Well, the future is here. Or the end.
Don't get scared and start imaging Matrix- or Terminator-like Deus-ex-Machina scenarios quite yet. Although they will certainly become easier to imagine quite soon.
Two years ago, Facebook purchased Oculus VR, a virtual reality technology company for $2 billion (BILLION!). Today (March 28th, 2016) their first product, the frighteningly-named Oculus Rift virtual reality kit, is now on sale. Comparing it to 3D glasses is like comparing a Big Wheel to a Harley Davidson. This technology makes it possible (and affordable) to immerse one's self in an interactive three-dimensional world.
The experience is like… well, it's impossible to fully describe, because it's hard to emulate three-dimensions in your screen's two-dimensional space, or even with words. You can look here for a start.
What does this mean for the designer? I deal mostly with print design and photography - decidedly two-dimensional constructs. Even the animated banners I did back in the day (remember those?) or current web ads are only kinda 2.5 D. 2D design has existed since cave paintings. And 3D has existed since the first ornamental goblet or statuette was made. I suppose you can call a dance or a play something akin to four dimensional, as it takes up three-dimensional space but also unfolds over time. So, those have been around almost forever, too.
But when you add user participation and user MANIPULATION to the equation, you almost have to call it four-and-a-half dimensions. Or something. Every time you add another dimension to design, the care, concepts and execution of that design expand exponentially. What changes when you cease just looking at a 3D space and start moving in it? Perspective, angle, lighting, gravity, and even sound have to undergo a transformation to match a user's vectors of movement through time.
It boggles my mind when I think of what will be required to go into designing an excellent game using these constructs. Should the music change if I move up instead of down? Should the lighting in this area somehow complement the architectural elements?
The applications are limitless. Games, of course. Architecture. Landscaping. National Defense. Porn?
This nascent technology will probably take a few years just to produce something that people will WANT to use, let alone prefer using to current interfaces. And how much should a designer reinvent personal interaction just because she can? This article has some interesting points about the design of the Rift, concerning software and hardware. Facebook would like to recoup its $2 billion, after all.
