What are the best practices for designing mobile interfaces in augmented and virtual reality?

1 Understand the user and the context

The first step in designing mobile interfaces in AR and VR is to understand who the user is, what they want to achieve, and how they will interact with the system. This involves conducting user research, defining personas, scenarios, and user journeys, and identifying the main tasks and goals. Additionally, it is important to consider the context of use, such as the physical environment, the social setting, the time, and the mood of the user. These factors can influence the design decisions regarding the interface style, the interaction modalities, the content, and the feedback.

2 Choose the right interface style

There are different types of interface styles for AR and VR, such as diegetic, non-diegetic, spatial, and meta. Diegetic interfaces are part of the virtual world and can be seen by the user and the characters. Non-diegetic interfaces are outside the virtual world and can only be seen by the user. Spatial interfaces are attached to a specific location or object in the virtual world. Meta interfaces are hidden until triggered by the user's gaze, gesture, or voice. The choice of interface style depends on the level of immersion, realism, and functionality that the system aims to provide.

3 Design for multimodal interaction

Mobile interfaces in AR and VR should support multimodal interaction, which means using more than one mode of input or output, such as touch, gesture, voice, eye-tracking, haptics, sound, and graphics. Multimodal interaction can enhance the user experience by offering more natural, intuitive, and expressive ways of communicating with the system. However, it also requires careful design to ensure consistency, compatibility, and feedback across different modes. For example, if the user can use both touch and voice to perform a task, the system should respond in a similar way to both inputs and provide clear cues on how to switch between them.

4 Optimize for performance and comfort

Mobile interfaces in AR and VR should also be optimized for performance and comfort, as these factors can affect the user's satisfaction, engagement, and retention. Performance refers to the speed, responsiveness, and reliability of the system, which can be influenced by the device specifications, the network connectivity, and the content complexity. Comfort refers to the physical and mental well-being of the user, which can be influenced by the device ergonomics, the interface layout, the interaction techniques, and the motion sickness. To optimize for performance and comfort, designers should follow guidelines and best practices for mobile development, such as minimizing latency, reducing battery consumption, avoiding clutter, and preventing simulator sickness.

5 Test and iterate

The final step in designing mobile interfaces in AR and VR is to test and iterate the design with real users and real devices. Testing and iterating can help designers evaluate the usability, accessibility, and aesthetics of the interface, as well as identify and fix any issues or bugs. Testing and iterating can also help designers gather feedback and insights from the users, which can inform further improvements and enhancements. Testing and iterating can be done at different stages of the design process, using different methods and tools, such as prototyping, usability testing, user feedback, analytics, and debugging.

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?