{"id":7599,"date":"2017-03-21T15:00:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-21T15:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marvel7077.wpengine.com\/?p=7599"},"modified":"2020-12-14T01:31:56","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T01:31:56","slug":"getting-started-vr-interface-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marvelapp.com\/blog\/getting-started-vr-interface-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started With VR UI Interface Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

The virtual realm is uncharted territory for many designers. In the last few years, we\u2019ve witnessed an explosion in virtual reality<\/strong> (VR) hardware and applications. VR experiences range from the mundane to the wondrous, their complexity and utility varying greatly.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
<\/svg><\/div>

\"You don\u2019t need to be an expert in VR; you just need to be willing to apply your skills to a new domain\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

Taking your first steps into VR as a UX or UI designer can be daunting. We know because we\u2019ve been there. But fear not! In this article, we\u2019ll share a process for designing VR apps that we hope you\u2019ll use to start designing for VR yourself. You don\u2019t need to be an expert in VR; you just need to be willing to apply your skills to a new domain. Ultimately, as a community working together, we can accelerate VR to reach its full potential faster.<\/p>\n

What Kinds Of VR Apps Are There?<\/h1>\n

Generally speaking from a designer\u2019s perspective, VR applications are made up of two types of components: environments and interfaces.<\/p>\n

You can think of an environment as the world that you enter when you put on a VR headset \u2014 the virtual planet you find yourself on, or the view from the rollercoaster<\/a> that you\u2019re riding.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
<\/svg><\/div>

\"You can think of an environment as the world that you enter when you put on a VR headset\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

An interface is the set of elements that users interact with to navigate an environment and control their experience. All VR apps can be positioned along two axes according to the complexity of these two components.<\/p>\n

\"16-cross-graph-large-opt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the top-left quadrant are things like simulators, such as the rollercoaster experience linked to above. These have a fully formed environment but no interface at all. You\u2019re simply locked in for the ride.<\/p>\n

\"18-samsung-store-large-opt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the opposite quadrant are apps that have a developed interface but little or no environment. Samsung\u2019s Gear VR home screen is a good example.<\/p>\n

\"17-oculus-store-large-opt\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Designing virtual environments such as places and landscapes requires proficiency with 3D modelling tools, putting these elements out of reach for many designers. However, there\u2019s a huge opportunity for UX and UI designers to apply their skills to designing user interfaces for virtual reality (or VR UIs, for short).<\/p>\n

<\/div>
<\/svg><\/div>

\"There\u2019s a huge opportunity for UX and UI designers to apply their skills to designing user interfaces for VR\"<\/p><\/span><\/blockquote>\n

The first full VR UI design we did was an app for The Economist, created in collaboration with VR production studio Visualise<\/a>. We did the design, while Visualise created the content and developed the app.<\/p>\n