Stereoscopic 3D to Reduce Product Uncertainty in E-commerce

The context for this research is the use of stereoscopic 3D (S3D) images as a design element in an e-commerce setting with the purpose of enhancing the user experience (UX). This paper presents findings from a survey conducted on a simplified e-commerce website, presenting three different bags with images and a minimal amount of text, for users. The 45 participants were divided into two groups; one presented with 2D images as representations of the bags and the other presented with S3D images. After interacting with the website the participants were presented with a real bag in order to gather data about the perception of the bag vs. the real bag from a product uncertainty perspective. The findings indicate that S3D reduces product uncertainty and enhances UX in an online market place. S3D has enabled the users to get a visual product description that corresponds better with a real product.