360° Content for VR Experience ? What XR Designer Need to Know! 💡

One of my favorite things to do is to try different XR experiences. It's not just about seeing new possibilities but also about ideation, refining my techniques, exploring the technology’s potential, and brainstorming different ideas. I live by the quote, "To learn design, you must learn about the world," so I take this as my opportunity to keep learning about what's out there.
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One of the most common experiences within headsets that many tend to do is converting 360-degree video content into VR experiences, expecting it to naturally provide an immersive experience. Sure- by default, this approach works perfectly fine because it immerses the viewer fully into the environment. However, every time I try this kind of experience, I notice significant drawbacks from a user experience.

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I’ve tried many cool storytelling experiences that were amazing in 360° format  but once they were converted to VR, they lost their appeal and became uncomfortable. Honestly, i decided to write this blog after trying an immersive experience at Palau Robert, Barcelona - a few weeks ago.

I think it's because i really like the content, it was incredibly cool 🌸 - I had experienced it during @mwcbarcelona in a 360° immersive medium. But at the exhibition, they used a  Quest 2 headset, which does a great job of immersing the viewer. But, even as an XR designer who works with headsets daily, I experienced disorientation and discomfort during the experience of this content and made me didn't finish , which was a pity, given how cool is the content . This made me think that people with less experience in VR might have an even worse experience, potentially discouraging them from trying VR again.

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PS : The setting of the experience was super cool, i really like it when the things are really simple but ot work loudly to showcase the storytelling .The use of silver curtains created a futuristic ambiance, and the white chairs and VR headsets stood out against this backdrop, emphasizing the tech aspect of the exhibition. This approach to setting up an XR experience is definitely one of my favorites. If I ever get the chance to create my own exhibitions, I would definitely draw inspiration from this style. ❤️❤️❤️

Well, now back to main reason why i write this blog .......🤓😆

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The Reality of User Brain in 3D
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When transitioning from 360-degree content video to a VR experience, it’s super important to understand that what works on a flat screen might not translate well to a VR headset directly. Users in VR are immersed in a closed environment and rely heavily on visual cues, making them more susceptible to motion sickness and disorientation.

The human brain processes 3D environments differently than 2D ones. In a 2D environment, our brain can easily process the visual information because it matches the physical environment around us. However, in a VR headset, the eyes and brain are tricked into perceiving a virtual environment as real. This disconnect between the visual input (what we see in the headset) and the physical input (what our body feels) can lead to sensory conflict, causing disorientation and motion sickness.

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How Eyes and Brain Work Together in VR

In real life, our eyes constantly adjust to maintain balance and stability as we move, but in VR, rapid camera movements or inconsistent visual cues can confuse the brain because it expects physical movement to accompany visual changes. This mismatch can lead to nausea and discomfort. Our brain uses multiple cues to perceive depth, such as the convergence of our eyes (how much our eyes turn inwards to focus on close objects) and binocular disparity (the difference in images between our two eyes). If these cues are not accurately simulated in VR, it can cause strain and disorientation. Additionally, in a physical environment, we have a constant sense of spatial orientation thanks to gravity and our inner ear balance system. In VR, if the virtual environment does not match our physical movements accurately, it can lead to a loss of spatial awareness, causing a feeling similar to the lack of gravity.

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One example from the image above is when the content started twirling upside down at a certain speed. This created a disconnect between my physical sensations and what I was seeing in the headset. As a result, I experienced significant disorientation and had to close my eyes to avoid feeling sick. I knew what was happening and could take action to mitigate the discomfort, but those who are less familiar with VR might continue watching and experience prolonged disorientation. This shows the importance of carefully evaluating and adjusting VR content to ensure a comfortable user experience.

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To avoid these issues, it’s important to evaluate and adjust several aspects of the content. I learned about this during my master's at Goldsmiths, but it was reinforced by one of the publications on Human-Computer Design in VR by Jason Jerald.

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Based on these insights, I developed a requirement checklist that we, as XR designers, can use to evaluate and refine VR content effectively.

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Example on how to use them :
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I hope it helped to make more optimised VR experience out there !
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Thank you for watching ❤️

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