Research

2021
When this project started, Spatial was still on the cusp of being a productivity app and a VR social application. The idea of introducing NFTs wasn't even thought of yet, but we knew we wanted to highlight our user communities and make them accessible to everyone. I started researching collaboration tools like Figma, Miro, and more, then researched how these could be integrated into a Headset UI.
2022
Plot twist- Spatial pivoted to provide for NFT artists! This required a whole new round of research to understand our new userbase and what they need. We were (and still are) the leading platform for metaverse events and art, and our primary userbase became web instead of Oculus Quest.

Design

2021
Spatial is an ever-changing, fast-paced startup. So, I jumped in! I went through many iterations with stakeholders on what specific details should be highlighted in our Spaces picker. Ultimately, we decided on having real-time image feedback of participants as our spaces thumbnails. The only truly necessary information was the room name, who made it, and current participants.
A flowchart shows the step-by-step process for logging in and creating virtual rooms: Login: A decision-making process guides the user to either view trending spaces or create a new room. Rooms: The user can choose between private and public rooms and proceed through the room creation process.
A design exploration for web and headset platforms showing a grid with circular previews of each space.This image displays the interaction flow across three platforms: Web: The user navigates through the virtual spaces interface with options for room creation and public room exploration. Headset: VR users interact with similar options in a more immersive environment, featuring hand controllers. Mobile: A mobile interface showing simplified navigation and interaction, designed for smaller screens.
2022
I felt that our original design for web wasn't fit for the new NFT users we were working with, so I pushed for a revamp. Fortunately, stakeholders agreed, and I started iterating on our new platform, including a deeper dive into our information architecture.

Before the pivot, users had to create an account to experience our small metaverse. Now that we were growing, we readdressed our user flows to allow authless users to view spaces. This would allow for creators to share their work with a larger audience.
This image shows a detailed user flow diagram for the web version of the virtual spaces platform: It includes a structure for "Authless" (unauthenticated) and "Signed in" user states, with various navigation options and event listings depending on the user's status. The left side shows a high-level web navigation structure.

Launches

This image highlights the design evolution of the virtual spaces platform from 2020 to 2022: 2020: A simple interface with a focus on basic room selections. 2021: A more refined interface with larger thumbnails of virtual spaces and a more visual layout. 2022: The latest iteration introduces events and public spaces, with a cleaner and more modern design.

2021

his image demonstrates how the virtual space interface appears across different platforms: VR headset view (top row): Shows hands interacting with a virtual space selection menu. Desktop view (middle row): The interface displays public and private spaces with detailed environment previews. Mobile view (bottom): A simplified version of the space selection is shown on a mobile screen.

2022

This interface shows a platform for exploring virtual environments. The upper section highlights "Events," with four colorful thumbnails of virtual spaces like "The Meeting Place," "McDonald's Hall of Zodiacs," and "Baza Island." Below that, a section titled "Public Spaces" includes various environments such as "Public Park," "Elyx Museum," "The Ethereal Aether," and more. There is a "Create a Space" button in the top right, and a search bar for navigation.
Back To Top
arrow_upward