How can you design VR interactions that are future-proof?

As VR is a brand new environment, simplicity becomes a core aspect of of long term product if your target is very broad. There are interactions or devices that are constantly upgrading, so any extra very creative action can be not so future-proof. It is better to focus on ideas that may help as many people as possible to have a solid experience. On the contrary if you are considering to create a niche experience for a smaller target, abstract and fantastical interactions can be a solid bet if you still keep in mind to develop them in a way that are not strictly related to a technology that may disapper.

Future-proofing VR interactions involves prioritizing flexibility and adaptability. Design with scalable frameworks, accommodating evolving technologies. Implement intuitive gestures and voice commands for a natural user interface. Ensure modular components for easy updates and feature additions. Embrace open standards to enhance compatibility with future devices and platforms. Regularly incorporate user feedback, staying attuned to evolving preferences. Additionally, consider AI integration for personalized experiences. By adopting a forward-thinking, user-centric approach and staying abreast of technological advancements, VR interactions can remain relevant and adaptable to future innovations.

When analyzing the target group, the first question to ask is whether the application will be accessible to a specific group of people and whether they are experienced or inexperienced users. Or is the target group public, i.e. virtually every user and therefore also for numerous first-time users (e.g. use at exhibitions, trade fairs, etc.). For the UX design and accessibility of the application, whether it is used sitting or standing (or a mixture of both). In addition, what space is available (a lot of space or only a limited area), which in turn is reflected in the planned movement of the application. And in terms of future-proofing, whether it will be necessary to change the initially defined parameters at a later date.

One of my first questions during an evaluation of a project is - Who will use it? Why will they use this? What problem they can solve with it? And sometimes the answers to these questions can save us from very impactful mistakes on early stages.

VR, as any content dependency technology, should be opened to community That means, that any one can create and upload there own media and interactions I think some aesthetically "simple" platform like Roblox is a great reference point

The true treasure is in standards. Find out which headset manufacturers use the same interaction systems. When porting your interaction design system to other platforms, be sure to stick to the same pattern and modify the user interface (UI) accordingly. Uses a different button for controller interaction than eye tracking or hand tracking. Do your best to ascertain the current state of affairs. For instance, Apple Vision Pro unveils a smart design system with features in transparency, scale sizes, innovative methods to integrate clean usability, and new ways to add style. The principles of XR design are dynamic and ever-changing.

User comfort MUST come first - you're creating a whole reality for your user, so you're responsible for what effect it has on them. With this in mind, to make it work for the widest range of users, your whole design should be comfort-minded, and built around avoiding or mitigating possible discomfort, managing how they acclimatize to the experience, and taking responsibility for the experience you deliver. Following best practice guidelines for VR sickness and discomfort can be much harder to achieve if it's a later step in your process and hasn't been considered from day 1 of the project's design, and can be difficult to unpick. If discomfort is built into the DNA of your design, that can mean fundamental changes later down the line.

I came to this article mainly to see what "future-proof" means. After reading this article, I was thinking of the field of teaching and learning in particular; however, I would use the term "21st century" and I think it would be more interesting to see how VR developers would correspond/integrate to these standards/requirements to prepare new students to the future!

For example, according to the Oculus Best Practices, if we want to design a VR app for anxiety, we should firstly: 1: Set realistic expectations: - Acknowledge that VR exposure therapy may not be a quick fix for anxiety. It typically takes several sessions to achieve significant results. - Be prepared for some anxiety to arise during VR sessions. This is normal and expected. - Communicate with your therapist about any challenges or discomfort you experience.

VR is a medium that is changing rapidly due to hardware development. One key factor is to rely on the OpenXR standard for development, as the software can potentially be run on all current XR platforms and devices. As all current hardware developers have signed up to this standard, it can be assumed that this standard will be used in the future. As far as interactions are concerned, hand tracking is gaining ground compared to the previous standardized controller control. However, interaction via both methods is likely to be a parallel development in the future. Even if hand tracking control is now so precise that it massively increases the UX factor and thus the immersion factor, it lacks the haptic possibilities that a controller can offer

In practice, experimentation still accounts for a large part of the process. Ideas that are developed with the team and are perceived as good in production can turn out to be obsolete in a practical test with users who have not yet been involved. For example, the hand-tracking teleportation gestures that were actually intended to be so simple may be perceived as too difficult by inexperienced users or it may be necessary to guide the user even more in the application. It is best to have all previous VR production experiences in the back of your mind and to be able to flexibly redesign or integrate them on the fly.

