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.