Project Details

My Role: Lead Designer and Developer

The redesign of our VR UI menu was a pivotal component in standardizing our VR experiences. This project aimed to resolve the disjointed nature of our various XR products and address the usability challenges encountered by our customers when interacting with our virtual reality solutions. By creating a cohesive and user-friendly interface, we aimed to enhance the overall user experience, ensuring that our VR offerings were both accessible and intuitive for a wide range of users. The final deliverable I was responsible for was a UI design as well as the back-end code for two templates, one in Unity and for the Web.

Challenges:

The primary challenges identified in the initial phase of the project were multifaceted. Customers exhibited a variety of preferred movement types, making a single movement type too restrictive. Facilitators encountered difficulties when switching between scenes and resetting them, highlighting the need for a more seamless transition process. Additionally, the absence of basic controls such as pause/play and volume adjustment were noted as a significant usability issue. The existing text size was also not accessible, necessitating the introduction of dynamic text adjustments to cater to users with different visual needs.

Interview and Surveys of Users:

To gather comprehensive insights, we conducted extensive interviews and surveys with a diverse group of users. These included both novice and experienced VR users, as well as facilitators who regularly demoed our products. The goal was to understand their pain points, preferences, and expectations in depth.

• Interviews: Conducted one-on-one interviews with 15 users, focusing on their experiences and specific challenges with our current VR UI
• Surveys: Distributed surveys to over 100 users to gather quantitative data on common issues and desired features
• Facilitator Feedback: Held focus groups with facilitators to discuss the logistical challenges they faced during demos

Findings from Interviews:

The findings from our user research were instrumental in shaping our design strategy. Key insights included:

• Facilitator Feedback: Held focus groups with facilitators to discuss the logistical challenges they faced during demos
• Movement Preferences: Users preferred a variety of movement types, including teleportation, smooth locomotion, and hand-tracking, necessitating a customizable movement system
• Scene Management: Facilitators needed a streamlined way to switch and reset scenes without interrupting the user experience
• Basic Controls: There was a critical need for in-built pause/play and volume adjustment features to enhance user control
• Accessibility: The static text size was a barrier for users with visual impairments, indicating the need for adjustable text sizes to improve accessibility

Final Design Choices:

In response to the findings, our final design choices focused on creating a versatile and accessible UI:

• Accessibility: The static text size was a barrier for users with visual impairments, indicating the need for adjustable text sizes to improve accessibility
• Movement Types: Implemented multiple movement options (teleportation, smooth locomotion, and hand-tracking) to cater to diverse user preferences
• Scene Management: Developed an intuitive interface for facilitators to easily switch and reset scenes, enhancing the flow of demos
• Basic Controls: Added essential controls such as pause/play and volume adjustment to the main menu, providing users with more control over their experience
• Dynamic Text Size: Introduced adjustable text sizes to ensure readability for all users, enhancing accessibility and usability

Leadership

Effective leadership was integral to the success of the VR UI menu redesign. As the Lead Designer and Developer, I was responsible for both technical execution and team management.

I established a clear, user-centered vision focused on accessibility, ensuring all team members were aligned with our goals. Promoting open communication and regular feedback loops enhanced creativity and preemptively addressed potential issues. This collaborative approach leveraged diverse team perspectives to develop innovative solutions.

Mentoring and empowering junior team members was a priority. By providing guidance and allowing them to take ownership of project components, I fostered a motivated and cohesive team. Facilitating brainstorming sessions and encouraging diverse input enabled informed, collective decision-making, crucial for navigating challenges and maintaining project momentum.

Coordination with the development team was essential to implement designs properly. I worked closely with developers to translate design concepts into functional interfaces, addressing technical constraints and ensuring the final product met our usability standards.

Maintaining flexibility and resilience in the face of unforeseen changes ensured continuous progress. This adaptability was essential for overcoming obstacles and achieving our project goals.

Conclusion

The redesign of our VR UI menu successfully addressed the key challenges identified during the initial research phase. By incorporating customizable movement types, streamlined scene management, essential controls, and dynamic text adjustments, we significantly improved the user experience. The new UI not only met the diverse needs of our users but also empowered facilitators to deliver smoother and more effective demos.

Success and Kudos

The impact of our redesigned VR UI menu was substantial. Our design decreased production time for VR products by 6 months, significantly improving efficiency. This enhancement boosted our partners' willingness to collaborate with us by over 80%. Furthermore, the new UI empowered the more junior VR developers and designers to contribute and even lead their own projects, thereby increasing our team's overall production value and fostering a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.

In summary, the project was a resounding success, achieving its goal of standardizing and enhancing our VR experiences while also driving internal growth and external partnerships.