For most business applications and general purpose apps and experiences I would recommend designing with a hand-tracking-first philosophy. Designing for hand tracking makes you look at interactions differently. You can't rely on controller button presses and will instead build those requirements into your virtual environment. Once your hand tracked solution is complete, do still add controller support. Avoid using obscure hand gestures for interactions. These can feel novel at first, but can lead to confusion for occasional users. Instead, you can have the user interact with something to serve the same purpose using typical pinch or grab mechanics.

Not everything you make needs to have experimentation. I have created an architectural walkthrough program that doesn't need experimenting since it's so basic. But when I started thinking about game prototypes I made a list of the interactions I functionally need. Then I ideate and experimented off that list! When I do this I tend to have a better or new interaction than what I started with.

Few people are exploring VR for their utility capabilities. Software-wise, it needs to appeal to a wider audience, not just gamers. VR should aim to move away from "Ready Player One" and ground itself into our reality through useful apps and interactions that can help people. Hardware wise... Google Cardboard was the dumbest and best iteration of a cheap and easy-to-use accessory that turns your own phone into a VR machine. Power is limited but hardware should be cheap and accessible to the masses so the adoption rate can grow.

Testing and evaluating XR interactions is a crucial step in ensuring the effectiveness and longevity of your design. Target the best user experience: Test your XR interactions with real users, It ensures that your design decisions align with users' expectations and needs. User Feedback and Insights: Gathering feedback from real users provides insights into their experiences and preferences. Strengths and Weaknesses Identification: Through testing, you can identify the strengths and weaknesses of your XR interactions.

Testing is the key part to improve and iterate better your proposal. As there are many kinds of users, it is always better to run as many tries as you can to discover the most common path that fits for almost everyone. As VR environment is way more complex than any digital product, testing becomes a vital step to better learn which changes are needed before releasing the final version. In my experience, once you have a proposal, invite people to try it and observe every behavior to understand what is working and what needs to be improved.

As technologies keep getting better, the VR landscape will change accordingly, and a notable example is the growing use of hand tracking. As VR research progresses, we see better products emerging, and applications must reflect these advancements for a more immersive experience. Designers should actively seek user feedback to understand what works well, refine their designs, and ensure they stay ahead in the evolving VR landscape.

The user expectations for interfaces and interactions are constantly changing. E.G. in education, VR is a rather new experience for most of the target audience - pupils and students - so the input, imitating real life and familiar schemes from other devices can help ease the adaptation process.

In der VR-Entwicklung ist es wie beim Kuchenbacken – es braucht die richtigen Zutaten und eine Prise Spa?. Bei Medi-Lab haben wir verstanden, dass Kreativit?t und Leidenschaft die Hauptzutaten sind. Jeder Fehlversuch führt zu einem besseren Rezept. In "MEDI-LAB.World" haben wir erlebt, wie dieser Ansatz unsere VR-Erlebnisse einfach besser macht. Lasst uns also experimentieren und die VR-Welt mit Begeisterung und Freude gestalten!

As a new environment it is so useful being open minded and embrace experimentation as a funny game. Actually playfulness can lead to discover new solutions or a better understanding of this environment. It is a tricky game in which you design a path in which the final user will feel free to discover and live a unique experience. The most challenging aspect is to define an interactive storytelling that invites users to discover new path in a 360° environment.

VR interactions are limited by hardware and OS capabilities, so future-proofing in a rapidly evolving and diverse market may be incredibly difficult with a low return on investment. I would recommend focusing on interactions that have high usability (ease of learning/use). Lean into interactions that create a higher level of immersion and make sense in the context of the experience. A memorable and exciting experience is a bigger payoff than one you don't need to update down the line.

try to make use of tools that are future proof, such as Unity XR framework, Oculus SDK, Handtracking, future features such as full body tracking are almost there so you should make your XR experience future proof by allowing your app to work on any device

Designing around motion sickness is a must for almost all applications. If you offer directional input movement then also consider adding teleportation as well. Some motion sickness is caused by input delay or Motion to Photon (look that up if curious). Some are caused by the environmental mismatch from the human body's perception. In your experience think about options for people to achieve the same goal but in a different movement way.

Focus on scalable and adaptable design principles. Embrace open standards, prioritize user-friendly interfaces, and stay agile in incorporating emerging technologies.

To create future-proof VR interactions, prioritize flexibility and adaptability. Design user interfaces that can seamlessly integrate with evolving hardware and software technologies. Emphasize intuitive gestures and navigation, ensuring users can interact naturally regardless of future input devices. Implement scalable and modular design principles, allowing for easy updates and compatibility with emerging platforms.?