.rocks · iF Design Award
Room-filling precision machines, carried in a tablet.
Multi-tonne metrology machines at true 1:1 scale in a tablet, functions animated — B2B sales where hardware can't travel.
ClientCarl Zeiss
RoleHead of Design
DisciplineAR / spatial UX
ScopeConcept → shipped
Fig. 00 — Zeiss AR Metrology. (Real project image.)
01 — The problem
Room-filling precision machines, carried in a tablet.
Zeiss's coordinate-measuring machines are huge, heavy and costly to move — even big trade-show stands can't hold the range. The AR app had to convey scale, precision and function well enough for a B2B buying conversation.
Zeiss needed to put room-filling metrology machines in front of B2B buyers at 1:1 scale without shipping hardware — AR as a serious sales instrument, not a gimmick.
02 — Constraints
What made it hard.
- True 1:1 scale — the whole point is size
- B2B tone: precision, trust, restraint
- Animated functions, not just a static model
- Salespeople present it in the field
03 — See it
The work, in motion.
Official project film. Source: Vimeo.
04 — The key decision
Reframed around a choice, not a logo.
How do you make an AR model read as precise engineering, not a marketing gimmick?
TensionAR flash undermines a precision-instrument brand; too dry and it fails to impress.
ChoseA restrained interface with accurate scale cues and measured, functional animation — the machine reads as precise engineering because the UI behaves like an instrument, not an ad.
WhyFor a precision brand, AR flash undermines trust. Correct scale, quiet motion and function-first animation let the engineering speak — exactly what a technical buyer is judging.
05 — Outcome
What it achieved.
Results
iF Design
Award — 2021
1:1 scale
Full machine range