Virtual reality – we all know what it is by now. Its intersection with the real world has been pretty clear and controlled. Even in the three-dimensional version, you always had clear boundaries between the two.

While augmented reality is not new conceptually, it’s been mass-introduced this summer thru the game that took over the minds of many. New concepts either slowly move from experimentation to full public exposure or, come out with a bang. This is definitely the later.

And it immediately begs the question, if a little Pokemon can populate our reality so convincingly, the applications in design are endless. From placing a new bench design in a public park, to a whole building on an empty site, to experiencing a new way of visiting cities, old and new.

While I do believe that most reality should not be augmented, the design process has much to profit from this interactive technology.