10k VR

A powerful virtual reality visualization tool that allows people to explore and interact with real 3D data

Tools Used
Unity, Blender, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Shapes XR
Date
2022
Role
Product design
Type
VR Design, Prototyping, Design Guide
Tools Used
Unity, Blender, Illustrator, Photoshop
Team
Laura Lynn Gonzalez, Robb Cornwall
Duration
2 months (June ‘22 - Aug. ‘22)
Intro
Problem
Prototyping Round I
Prototyping Round II
Prototyping Round III
MVP
UX Testing
Implement Findings
Design Guide
Intro

Redesigning  10k's zoom experience through rapid prototyping

10k is a powerful virtual reality visualization tool that allows people to explore real 3D data—from scientific data to financial data, and more.

JMARS data is too complicated

I spent this summer as a product design intern for 10k where my personal goal was to increase efficiency by weighing production time vs. complexity tradeoffs. I achieved this using constant rapid prototype and iteration loops.
A 10k experience that illustrates 3D data of the human body, zooming inward from the s down to the cellular level.
This summer I worked as a product designer for 10k. With such a short time span, I challenged myself to focus on production time vs. complexity trade-offs to ensure that I was working as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I accomplished that goal by rapid prototyping with constant feedback and iteration loops.
Problem

Current zoom experience can be disorienting and cause nausea

People can reduce scale in 10k by pointing their VR controller at an object and pulling the joystick to enter into that object and explore the structures that live inside of it.
When I started at 10k, the zoom experience was disorienting and nauseating—my job was to design a new interaction to reduce nausea.

JMARS data is too complicated

A key feature of 10k is ability to zoom into data points that contain massive scales, and explore the systems that make up that point.
Zoom interaction of pointing controller and pushing joystick at object.

How might we improve the zoom experience to reduce nausea?

Prototyping

Prototyping three possible solutions + Feedback

I ideated and rapidly prototyped three possible solutions: Pull, Grab, and Rope. Then I met with my team in a VR collaborative environment to get feedback and discuss how these solutions address the current zoom problem.
1
Pull inward by gripping with both controllers to enter object
2
Grab object using grip button for more info, bring objects closer to enter
3
Grip and pull rope for information, continue pulling to enter
 Feedback: Pull interaction is nauseating
Feedback: Showing more info is good, grab will not work for objects that are far away
Feedback: Point to select object is good, pulling rope may be physically exhausting
During discussion, my team was drawn to the second solution, and this screen in particular.
The main takeaway from this round of prototyping was a solution that I discovered by accident, and would have missed if I prototyped in 2D. I found that selecting an object to access more information (from the grab prototype) creates an opportunity to present more text information and orients users before zooming, which may reduce nausea. We started calling this space with more information focus mode.
We saw an opportunity to show more text info and orient users before zooming, which may reduce nausea.

Organizing Text

I ideated and rapidly prototyped three possible solutions: Pull, Grab, and Rope. Then I met with my team in a VR collaborative environment to get feedback and discuss how these solutions address the current zoom problem.
I rapidly iterated and saw that cognitive overload may be result of displaying more text.
After receiving feedback on several ideations, I decided to organize text in a file cabinet—enabling people to pull out specific files of text to read.

Designing rapid iterations based on feedback

1
Pull cabinet out and grab top of file to place it in the scene
2
Adjust open/close cabinet interaction. Add "More" open as grid of meta files
3
Adjust open/close cabinet interaction. "More" files open as curve
Feedback: Close cabinet interaction is uncomfortable, focus more on object vs. cabinet, display more text info
Feedback: Open and close cabinet not cohesive, grid of meta files is overwhelming
Feedback: String of systems should only show what object user zoomed in from and what they can directly zoom into next
I ideated and rapidly prototyped three possible solutions: Pull, Grab, and Rope. Then I met with my team in a VR collaborative environment to get feedback and discuss how these solutions address the current zoom problem.
MVP

Building an Interactive Unity Prototype

I ideated and rapidly prototyped three possible solutions: Pull, Grab, and Rope. Then I met with my team in a VR collaborative environment to get feedback and discuss how these solutions address the current zoom problem.
UX Testing

UX testing at Lawrence Hall of Science camp

Results showed that focus mode did reduce nausea and that the file cabinet is an efficient method of organizing text—specifically users appreciated the ability to customize which information to show.
Areas for improvement emerged including: ability to skip over focus mode and necessity of a floor under user.

JMARS data is too complicated

This summer I worked as a product designer for 10k. With such a short time span, I challenged myself to focus on production time vs. complexity trade-offs to ensure that I was working as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I accomplished that goal by rapid prototyping with constant feedback and iteration loops.
Implement Findings

Creating journey map to reflect UX testing results

Design Guide

10k design guide

To steer future 10k design and develop a consistent and intentional direction.

Problem Background

It is incredibly difficult to visualize relative scale of objects. Charles and Ray Eames famously attempt to solve this problem with their 1977 "Powers of Ten" video which zooms out from the Earth at factors of ten until the entire universe is surveyed.
Current virtual reality technology provides an opportunity for people to visualize and experience life at different scales—from holding the universe in their hands to standing inside a nucleus at the cellular level.

