Hi-Fi Prototype

Reflect on your Hi-Fi Prototype and implementation of ideas

Objective:

It was finally time to put it all into a functional prototype. After so much research, experience using a VR Headset, and collaborating with other team members I had to put it all together to best solve my problem. I created a virtual space that encourages collaboration, productivity, and exploring the world of coffee shops from the comfort of your home.

AI Usage:

AI really became helpful for this stage. I used ChatGPT to prompt images and visuals for the virtual reality spaces, along with the avatar generations. Utilizing this feature of AI was really cool and helped me with visualizing the user experience. Knowing how to prompt AI the right way to get the results you wanted was the hardest part, but I learned a lot. Being able to prompt ChatGPT.

For most visuals I would provide an example image to help ChatGPT generate a more realistic space. This approach generated the best results.

Benefits Realized:

Challenging myself to think outside the box and learn a new system was so worth it. Exploring Virtual Reality and how other companies have approached a similar problem was interesting to research and create my own solution.

The virtual reality space is still so new in the digital space. Therefore, it felt as if there were no right or wrong ways to prototype. There was still some freedom in how I wanted the interface to work. Obviously, templates were helpful and a good starting point. But, problem solving and discovering new ways to represent the virtual reality space was really cool.

Challenges Faced:

Prototyping in FIgma can get really messy and it can get confusing really quickly. Making sure everything is linked correctly and functional is the hardest part. It all just feels like a lot to work through. All the arrows and buttons get jumbled and my brain cannot discern what works, what doesn’t, and what to do next.

So, prototyping in Figma is hard for me. Walking through it slowly, going step by step, and referencing the user flow chart is the only way I can process what I am doing and how to move forward.

Reflection:

Overall, this experience of creating a virtual reality space was hard. Yet, I learned so much. I am so thankful for the opportunity in my classes to better understand the function of AI. It can be an integral part of the design process. There is no fear in using AI as a tool for research, design, and brainstorming.