Put your product in the customer's room through the phone in their hand.

Most AR projects should start with a plain question: does seeing this in place change a decision? For furniture, lighting, kitchen fittings and large appliances, it often does, because the doubt is whether it fits and how it looks in the room. For a museum, AR can add a layer of story to an object without crowding the gallery. For field technicians, an overlay can show which valve to turn. If the honest answer is no, we will say so and suggest something simpler.

There are two main routes. Web AR opens from a link or QR code with no download, which suits campaigns, packaging and retail displays where people will not install an app for one moment. In app AR uses the full capability of the phone, with better tracking, occlusion and persistence, and suits products people return to. We often recommend starting with web AR to test whether customers use it, then moving the strongest experience into your app.

The 3D models decide the quality. A sofa that looks flat or a ring that floats above the hand ends trust quickly. We optimise models so they load fast on mobile networks and older phones, which are still common across the customer base here, while keeping materials believable. For product catalogues, we set up a pipeline so new items can be added without a developer each time. Interfaces are built in Arabic and English, with right to left layouts and instructions that work for first time AR users.

AR uses the camera, and sometimes location. Camera frames that show people's homes or faces can be personal data, so we design features to process images on the device where possible and avoid storing what is not needed. We suggest reviewing data handling against the UAE PDPL, or the rules of your free zone where they apply, with your legal adviser before launch. Retail AR also tends to peak around big sale periods such as the end of year and Ramadan, so timing a launch matters.

Before a build starts, it helps to prepare a short list of products or objects, the 3D or CAD files you already hold, your product data such as dimensions and colour options, and a view of where customers first meet the product, whether that is a product page, a printed catalogue or a showroom. We also ask how you will judge the project after launch. A clear measure, such as fewer returns for size or more showroom visits from AR users, keeps the scope honest and stops the feature from becoming a novelty nobody maintains.

AR works best when it is joined to the rest of the buying journey. A customer who has just placed a sofa in their living room should be one tap from adding it to the cart, asking a question on WhatsApp or booking a showroom visit. That means connecting the AR view to your eCommerce platform, product information and enquiry channels, not leaving it as a separate demo. Where your store runs on Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom platform, we plan the integration alongside the AR work so product data stays in one place.

Codeeo builds from Dubai Silicon Oasis, with a wider team of 80+ across Dubai, Riyadh and Karachi. You can test prototypes with us on real devices at our office, or receive test builds on your own phones and review over video.