Reflect on your wire-framing process
Objective:
In this stage of the design process it was time to create wireframes of the screens of the interface.
My team and I got the chance to use VR headsets and experience different apps that provide similar features to our intended VR app. This was important to our process because the only way we could correctly visualize the interactions is seeing how other apps address these features. I am very grateful that our professor, Raju, went out of his way to get these headsets and research topics to best support us and the exploration of new prototyping.
AI Usage:
I did not really use AI in this part of the design process. This section was more focused on prototyping screens in their most simplest forms to better communicate the final output. It was up to me and my team to visually depict how we see the interface to be navigated.
Benefits Realized:
Prototyping in such simple terms, like wire framing, is helpful because it eliminates some of the complexity of the actual design. It is a chance to look at the bare bones of the design and dictate what is necessary and what may not be in the final design. It is important to consider the user flow and how a user might navigate the different screens. Creating the user flow diagram prior to this step in the design process made it much easier to create the necessary screens, icons, and features.
As a team we each took turns testing different VR apps that are available and programmed by different companies. This offered a wide variety of solutions and features to consider in our own development. I really wanted to keep screens and buttons as minimal as possible so that way it keeps a concise, clean view of the generated space. By keeping it clean and easily navigable will also commit to our goal of offering a productive space.
Challenges Faced:
It was definitely a challenge to shift my perspective to be geared towards a Virtual Reality space, not just a mobile app on a phone. Up until now my brain has been so app heavy and not really introduced to the concept of the new “meta verse” or VR systems. I am having to learn and experience the virtual reality space, while also building this new platform.
Reflection:
Overall, the Lo-fi prototype step of the process resulted in simple wireframes of our features. Discussing the user flow prior to the visual piece helped us recognize what would be beneficial in the basic designs. We ironed out some ideas, simplifying it to better adapt to the users needs/wants.
As a team we are all new to this system, so walking through it together with our professor has been challenging but also super informative. The VR world is expanding and learning it now and how to be a part of that growth has been super interesting. It has added to my knowledge within the UX/UI world and provides new perspectives.
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