Usability in Virtual RealityTeam

Aziz | Pratik | Kartik

Agenda

Overview

Requirement

Best Design Practices

Usability Method

Conclusion

Overview

VR is a computer technology to create a simulated environment.

VR places the users inside an experience

Users can interact with 3D objects or 3D worlds.

Essentially, experienced with the help VR headsets e.g Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Google Cardboard.

Current state of UX in VR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZQB1705inM

CURRENT TRENDS

Current State of UX in VR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZQB1705inM

Looking and Moving

Content Placing

Human Requirements (Cyber Sickness)

Ergonomic Requirements

Ergonomic Requirement 1. Looking and Moving

Ergonomic Requirements 2. - Content Placing

Ergonomic Requirements 3. Cyber Sickness

Cause 1 - Latency

Solution - Min 90 FPS and everything is fine

Cause 2 - Motion

Don’t move them quickly, avoid fast zooming

Give users a reference point to follow

Design Patterns

Reticle

Fuse button

Ground menu and Controller menu

Selecting Dashboards

Text Display

ReticleIdle state — the idle state reticle should be as minimal as possible, giving only a hint where the centre is.

Movement —the reticle should be activated when the user looks at any place that is approachable. When doing so, the reticle should transform into a larger pointer, highlighting the selectable area with a circle projected over it from the user’s perspective.

Interacting with objects — when the user turns his/her attention to an interactive object the reticle should react accordingly.

https://uxdesign.cc/design-practices-in-virtual-reality-f900f5935826#.hx0lb473x

Design Patterns

Reticle

Fuse buttons

Ground menu and Controller menu

Selecting Dashboards

Text Display

Fuse Buttons

https://www.google.com/design/spec-vr/interactive-patterns/controls.html#

Something you can click on even if you don't have a touchpad or a magnet to use.

1. You have to focus your eye cursor (basically, look) on a fuse button

2. This starts a timer3. After you maintained focus for long

enough, the button is triggered

Fuse Buttons

Needless to say

Fuse button should never move

http://realityshift.io/blog/buttons-in-virtual-reality-a-ui-ux-design-approach

Fuse button guidelineThere are two problems to tackle here:

1. The visual feedback (timer countdown)

2. The time to wait for the button to be activated

It can indeed become frustrating if the user does a lot of navigation, and has to wait 1-2 seconds for a button to be triggered each time.

Google recommends that you give the user the chance to directly click on the target, making the wait unnecessary, and the interface snappier.

http://realityshift.io/blog/buttons-in-virtual-reality-a-ui-ux-design-approach

Design Patterns

Reticle

Fuse buttons

Ground menu and Controller menu

Dashboards

Text Display

Ground menu and Controller menu

http://www.vrinflux.com/the-basics-of-virtual-reality-ux/

Design Patterns

Reticle

Fuse buttons

Ground menu and Controller menu

Dashboards

Text Display

http://www.vrinflux.com/the-basics-of-virtual-reality-ux/

A maybe not totally inaccurate depiction of dropping new users into a VR experience

DashboardImage: http://www.androidcentral.com/watching-debates-vr-made-me-glad-i-had-backup-plan

Design Patterns

Reticle

Fuse buttons

Ground menu and Controller menu

Dashboards

Text Display

Text Displays in VR

Google Cardboard example of displaying text

Real world metaphorsUI design in Web and Desktop application use real world metaphors Eg. Dragging file to recycle bin

Design in VR is also based on real world metaphors to make the environment more familiar

These metaphors are no longer metaphors since the person is actually performing the action

There is an opportunity to create new interactions that are better than real world interaction

https://medium.com/yvr/goodbye-metaphors-hello-world-interface-design-in-virtual-reality-d2462e52a029#.ymper0qjg

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/264648/The_burrito_that_wraps_up_excellent_VR_design_fundamentals.php

Fishbowl

Fishbowl is a firm offering usability testing for VR

It’s testers are early adopters of VR who have their own VR devices

The test records the user as well as the virtual environment

The test survey post test recording can incorporate both Quantitative and Qualitative questions for data gathering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rcVwnarKE

ConclusionUX for VR has to be approached differently but the core UX principles remain the same

Different design heuristics will be required for UX design and evaluations

Design has to move away from the flat screen paradigm and existing metaphors

VR Design offers more flexibility and freedom for the designer

Thank you