Designing for the Next Reality: How Immersive & Conversational UX Trends are Driving User Experience and Engagement

The Next Reality is here. Are you designing for it?

We’re entering an era where digital experiences are visceral, intuitive, and deeply human. It’s no longer about just grabbing attention, it’s about creating a genre-defining interaction.

When we think of the digital interface today, we realise just how rapidly everything is evolving. Beyond flat screens and static interactions, engagement is now almost ‘skin-deep’. The idea is to always take engagement to the next level, to build an experience, and with what we have in stock, this experience is slated to be ‘genre-defining.’

So, now for brands aiming to capture attention, make an impression and build lasting connections, this ‘Next Reality’ (NR) is already here. Let us dwell on what the term implies. When we say ‘NR’, we are referring to an interface driven by the convergence of immersive experiences, intuitive conversational interfaces and much more. These are becoming key drivers of how users today are interacting, learning, and making decisions.

The ‘Why’ behind this shift: Evolving User ‘eXpectations’

If we take a moment to reflect on why these trends are gaining so much momentum, it really boils down to fundamentally changing user expectations. Today's consumers are increasingly tech-savvy and time-conservative, and so they demand much more than just basic ‘2D’ information; what they are also seeking is:

• Frictionless interactions: Users want to get results fast and with minimal effort and cognitive load. Clunky interfaces and convoluted processes are leading to rapid abandonment.

• Richer digital experiences: Passive consumption is out. Users are now craving active engagement and personalisation, and a sense of presence that traditional interfaces often fail to deliver.

• Contextual relevance: Information and interactions must also be tailored to their immediate needs, location, and interestingly also, their emotional state.

This demand for heightened experiences is pushing brands to adopt more advanced UX strategies, one that is dynamic and constantly adapting to evolving user needs.

Immersive Experiences: Stepping into the brand story

Immersive experiences, brought about primarily through Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), are reshaping how brands are engaging their audience. These technologies have the potential to offer unparalleled opportunities for brand storytelling, product exploration, and even practical training. Let’s take a look at key areas these are being leveraged.

E-commerce and product visualisation: AR is already mainstream, Research from Gartner shows that 80% of retailers will deploy AR as part of their customer experience strategy by 2025. A 2023 survey found that over half of retailers planned new AR/VR investments within two years. This reflects AR’s proven ability to bridge online and offline shopping—a critical advantage, as brands offering AR shopping features attract 71% of consumers who prefer interactive, “try-before-you-buy” experiences (BrandXR, 2025).

Training and Simulation: VR offers fully immersive environments for high-fidelity training, from complex machinery operation to medical procedures. This reduces costs, enhances retention, and provides a safe space for practice.

Brand storytelling: Brands are transforming store windows and outdoor displays into interactive AR experiences. AR murals—digital overlays on outdoor art or billboards—create buzz and promote social sharing. Major brands like Honda, Tripadvisor, and Lego have used AR murals in high-traffic locations to capture attention, with research indicating that nearly 70% of consumers take action after seeing interactive AR outdoor ads.

Conversational Interfaces: The power of natural dialogue

Conversational User Interfaces (CUIs), encompassing voice assistants and chatbots, are transforming how users interact with technology. They offer hands-free, natural language interactions that eliminate the need for complex navigation.

• Growing adoption: The global conversational AI market is projected to grow from $12.24 billion in 2024 to $61.69 billion by 2032 (Master of Code Global, 2025). By 2025, 64% of leaders plan to increase investment in conversational AI chatbots, and 59% of consumers believe GenAI will change how they interact with businesses within two years (Master of Code Global, 2025).

• Customer service and support: CUIs are moving beyond simple FAQs to handle complex transactions and proactive engagement. 97% of executives acknowledge that Conversational AI positively influenced user contentment, boosting agent productivity (94%) and faster resolution of consumer issues (92%) (Master of Code Global, 2025). Multimodal interfaces, integrating voice, text, visual elements, and even gesture recognition, are creating more flexible and intuitive user experiences.

• Personalisation and efficiency: Advanced NLP allows CUIs to understand context, intent, and sentiment, leading to more personalised and emotionally intelligent interactions. This enables brands to provide instant, tailored support, reducing per-interaction costs and increasing user satisfaction. Best practices emphasise defining clear bot personas, providing guided conversation options, and ensuring seamless human handoff.

TIC's approach: Designing for tomorrow, today

At TIC, we recognise that the future of user experience lies in designing for this "Next Reality." Our web development practices are proactively integrating these emerging trends to create cutting-edge digital experiences:

• We're investing in UX studies and research innovation in this space to understand user emotions and predict behaviour.

• Our design processes prioritise inclusive and accessible UX research, utilising tools that simulate user scenarios for diverse abilities.

• We are also exploring advanced prototyping and testing methodologies, including the use of VR for usability insights, which can increase user engagement.

Brands that are embracing immersive and conversational UX are fundamentally redefining how they connect with their audience. By focusing on frictionless, rich, and relevant interactions, they are building stronger engagement, fostering loyalty, and securing their position in the dynamic digital landscape of tomorrow.