3D website
A 3D website is a site that shows part of its content three-dimensionally in the browser.
Also known as: three-dimensional website · 3D web design · WebGL website
The name can mislead: a site being 3D does not mean every part of it is three-dimensional. In most good examples the third dimension is used in one particular place, for one particular job — a product turning on the opening screen, a space walked through in one section, a chart coming alive on a page. The rest is normal, fast, readable HTML.
In practice the term describes the same thing as an immersive website; "3D" foregrounds the technology, "immersive" the feeling the visitor has.
When to use it
When it makes sense
When your product is a physical object the customer wants to turn around before buying; or when what you are describing has a spatial dimension.
When it is unnecessary
When the site is mostly text and lists. Three dimensions add weight and development cost there without adding meaning.
How it looked in our work
3DCBH is our most extensive 3D work: a world built entirely with Three.js that opens in the browser without a download.
Common questions
Is a 3D site expensive?
It costs more than an ordinary site because the scene, the models and the optimisation are separate pieces of work. But the range is wide: a single product turning on the opening screen and a walkable world are not the same job. What decides the cost is the scope, not the phrase "3D".
Does it work in every browser?
WebGL is supported by every current browser. For older devices and for visitors who have disabled it, a plain HTML version must be built as a fallback — otherwise those visitors see a blank screen.
How does this term apply to your work? Let us talk.
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