How do you design and implement VR user surveys and questionnaires?

1 Choose your survey goals and questions

The first step of designing a VR user survey or questionnaire is to define your research goals and questions. What do you want to learn from your users? What aspects of your VR experience do you want to evaluate? How will you use the data to inform your design decisions? Depending on your goals and questions, you may want to focus on different types of feedback, such as usability, user satisfaction, presence, immersion, engagement, emotions, attitudes, preferences, or behavior. You should also decide on the format and length of your survey or questionnaire, and how you will structure and order your questions.

2 Select your survey methods and tools

The next step is to choose how you will deliver and administer your VR user survey or questionnaire. There are different methods and tools available, such as in-VR surveys, post-VR surveys, online surveys, or paper surveys. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your research context and resources. For example, in-VR surveys can capture users' feedback while they are still immersed in the VR environment, but they may also interrupt or distract them from the experience. Post-VR surveys can avoid this issue, but they may also suffer from memory bias or fatigue. Online surveys can reach a wider and more diverse audience, but they may also have lower response rates or quality. Paper surveys can be easy and cheap to implement, but they may also be less convenient or engaging for users.

3 Design your survey questions and scales

The third step is to design your VR user survey or questionnaire questions and scales. You should follow some general principles of survey design, such as using clear and concise language, avoiding leading or biased questions, using consistent and appropriate scales, and providing instructions and examples. However, you should also consider some VR-specific factors, such as using VR terminology, addressing VR-related issues, such as motion sickness or discomfort, and adapting your questions and scales to the VR environment and interaction mode. For example, you may want to use visual or auditory cues, gestures, or controllers to present or answer your questions, rather than text or keyboards.

4 Test and refine your survey

The fourth step is to test and refine your VR user survey or questionnaire before you launch it. You should conduct some pilot tests with a small sample of your target users, and observe how they interact with your survey or questionnaire, how they understand and answer your questions, and how they feel about the experience. You should also collect some feedback from them, such as their suggestions, comments, or complaints. Based on your observations and feedback, you should identify and fix any issues or problems with your survey or questionnaire, such as technical glitches, confusing questions, or inappropriate scales.

5 Conduct and analyze your survey

The final step is to conduct and analyze your VR user survey or questionnaire with your intended users. You should recruit and select your participants according to your research criteria, and obtain their informed consent and ethical approval. You should also prepare and provide them with the necessary equipment, instructions, and support for your VR experience and survey or questionnaire. You should monitor and record their responses and behavior, and ensure their safety and comfort throughout the process. After you collect your data, you should analyze it using appropriate statistical or qualitative methods, and interpret and report your findings and implications for your VR design.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?