Article on Immersion & Presence

Split photo with gaming PC keyboard, Google Cardboard VR, Playstation 4 controller, PSVR headset, Valve Index Knuckles
Cross-Platform

Designing Across XR Technologies and Platforms

When designing a solution that is going to be used across multiple technologies and platforms, such as VR and 2D-mode on desktop, the translation between those platforms should be well-thought-out. It is important to ensure that the controller mapping and other interaction elements are platform-specific and that UX best practices are followed for each, in […]

A female designer is wearing a HoloLens, looking at a 3D character in 3 dimensional space.
Workflow and Focus

Workflow and Focus in XR

As this technology becomes a more common part of our everyday work life, multitasking will become more prevalent. This in turn brings up new challenges in regards to workflow interruptions. When we are trying to focus on tasks on our computer or phone, we have the option to set our communication status to “Do Not

A blue arrow bounces at the location the tutorial wants you to go. A green sign instructs you to go to the arrow.
Directing Attention, Wayfinding

Wayfinding in XR

Virtual worlds can be overwhelming due to all of the things that fight for the your attention. Similar to gaming, providing in-world wayfinding is a good way to direct people and keep them focused on the objectives. This is especially useful for training simulations since you want them to focus on certain areas, often in

Sample scene of a VR interface for a flight tracker from Microsoft Maquette.
Immersion and Presence

Animation in XR

Motion is an important aspect of XR experiences since it can be used to enhance interactions, support the narrative, and direct people where to look. However, if there are too many elements moving at once, it can get distracting and confusing very quickly. TL;DR Do’s and Don’ts Do Use scale and colliding objects with care.

Sample scene from Maquette with a model of a human wearing a VR headset.
Embodiment

User Perspective and Height in XR

In order to enhance immersion and presence while decreasing discomfort for people, keep height in mind when positioning cameras. Due to our innate body height awareness, we tend to subconsciously — or even consciously — notice if our real-world height doesn’t match our virtual height. In VR there are two options for camera origins —

Closeup of a person’s hand on an audio mixer.
Sound

Using Sound in XR

When designing for VR, sound is an essential element that can really help to bring the virtual world to life. VR isn’t truly immersive without the effective use of convincing audio. “The premise of VR is to create an alternate reality, but without the right audio cues to match the visuals, the brain doesn’t buy

Load screen in Ghost Giant VR lets you draw in the air with sparkly lines of light.
Immersion and Presence, Load Times

Load Times in XR

VR users are a captive audience. They have nothing to do but sit or stand and wait while the environment is loading. Long load times on traditional platforms are bad enough, but within a virtual environment they are even more noticeable and can be all the more frustrating — and in some cases even confusing.

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