HBR Augmented Reality for iPhone

Overview of the HBR Augmented Reality App

The HBR Augmented Reality application, developed by PTC Inc., turns select pages of Harvard Business Review into interactive AR content. It features the November–December 2017 article "Why Every Organization Needs an Augmented Reality Strategy" by Michael Porter and James Heppelmann, bringing the article's visuals off the page through augmented reality.

Key capabilities

• Manipulate a robotic arm on-screen using simple touch controls to test AR-driven interfaces and interactions.
• Follow guided, stepwise repair and maintenance instructions presented in augmented reality for clearer, hands-on learning.
• Inspect an animated X-ray display of a hydraulic power unit that reveals internal components and operation.
• Move and tilt your smartphone or tablet to change perspectives and trigger different AR behaviors.
• Capture and send images from your AR session to social networks or via email for easy sharing.

How to access AR content

Open the printed HBR issue to pages marked for augmented reality or download the specific article from within the app. Once the app recognizes the AR-enabled illustration, the graphics will animate and respond to your device movements and touch input.

Sharing and interaction

Images from the AR scenes can be exported directly from the app to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, or attached to email messages. The app is built for hands-on exploration — rotate your device, tap interactive elements, and save snapshots of what you see.

A free alternative to consider

If you want a lightweight, free app for quick visual experiments and sharing, try Paper by WeTransfer. It’s a complimentary tool geared toward sketching and simple collaborative visuals that may serve as a handy supplement to more advanced AR demonstrations.

Final note

HBR’s AR offering demonstrates how augmented reality can enhance reading by turning static diagrams into dynamic, explorable models — useful for learning complex systems and illustrating practical applications of AR technology.