Brisa is an experimental app developed in Unity. It aimed to test the boundaries of AR tech and check how intuitive it might be to regular users. As a designer specializing in mobile I was happy to take on that challenge.

The main problem was to figure out a way to translate established UI patters into 3D space. Rather than just copying 2D interface which, while practical, I feel ignores most of AR’s potential. Augmented Reality apps can be so much more than couple of iPads hanging in the air.

To tackle this problem I started with a flat UI and gradually made my way towards the fully 3D interface.

The main objective was to understand how users interact with 3d interfaces and identify areas for improvement, to increase the usability of AR apps. Secondary goal was to test how various UI patterns translate into the 3D space.

After the initial competitive analysis, to understand AR space and platform standards, I moved on to the development phase.

I consulted game developers and build a working front-end in Unity, to make the experience as real as possible. Meta Quests 3’s ability to show apps over a passthrough video feed was the reason I chose it for deployment.

I recruited 5 participants, chosen based on their AR/VR literacy. Their skill level was ranging from “cooking in AR while watch youtube on the wall” to “I’ve never seen a headset before”.

In-depth interviews were followed by the usability testing. I wrote down a simple test scenario relying on basic UI patterns.

Research revealed that less advanced users struggle with transition between distance grab and direct grabbing. Other scripts should be disabled while one interaction is in progress. Marking fingers other than index finger as optional makes it harder for beginners to enter and exit a grab gesture. Experienced people knew they need to be clear with their gestures, making them over-the-top, to be sure they are recognized correctly. Interestingly people tend to switch between direct touch and ray-casting depending on circumstanced. Direct manipulation was preferred when precision is needed.

When it comes to patterns, it turns out we don’t have to be so careful. Everything is easily recognizable in 3D space, and the new interactions are just as intuitive. Participants didn’t have any trouble with swiping pages, switching tabs and rearranging windows.

Once I started exploring various concepts and getting insights I realized the proper AR app must feel a place to work. When you look at it through the headset it resembles an organized desk. Another thing that became obvious pretty quickly: people prefer curved screens, as they put everything at the same distance from the viewer.

These insights informed my approach to try and make the app that uses the 3D space in its full potential.

To understand the differences between guidelines I created designs for three major platforms: VisionOS, AndroidXR and MRTK3.

Even when UI is fully custom-made, immitating platform patterns brings a lot of value. Especially when it’s just a matter of tweaking few shapes and materials.

Aside from colors and corner-radius, Android’s carousel was the most distinctive change. It’s very unique to the platform and should be taken into the account.