Situation: Early in my career, I was tasked with redesigning Aimlab to fit a virtual reality (VR) experience using Unity. At the time, I had no prior experience designing for VR, but the project was a fantastic opportunity to dive into a new medium and learn on the go.

Task: My challenge was to redesign Aimlab’s interface and gameplay elements to create an immersive VR experience. This involved understanding the unique constraints and opportunities of VR design, such as optimizing for comfort, intuitive interactions, and maintaining high user engagement in a fully immersive environment.

Action: I began by researching VR design principles, best practices, and tools specific to Unity. I also conducted market research to understand how other VR games and tools were handling similar challenges. To guide my design, I ran usability tests, gathering feedback to iterate on concepts and refine the user interface (UI) and interactions. I worked closely with developers to ensure the designs could be implemented smoothly within the Unity engine while maintaining a seamless user experience.

Result: The redesign led to a VR experience that garnered mixed reviews from users at first. While many appreciated the improvements in immersion, interactivity and had a lot of fun while playing, others provided valuable feedback on areas that needed further refinement. Despite the mixed reception, this project was an incredibly valuable learning experience. It taught me how to navigate ambiguity while creating a new product, especially when venturing into an unfamiliar medium like VR. The challenges I faced in this project helped me grow as a designer, particularly in handling feedback, iterating on concepts, designing to better meet user needs while exploring new emerging technologies.