FAQs, Enhancing User Experience in Spatial Apps.

As the world of spatial computing continues to evolve, ensuring an optimal user experience is paramount. You are all set to create spatial apps right now, and you are one of the few people who can do this right - good job! As the final post in this series, here are some FAQs that we keep asking ourselves everyday. It is an exhaustive list, but I’ve added some top-of-my-mind QnA.

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FAQs:

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1. What is the one thing we’ve done right over the last few years?

Interaction experience - user interaction is the most crucial aspect of spatial computing and getting it right is a hard one. We are constantly in the process of reviewing and fine-tuning it to enhance the Fabrik experience.

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2. Why are people hesitant to wear VR headsets?

People are self-conscious and feel socially isolated. See-through headsets address this  by allowing wearers to maintain social awareness. The glasses should feel like a normal everyday sunglasses or spectacles to actually reach everyone. 

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3. Why aren't incredibly simple things simple in virtual reality?

After explaining how to use virtual reality headsets to many hundreds of people, I’ve realized even the simplest things like tapping a button is not simple once the wearer is in virtual reality. Think of this as explaining smartphones to your grandma - it needs to get that simple. 

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4. What does a menu look like in spatial apps?

The menu design is evolving, but we currently use 2D menus. As spatial computing becomes mainstream, menus may become more spatial and intuitive.

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5. What is the optimal number of interactions in a spatial app?

We believe four interactions (click/tap, drag-and-drop, resize, and teleport) are optimal. Almost all functions can be achieved with these four interactions. It continues to feel natural to do so in virtual experiences. As we get more apps, users, and experiences, the number of interactions (that feel natural) will also increase. A good example is the ps5 controller, we need to design interactions that can be learned as motor skills in short periods of time. 

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6. Why do you need fog in VR environments?

The present VR experiences feel barren with a lot of open spaces and not enough to do. The general tendency is to introduce fog to hide the empty space. As environments become bigger or get progressively generated based on the user's position, point of view and navigation, fog might be removed over time. One solution today is using high resolution, vivid background images (wallpapers in laptop parlance) or a rich indoor 3D model, both eliminate the need for fog.

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7. How can I make my 3D models look like Hollywood?

Irrespective of the level of competence of the user, the 3D model should look good and that’s our responsibility. We will make any model look good (as much as possible) on Fabrik by giving simple controls for light, shadow, background, etc. that the user can understand and apply - like a filter.

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8. What do conferencing calls look like in spatial computers?

Conferencing calls appear as window screens in VR. Avatar-based interactions are being explored as a more immersive alternative.

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9. Why is abstraction for different devices and OSes important?

Abstraction ensures that spatial apps can run on any device or OS without custom builds, enabling a seamless user experience across platforms.

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10. Kids use VR headsets without any training whatsoever.

Kids are curious, natural explorers and they fiddle around with all options to figure out how to make virtual reality work. This is the future demographic that will naturally use immersive technologies.

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Conclusion:

By focusing on enhancing user interactions and refining spatial app experiences, we are committed to driving the evolution of spatial computing. If you have any questions or insights to share, we'd love to hear from you :) 

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