Recommendations on VR Environmental Design (Part 2)
More insights from experts in architecture, retail, interior design, and hospitality
This is the latest chapter in my research series on what makes a welcoming social VR experience. Social Virtual Reality platforms are working to generate engaging experiences that draw people in and motivate them to return. It led me to wonder — what are the core elements what make humans feeling comfortable and stimulated and turns them into repeat visitors? I gave demos of social VR platforms to nine experts of spatial & social experience design and then asked them for their impressions. Read the study’s introduction here. You can also read part 2 on Owning the Narrative, part 3 on Who is this Space for? part 4 Place Creates the Rules of Behavior, part 5 Context is Comforting, part 6 New people want to be hosted in Social VR, part 7, Retail in VR: What Makes a Good Shopping Experience, part 8 The Importance of Detail in Virtual Spaces, and part 9 Recommendations on VR Environmental Design (Part 1).
My goal in interviewing experts from architecture, retail, interior design, and hospitality was to see social virtual worlds through their eyes. One theme that emerged over and over was that they didn’t feel there was a difference in what made a good physical design vs. a digital design. Instead, they felt a strong impulse to apply their knowledge about space to the virtual. Here is a follow up to Part 1 of their recommendations on what makes good environmental design.
CUSTOMIZE TEXT TO THE SPACE
It’s ok to use text in your space. Using a large sign with big fonts is a common tactic used in amusement parks. Text can be used to guide people. The best text delivers the needed information in context. One person knew that he had been given information about a space at the entrance, but he wanted that content available to him once he was inside.
You can’t rely on giving instructions at the door.
Put the text where people need to see it. Use other cues to show that text is important to read and isn’t just decorative.
I remember seeing type on a wall but it should have been in a more engaging format, maybe floating away from the face so you know it needs to be read, maybe it’s glowing or pulsating, or on a display…Give visual cues if it’s important to read that.
Floating or pulsating text might not always be the right choice for your space. Consider what is going to give your users the information they need when they need it.
OBJECTS SHOULD FIT THE SPACE AND ITS PURPOSE
Another reason to test your creation with many different types and sizes of people is to make sure the objects in the space send the right message. If the types or sizes of objects feel off to people, it will interrupt their engagement.
With the nightclub, seeing the doors I thought “this isn’t trying to be a real space… The doors are really out of scale.” Doors should be taller than they are wider, or else it becomes cartoonish. That’s where realism breaks down — are you trying to make it hyper real or is it more like a cartoon experience?
If the goal is to feel real, then it will be important to get those proportions right. And it’s good reminder that just width/height ratio can influence what the user thinks the space is for. Even if you have the right object with the perfect texture, color, and lighting, if the sizing doesn’t match, it might break user flow.
STRIVE FOR COMPLETENESS
Social VR worlds that felt complete were the ones that received the highest marks. It’s not just about being complex or realistic, it was about offering the right amount of details to people.
This is more spatially complex. In this particular environment, there is three levels of near, medium and far. Here, partly because they’ve used a photo background, you get more complete depth.
Each expert visited multiple different worlds and usually more than just one Social VR platform. They were quick to compare and contrast the different worlds to each other.
There was a huge qualitative difference between the museum and the Japanese shrine [compared to] the lake…How completely furnished is it? Is it an empty room with some cardboard stacked in the corner, or is it some nice upholstery, drapes, the perfect lighting, all of those things.
Creators should try to ensure that their world has all the necessary elements in place to make people feel welcome. For interior spaces, it’s likely furniture, drapes, lighting, texture, colors and more. For other types of spaces, spend time in digital and physical spaces to get inspiration on what elements to include.
All elements must be put together in a thoughtful way.
Giving people a sense of completeness is not just about adding more and more details.
You can have all of these elements but if it isn’t put together well it isn’t going to be effective.
Details should be in service of the purpose and mission of the world. They will communicate what the space is for and how people should behave in the space. And they will give cues about what types of social interactions and feelings that people will have in the environment.
Author’s note: Please leave me a comment here to share your thoughts, or tweet me at @theextendedmind. And if you’d like to hire me for UX testing of your immersive creations, email contact@extendedmind.io.
