As a product person, I have explored creating a VR experiential
product for dancers. However, this did not satiate my curiosity on
the topic. To delve deeper, I connected with some amazing talents in
the XR space from around the world to gain their perspectives as
Founders, Product Managers, UX Designers, and Engineers.
Based on my personal experience and insights from others
who have worked in this space, below are some common conversations you’ll
encounter when working on an XR project. I’ve also provided guidance
on how to navigate them in this blog
What is it like working on an XR product for Product, Design, and Engineering teams?
What is an XR product?
An XR (Extended Reality) product is a digital product or application that incorporates immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) to create interactive and immersive experiences for users. XR products blend elements of the real world with virtual elements, allowing users to interact with digital content in a more immersive and engaging way. These products can range from entertainment and gaming applications to educational tools, training simulations, virtual meetings, and more. The term "XR" encompasses a broad spectrum of immersive technologies and experiences, offering endless possibilities for innovation and creativity in product development.
Background
Product
1. "Let's build XR products because they are super cool!" - XR is
something that might show a spike and become a fad. How to make sure that
it gets in the user's existing process and is not just a nice-to-have?
- Map out the customer journey from the beginning. Make sure your research
answers all questions in each part of the journey. Again understand that
this is only the best guess you can make and need to later rule out instances
of it being a fad.
2. "What does it take to make XR products profitable?"- To
build a successful XR product, focus on two key aspects: solving a
problem that can only be solved using XR and delivering a delight that
is significantly higher than alternatives. Why so? Remember that type
of hardware, discomfort, new tech, and environment, all are friction
points for product adoption. If users don't get value or only little
value, there is a high chance they will abandon it. So try to
understand how smoothly the solution fits in their daily life for the
use case you have identified.
Before proceeding, assess alternatives. Can the same objectives be met
without VR, and if so, how does VR compare in terms of quality, cost, and
enjoyment? How will the VR experience fit into the overall strategy and
vision of the business?
Conducting a comprehensive analysis helps gauge XR's value and refine the
product concept. By meeting genuine needs, providing significant delightful
experiences, and strategically evaluating alternatives, companies can establish
a foothold in the XR market.
3. "Why does everything feel so different when working with the
engineering and design teams?" - XR product development poses unique challenges, notably in collaboration
between teams. Unlike traditional projects, XR demands extended timeframes
for concept validation due to field testing necessities, compounded by
market niche and high entry barriers. To enhance collaboration, product
teams must grasp XR's technical constraints, divide into team working synchronously,
foster iterative feedback loops, and prioritise cross-functional communication
from project initiation for streamlined development process. Most importantly,
patience is needed to bring everything together!
Design
1. "Having a senior designer mentality. But I am only a junior
designer!" - Adopting a senior designer mentality as a junior designer can be
helpful while building XR products. This involves delving into various
design possibilities, exploring alternate paths, and pushing promising
concepts further to their full potential. It's about embracing the
iterative process, where each idea leads to branching possibilities,
and sometimes even revisiting earlier stages to uncover alternative
solutions. And ta-da! - you get to a really good solution.
2. "Designing for users. But what about the environment they will
experience?" - In XR design, it's not just about users; the environment holds
significant importance. And that role actually changes depending on
whether you are designing for AR, where the environment is given and
your experience has to blend in, or VR, where you as the designer are
actually creating the user's environment.
In VR, emphasis lies on environmental design encompassing technical
and creative elements like spatial audio, lighting, and aesthetics,
whereas in AR, it revolves around environmental understanding. Understanding
the distinction between physical and virtual environments, the nuances
of characters like avatars, and the complexities of environmental interaction,
whether explicit or implicit, are crucial. Key considerations for VR
UX include comfort, immersion, presence, interaction, and feedback
to ensure a seamless experience and mitigate issues like motion sickness.
3.
"Working with UI/UX designers. But how about the 'other'
designers?"
- The design team for XR products extends beyond the
traditional UI/UX roles to include Animation expert, XR Designers
and Developers, 3D Artists, Motion-capture Actors, Sound
technicians, Light technicians etc. This brings a unique set of
skills and challenges that need to be navigated.
4. "Why is everything taking so long? And I'm not just talking
about design" - Additionally, navigating complex system configurations, especially
concerning high video rendering, required meticulous planning on system
configuration and continuous coordination between teams to ensure smooth
execution.
Engineering
1."Let's build using this tech stack.. Or that?" - In our
rapidly evolving field, selecting technology that's compatible
across diverse devices while future-proofing against advancements
is crucial. However, the concept of future-proofing is challenging
due to hardware limitations and the unpredictability of
technological shifts. Rather than aiming for future-proofing, it
would be better to suggest a pragmatic, case-by-case approach to
XR product development. By setting clear boundaries and openly
acknowledging limitations for each device or scenario, it is
possible to navigate technological evolution effectively.
2. "I'm still waiting to hear back from others to get started with
my work" - One significant hurdle is managing dependencies, particularly balancing
the concurrent efforts of XR experience creation, video production
with the apps UI/UX and the engineering team's app development. The
worst-case scenario is when each team is waiting for the other to start
their work.
To overcome this, it is key to implement robust communication channels
and agile project management methodologies, enabling seamless coordination
and alignment of tasks across teams.
3. "Build cycles..shorter or shortest?" - Lastly, adapting to
short sprint cycles that accommodated both technological advancements
and user feedback necessitated a flexible approach. With tech evolving
at lightning speed, newer and better devices can pop up mid-development,
or users might suddenly favour different platforms. Quick development
cycles offer the flexibility to pivot and embrace these changes seamlessly,
rather than getting stuck with outdated tech.
Summary
In conclusion, navigating the complexities of XR product
development brings with it a unique set of challenges across
Product, Design, and Engineering teams. With adaptability and
collaboration at the forefront, success in the dynamic XR
landscape is within reach. Let's continue to push boundaries and
shape the future of immersive technology together.
Thanks to Tony Morales (Augmented Reality Developer, visionOS Engineer,
and Spatial Computing Founder), António Lima (IOS Developer), Vishnu
Sivan (Tech Lead), Deepika Rani (Technical Product Manager), Hussnain
(Founder, CEO, Developer), Bianca (UX designer) for your valuable insights
into this space.