Physical Considerations
- Environmental Interface: Designers must consider the entire surrounding environment as a potential interface, moving beyond the confines of a flat screen.
- Comfortable Focusing Range: Interactive elements should be placed within a range of half a meter to 20 meters, the comfortable focusing distance for human eyes.
- Beyond Reach: For interacting with objects 20 meters away, MR utilizes tools like handheld controllers or technologies such as eye tracking and hand recognition.
Eye Movement
The human eye comfortably moves 30°-35° in all directions, creating a field of view (FoV) of about 60°. Key UI elements should be placed within this range for easy accessibility.
Arms Reach
The average arm’s length is 50–70 cm. Essential interactions should be positioned at this distance for ease of use.
Designing for Distance
Drawing from Kharis O’Connell’s “Designing for Mixed Reality”, the interaction space is divided into three layers:
- Interaction Plane: Core UI elements are placed within arm’s reach.
- Mid-Zone: For placement of virtual objects in MR.
- Legibility Horizon: The limit for comfortable focus and reading, approximately 20 meters. Beyond this, only images should be used.
Addressing User Fatigue
- Ease of Exit: Always provide a straightforward method to exit or pause, like a button.
- Save Functionality: Allow users to save progress to prevent data loss and alleviate exit anxiety.
Scaling and Interaction
- Button Size: Ensure buttons are large enough, with a minimum size of 2 centimeters.
- Natural Interactions: Mimic real-world interactions, like picking up a mug by its handle.
Poses and Gestures
- Clear Instructions: Given the novelty of MR, provide explicit instructions for poses and gestures.
- Simplicity: Use poses and gestures sparingly to avoid overwhelming users.
Feedback and Guidance
- System Feedback: Implement feedback mechanisms like haptic feedback or color changes when interacting with virtual elements.
- Clear Guidance: Offer concise and clear instructions, crucial in the unfamiliar terrain of MR.
Mixed Reality is not just a new technology; it’s a new way of interacting with our world. As we design for MR, we must consider the unique physical and perceptual aspects of this medium. By focusing on intuitive interactions, comfortable viewing distances, and clear instructions, we can create MR experiences that are not only engaging but also accessible and user-friendly. The future of MR is bright, and as designers and technologists, it’s our responsibility to pave the way for this exciting new era of digital interaction.
Sources
- https://medium.com/ux-planet/ux-101-for-virtual-and-mixed-reality-part-2-working-with-the-senses-c39fbd502494
- https://medium.com/ux-planet/ux-101-for-virtual-and-mixed-reality-part-1-physicality-3fed072f371
- „Designing for Mixed Reality“ by Kharis O’Connell
- https://www.inderscienceonline.com/doi/abs/10.1504/IJTMKT.2019.104600
