BÜHLER 360º TOUR
The Bühler Group is known for their incredible in-person tours that showcase not only their impressive facility, but the wide range of sustainability products that they offer. Wanting to extend these tours to everyone, the Bühler Group tasked Gravity Jack with developing a website that features an immersive 360º tour that gives their web visitors first-hand views of Bühler’s equipment located at their Minneapolis facility.
Within the web experience, users are dropped into a 360º environment where they can freely explore the Bühler facility by using their mouse — similar to Google Street View. As they navigate through the tour, different areas and equipment are marked with special icons; clicking these icons reveals detailed text regarding functions and capabilities of the equipment. The text popups are accompanied by embedded photos and videos that show the products in action.
Equipped with an interactive virtual website, Bühler enables site visitors to tour their facility while also inspecting and learning about complex machinery up close, no matter where they are.
Client
The Bühler Group
Platforms
Custom CSS Code KRPano
SERVICES
Web Development
Creation of an online presence that is unique to the project
360° Photosphere
Immersive scene that can viewed from any angle
On-Site Production
Travel based on the project’s needs to capture any necessary data
Backend Framework
Enables the client to easily update details within the experience
User Experience Design
Enhancing the user’s overall experience through thoughtful digital designs
Custom Software
Code development specific to the project’s needs
THE GRAVITY JACK PROCESS
For this project Gravity Jack was tasked with building upon Bühler’s already existing website by adding sections for interactive 360º photos. Before gaining access to the backend of the website, Gravity Jack first mapped out the entire user experience for the project.
TIMELINE STAGES
USER STORIES
Puts us in the shoes of a potential user to make informed decisions about the functionality and flow of the project.
WIREFRAMES
The blueprints of a project that put the design and development teams on the same page prior the development
UI/UX DESIGN
Integrating branding, style guides, and more to give the project cohesive look and feel
DEVELOPMENT
Development begins with the architecture of the project with integration tests help verify that all software is written based on the project requirements
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Development begins with the architecture of the project with integration tests help verify that all software is written based on the project requirements
LAUNCH
Working alongside the client, a process is established to launch the project based on the intended audience. The code is then packaged up and provided to the client!
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
The Bühler Group is a multinational equipment manufacturer with a diverse catalog of products. To virtually showcase their Minneapolis facility and equipment, they contacted Gravity Jack for a solution, seeking creative digital expertise. To simulate an in-person visit and bring brand awareness, Gravity Jack utilized 360º technology to create an immersive, self-guided web experience that allows users to examine specialized machines and the various rooms of the facility.
To create this experience, the Gravity Jack team traveled on-site to film a variety of key locations identified by the Bühler Group. After collecting 360º shots at key vantage points, the special photos were stitched together using KRPano to form a 3D map of Bühler’s facility. Visitors can click and drag to look around and travel between areas by using the marked directional arrows. A navigation bar at the bottom of the screen also allows users to zoom in, enter fullscreen, and preview upcoming areas.
As users make their way through the tour, they will encounter rooms and machines of note that are strategically labeled with special icons. When clicked, users are shown detailed information regarding the equipments’ functions. This text is paired with embedded photos and videos that show the products in action. Furthermore, users can follow links to specific product pages or contact Bühler directly with questions.
The Bühler 360º Self-Guided Tour serves as an immersive virtual experience that gives users first-hand views of a variety of complex machinery. Now, visitors from anywhere in the world can explore Bühler’s Minneapolis facility as if they were actually there!
FINAL DELIVERY
Gravity Jack developed custom code for the client’s website that was able to simulate an in-person visit to the Bühler by utilizing 360º technology to create an immersive, self-guided experience that allows users to examine specialized machines and the various rooms of the facility.
The Goal
Being known for their in-person tours of their massive facility, Bühler wanted to make the tours available to anyone who was interested in their products.
Gravity Jack’s Solution
Travel to their facility located in Minnesota and take a series of 360º photos of the rooms that contain their most well-known equipment and add them to the Bühler website. Within the photospheres, Gravity Jack will incorporate digital callouts that educate website visitors on Bühler’s product offerings.
The Result
An interactive website feature that engages visitors through an actual tour of their website. In addition to the tours, Bühler was able to create brand awareness through educating site visitors about their product’s features.
