User Experience in Extended Reality Environments
The birth of UX thinking in XR
After the initial failure of a successful user experience in virtual worlds due to underpowered technology, unrealistic expectations, and design principles that put novelty before usability, Plamer Luckey started a new generation of affordable VR for gamers and consumers. He has been credited with bringing the technology to the consumer and with that a UX push to make VR technology enjoyable outside of research and industrial use. He opened the door for developers to experiment with UX ideas in the years between 2010 and 2013, which is the early years of Oculus VR.
Early discussions among UX professionals noted the new challenges VR presented, as it removed the interface layer to a great degree because UX for web and mobile applications was mostly centered around the interface and its optimization for user conversion rates.
Palmer Lucky wearing an Oculus Rift DK1 during a demo at SVVR 2014
Types of Interactions in XR
User to System
Mobile devices, earphones, liquid crystal display (LCD), interface, sound, viewpoint, and cloud.
User to User
Chat, speech bubble, photo, emoticon, notice, gesture, and invitation.
User to Content
Map, avatar, spawn, item, costume, interior, exterior, climate, weather, and time.
XR Design Core Elements
Comfort & Safety
Early prototypes and tech demos of VR headsets were not accustomed to user comfort and it was not a priority. The technology is often rejected by consumers due to comfort issues. Safety issues should not be underestimated either, as users often attempt rapid movements and miscalculate distances when wearing a headset. Until we have a successful design of comfortable and safe VR headsets, the role of UX designers is to guide the user through XR safety concerns and encourage reasonable distances and minimum play area reminders.
Interaction
Affordance, signifiers, and feedback
The role of the UX designer here is to communicate to the user how items can be interacted with. For example, a text pop-up over a drawer that reads "Open me".
Environment & Spatial Components
The UX designer answers questions related to the play area, seated vs. standing, and orientation assistance. The virtual environment is the core driver of the user experience and design decisions regarding its spatial nature determine its storytelling nature.
Inclusion/ Diversity/Accessibility
The designer should consider the user's situation, their physical or mental abilities, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and the sociological impact of the design.
Engagement
Storytelling & Gamification
Guiding the user, eliminating the friction, giving incentives, and paving the way for a satisfying and meaningful user experience are important parts of designing in extended reality environments because users are often disoriented, confused, or unclear about the objectives of the product.
Sensory Input
Visual & Audio & Haptics
Sensory input options open up a rich toolbox for directing and orchestrating a user's experience through visual clues, audio navigation, as well as haptic feedback using the motion controllers.
Constraints
The UX designer needs to manage users' options, restrict unnecessary or harmful actions, and help with discoverability and feedback within the XR space. Some areas to use constraints include axis restrictions on objects and field-of-view limits to direct attention or avoid motion sickness.