Demystifying Spatial Design: A UI/UX Designer’s Guide to AR/VR and Apple Vision Pro (Part 1: Foundations of Spatial Design)

Welcome, UI/UX adventurer! Get ready to dive into the fascinating realm of spatial design, where interfaces transcend the confines of a flat screen and come alive in the user’s physical space. This first part of our series will lay the groundwork for your spatial design mastery.

Understanding the Landscape

• Spatial Design Defined: Imagine a user interface that doesn’t exist on a screen but within the user’s environment. That’s the essence of spatial design! It’s about crafting user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) specifically for Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies.
• Flat vs. Spatial: We’re accustomed to designing interfaces for 2D screens. Spatial design throws a whole new dimension (literally!) into the mix. Here’s a quick comparison:
• AR vs. VR: While both fall under the spatial design umbrella, they offer distinct experiences:
• Augmented Reality (AR): Imagine virtual elements overlaid onto the real world. Think of those Pokemon popping up on your phone’s screen in Pokemon Go!
• Virtual Reality (VR): VR immerses the user in a completely computer-generated environment. Put on a VR headset, and you could be transported to the summit of Mount Everest!

The User in Space

• Natural Interactions: Forget clicks and scrolls! Spatial design prioritizes natural interactions that mimic how we interact with the physical world. This means using hand gestures, voice commands, and even eye tracking to control interfaces.
• Depth Perception: Our brains are wired to perceive depth. Spatial design leverages depth cues like size, perspective, and layering to create realistic and intuitive interfaces within a 3D environment.
• Understanding User Movement: In VR, users can move around freely. Your designs need to account for this movement and ensure users don’t experience nausea or disorientation.

Building for Perception

• Depth and Scale: Just like placing furniture in a room, spatial design involves strategically placing UI elements to create a sense of depth and scale. A giant virtual button floating in the distance signifies it’s a primary action, while smaller elements closer to the user might represent secondary functions.
• Perspective Matters: The user’s viewpoint plays a crucial role. Elements closer to the user will appear larger, while those further away will appear smaller, mimicking real-world perspective.
• Leveraging Layers: Layering UI elements helps establish hierarchy and prioritize information. Imagine placing critical information closer to the user’s view and less important details further away or slightly transparent.

This is just the first step into the exciting world of spatial design! In the next part of our series, we’ll delve deeper into designing for Augmented Reality, exploring AR overlays, hand interactions, and even building a practical AR furniture application!