Already 20 years ago, when I first started thinking about how visual contexts could provide the clarity of understanding contexts by exposing relations between knowledge objects, I was “seeing” the experience as a 3D one. When talking about the future of learning and search in relation to visual contexts one must include the emergence of 3D interfaces.

When we – me, Rickad, and Fredrik – started talking about what then had the working name of OmniVerse – we set as a pre-requisites for the discussions the coming emergence of 3D. A data model and data set connected by relations would meet the emergence of 3D interfaces … that was our bet in 2014.

To understand the “real” potential of the vision we have, one must grasp what will happen to the experience when the screen enables depth in a 3D format and interacting with a “space” of information which is vaguely visible or connected but yet there to support the brain to create associations. Spurred by an interactive experience which provide to the user the ability to explore – turn and twist, journey throughout, zoom in and out, “click” one object or mark two and find other objects “respond” by highlighting or bringing them closer – the 3D era will be much more than being able to take a seemingly very realistic ride on a roller coaster.

But I think the 3D evolution has taken the turn for a device centric approach, with VR and AR being examples. There is nothing wrong with that … we will of course be able to utilize and provide experiences through VR devices or an AR experience in a class room. But … the discussion and innovation focus should be much more focused on how – in our case – the learning and searching experience could be fundamentally changed by 3D. And it is crucial to leave almost all of the experience from consuming knowledge by text and in 2D format behind and imagine an full-out-visual experience where understanding by interacting and associating with objects. And 3D will enhance such a visual and interactive experience tremendously.

I believe that our first prototype will be consumed in web 3D. Of course, creating such an experience will be very difficult and probably mean a lot and trial and error as we are likely to try to “hinder” the full-out new experience by applying current/old approaches and not dare let go.

As of now we are working on bringing Quizen – www.quizen.nu – to the market; we use our data to enter a market with proven revenue streams and user demand. Parallell with that we are probing how and possibly with whom we could engage in an explorative, innovative development effort to test the Omnizens vision; a work which would mean testing 3D the way it should be used to change the world of learning.