JMARS data is too complicated

Current virtual reality technology provides an opportunity for people to visualize and experience life at different scales—from holding the universe in their hands to standing inside a nucleus at the cellular level.
10k aims to utilize the advancements of VR technology to empower people to immerse into various objects that make up 3D datasets to visualize the relative scale of those object and the structures that they contain.

JMARS data is too complicated

This summer I worked as a product designer for 10k. With such a short time span, I challenged myself to focus on production time vs. complexity trade-offs to ensure that I was working as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I accomplished that goal by rapid prototyping with constant feedback and iteration loops.

Problems

I worked with my team to identify three problems with the 10k interface.

  • When zooming into an object, users are propelled into that space in a way that causes nausea. Due to limitations beyond my control, the actual zoom functionality cannot be altered.
    How might we improve the zoom interaction to reduce nausea?
  • Users can access the definition of an object by pointing and clicking on that object. People are interested in learning more about each object.
    How might we organize text so that we can display more information without overwhelming users?
  • A node map attached to the left controller shows people where they are in space. This view takes up a lot of screen space and is distracting.
    How might we visualize a users location in space in way that does not distract users from the main scene?
Preliminary Research

Reviewing successful VR apps

JMARS data is too complicated

I analyzed interactions within 10k and the nine highest rated VR apps to identify areas of success and room for improvement, to better understand possible solutions.
Rapid Prototyping Round I

Prototyping three possible solutions + Feedback

I ideated and rapidly prototyped three possible solutions: Pull, Grab, and Rope. Then I met with my team in a VR collaborative environment to get feedback and discuss how these solutions address the current zoom problem.
1
Pull inward by gripping with both controllers to enter object
2
Grab object using grip button for more info, bring objects closer to enter
3
Grip and pull rope for information, continue pulling to enter
 Feedback: Pull interaction is nauseating
Feedback: Showing more info is good, grab will not work for objects that are far away
Feedback: Point to select object is good, pulling rope may be physically exhausting
During discussion, my team was drawn to the second solution, and this screen in particular.
The main takeaway from this round of prototyping was a solution that I discovered by accident, and would have missed if I prototyped in 2D. I found that selecting an object to access more information (from the grab prototype) creates an opportunity to present more text information and orients users before zooming, which may reduce nausea. We started calling this space with more information focus mode.
We saw an opportunity to show more text info and orient users before zooming, which may reduce nausea.
Rapid Prototyping Round II

Organizing Text

I synthesized successes from the rope and grab prototypes—utilizing a laser instead of a rope for simplification of interaction, and focus mode from the grab prototype. Then I presented updates to my team for feedback.
I rapidly iterated and saw that cognitive overload may be result of displaying more text.
After recieving feedback on several ideations, I decided to organize textin a file cabinet—enabling people to pull out specific files of text to read.
Rapid Prototyping Round III
Ideation

Designing rapid iterations based on feedback

(Most iterations being around opening/closing the drawer and storing metadata)
I ideated multiple possible methods of organizing text information in focus mode. After sketching, brainstorming, and receiving feedback on many possible solutions, I narrowed down to a file cabinet. The main idea is that this cabinet contains different files with text information that people can pull out to read.

JMARS data is too complicated

1
Pull cabinet out and grab top of file to place it in the scene
2
Adjust open/close cabinet interaction. Add "More" open as grid of meta files
3
Adjust open/close cabinet interaction. "More" files open as curve
Feedback: Close cabinet interaction is uncomfortable, focus more on object vs. cabinet, display more text info
Feedback: Open and close cabinet not cohesive, grid of meta files is overwhelming
Feedback: String of systems should only show what object user zoomed in from and what they can directly zoom into next

Incorporating Feedback

With my internship coming to an end, I did not have time to implement all of the feedback into another rapid prototype.
To guide the next person who will take on this task, I created a clear journey map that outlines each interaction in focus mode and zoom.

Looking Ahead

At the end of my internship, I culminated my work into a design guide to steer future 10k design and development in a consistent and intentional direction. The guide includes everything from brand values to 3D modeled VR controllers. I also go into detail explaining design decisions, outlining feedback received, and explaining improvements that should be made in future development. Here are some pages from that guide.
(Some pieces from)

A 10k design guide

To steer future 10k design and develop a consistent and intentional direction.

Focus Mode Highlight
Focus Mode Closed Cabinet
Focus Mode Files
Controllers
Typography

Reflections

This project challenged me a lot more than I had expected. The short timeline (2 months) and small team (3 people) pushed me to constantly adapt my workflow to meet the needs of the product and of my team.
The challenge served as a vehicle for growth. I was able to adapt my workflow and discover a process that I feel very confident to take into my future career. I confirmed that I am a rapid prototype designer, I like to try all possible solutions and see what works without making any assumption.  I learned that the most fun and successful part about design to me, is discovering solutions by a happy accidents, in a way that I might not have realized even exist.

JMARS data is too complicated

The awesome team that I got to spend my summer working with (VR version)
This summer I worked as a product designer for 10k. With such a short time span, I challenged myself to focus on production time vs. complexity trade-offs to ensure that I was working as quickly and thoroughly as possible. I accomplished that goal by rapid prototyping with constant feedback and iteration loops.
Next Project
Cultivate