Case study gallery

Stories, learnings, and experiences the Mixed Reality team found and jotted down along the way.

Ford GT40 experience Ford GT40 experience
This case study lets you get up-close with the legendary racecar that beat Ferrari in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race, as the Ford GT40 springs to life on the table in front of you.
February 2021

Scale apps across devices with different GPU capabilities Scale apps across devices with different GPU capabilities
See how to optimize a mixed reality app to deliver the best experience across a range of GPU performance capabilities.
May 2022

Building HoloSketch, a spatial layout and UX sketching app for HoloLens Building HoloSketch, a spatial layout, and UX sketching app for HoloLens
HoloSketch is an on-device spatial layout and UX sketching tool for HoloLens to help build holographic experiences.
July 2017

Expanding the spatial mapping capabilities of HoloLens Expanding the spatial mapping capabilities of HoloLens
When creating our first apps for Microsoft HoloLens, we were eager to see just how far we could push the boundaries of spatial mapping on the device.
December 2016

Lessons from the Lowe's kitchen Lessons from the Lowe's kitchen
The HoloLens team wants to share some of the best practices that were derived from the Lowe's HoloLens project.
September 2016

Creating an immersive experience in Fragments Creating an immersive experience in Fragments
Fragments are an interactive crime drama for Microsoft HoloLens, where you follow the clues to solve a mystery that takes place in your real-world space.
August 2016

3D HoloStudio UI and interaction design learnings 3D HoloStudio UI and interaction design learnings
HoloStudio was one of the first apps for HoloLens. Because of this, we had to create new best practices for 3D UI and interaction design. We did this through user testing, prototyping, and trial and error.
July 2016


Galaxy Explorer

Before Microsoft HoloLens shipped, we asked our developer community what kind of app they'd like to see an experienced internal team build for the new device. More than 5,000 ideas were shared, and after a 24-hour Twitter poll, the winner was an idea called Galaxy Explorer.

Creating a galaxy in mixed reality Creating a galaxy in mixed reality
Before Microsoft HoloLens shipped, we asked our developer community what kind of app they'd like to see an experienced internal team build for the new device. More than 5,000 ideas were shared, and after a 24-hour Twitter poll, the winner was an idea called Galaxy Explorer.
February 2016

The Making of Galaxy Explorer for HoloLens 2 The Making of Galaxy Explorer for HoloLens 2
Welcome to the journey of how we're updating Galaxy Explorer for HoloLens 2. Galaxy Explorer was originally developed as an open-source application for HoloLens (1st gen) through the Share Your Idea program, and is one of the first mixed reality experiences many people had. Now we're updating it for the new capabilities of HoloLens 2.
June 2019


HoloTour

HoloTour for Microsoft HoloLens provides immersive 3D personal tours of iconic locations around the world. As the designers, artists, producers, audio designers, and developers working on this project discovered, creating a convincingly real 3D rendering of a well-known location takes a unique blend of creative and technological wizardry.

Spatial sound design for HoloTour Spatial sound design for HoloTour
To create a truly immersive 3D virtual tour for Microsoft HoloLens, the panoramic videos and holographic scenery are only part of the formula.
August 2016

Creating impossible perspectives for HoloTour Creating impossible perspectives for HoloTour
We wanted your experiences in HoloTour for HoloLens to be unforgettable. In addition to the traditional tourist stops, we planned out some "impossible perspectives".
August 2016

Capturing and creating content for machu pichu HoloTour Capturing and creating content for HoloTour
HoloTour provides immersive 3D personal tours of iconic locations around the world. As we found out, creating a convincingly real 3D rendering of a well-known location takes a blend of creative and technological wizardry.
August 2016


RoboRaid

In this mixed reality first-person shooter, use gaze and gesture to target enemies, and dodge incoming fire with natural movements. Spatial mapping turns each room into a unique game level, while spatial sound lets you use the entire room to play—even the spaces behind you.

Using spatial sound in RoboRaid Using spatial sound in RoboRaid
Spatial sound is one of the most exciting features of Microsoft HoloLens, providing a way for users to perceive what's going on around them when objects are out of the line of sight.
February 2016

Looking through holes in your reality Looking through holes in your reality
This case study explains how to implement the "magic window" effect on HoloLens, allowing the user to see behind walls, under the floor, and into virtual openings within their actual environment.
February 2016


Design and human experience

Read our high-level thoughts, and understand the principles we follow.

Representing humans in mixed reality Representing humans in mixed reality
What kind of opportunities emerge when we can't only create fantastic elements, but use the most realistic captures of environments, objects, and people in mixed reality?
November 2017

My first year on the HoloLens design team My first year on the HoloLens design team
My journey from a 2D flatland to the 3D world started when I joined the HoloLens design team in January 2016.
January 2016

Capturing and creating content for HoloTour Capturing and creating content for HoloTour
Adding techniques to your design process to help your team think spatially and more easily envision mixed reality experiences.
April 2018

AfterNow's process - envisioning, prototyping, building AfterNow's process - envisioning, prototyping, building
At AfterNow, we work with you to turn your ideas and aspirations into concrete, fully operational products, and experiences ready for the market. But before we write a single line of code, we create a blueprint through a process called envisioning.
April 2017