Role UX design lead, UX researcher, UI designer
Duration June 2021 - November 2021
How it began
Nowadays, with the growth of hype for the metaverse, virtual socialization has grown out of a niche with an increase in popularity and community. One popular Online social virtual platform is VRchat, which claims to have 1 million registered users, 25,000 community-created worlds, and 40,000 concurrent users. One of the top iconic features from VRchat that set it apart from other competitors are the 'Avatars'. These are 3D models of almost anything and created by the community, which users can collect and wear to fully change their physical appearance in the virtual world.
However, there are thousands of avatars scattered around different worlds in VRchat, and trying to find specific avatars require spending lots of time. In addition, users have the option to upload their custom avatars can better represent them in the virtual world. Sadly, this is not as easy as it sounds for everyone.
Creating a 3D model that is VR-ready and adapting it into Unity requires tools that are university level. At the moment, the possibilities for users with no knowledge of these tools, will either need to spend hours with online courses and learn the tools, or hire a professional 3D modeler for around 100$ USD to 500$ USD to make and upload it into VRchat.
As a user myself; who felt frustrated by the fact of such a difficult process; saw a valuable opportunity that inspired me to investigate deeper into the matter.
Challenges
To start I had to gather valuable insights from the community to understand frustrations and pain points before thinking of a solution.
The VRchat community is very vast, with tons of professionals from the creator community willing to help. However, finding them was not easy. Also, I needed to research concurrent users and find out their aspirations and frustrations. During my research process I faced the following challenges:
1. Device battle
I decided to first jump right into VRchat on some popular worlds, seeking for nonprofessional users to talk to, and hopefully be willing for a brief interview. Users could come from various devices either PC or Mobile. I was using a Quest device (Mobile) and by this, I faced my first challenge when trying to meet PC users.
As a mobile user, the platform tends to filter you in worlds where you can find users that share the same device and trying to find PC users was very difficult. Over time, I managed to find some PC users but were not very able to interact with me since I was a Quest user (this is a common issue)
After searching for days, I managed to befriend a few PC users that were open for interviews and investigate pain points.
2. Common fear
I extended my research outside of the VRchat platform while going into Discord, Reddit, and other networking platforms from the VRchat community to connect with other people and hopefully meet professionals. However, On the web was also a challenge to find participants open enough and willing to be interviewed due to common fear. One of the false accusations I got when presenting myself and my intentions to meet the community, that I was plotting a scheme. Despite this, I continued to push forward on the search and successfully met professional 3D modelers and enthusiasts willing to support my research.
3. Time zones
Last but not least, I faced issues with time zones. Some of the participants willing to support the search were located in different countries with a huge gap of time difference. This was something out of my reach to solve, but I arranged myself to meet and research the participants either very late at night or early in the morning.
Despite the challenges and undesirable situations, I was successfully able to find a total of 10 users with different backgrounds and genders. 5 university graduates with professional experience in game development and 3D modeling, and the other 5 were enthusiasts and amateurs in 3D content creation.
User Research Summary
The interview prepared had a set of personal and general questions, designed to help me understand them individually, how do they fit in the community, their aspirations and frustrations, and most importantly their knowledge and process when making a VR-ready avatar.
Once documenting all 10 interviews, I proceeded on creating empathy maps based on what the users expressed and helped me in my whole design to empathize and be user-centered.
"the following empathy maps had its names change for privacy reason, the content, however, is the results obtained from the interview"
Common Pain Points
Market competitors
During the research, a competitor audit was done from a few platforms known to be used. It is to take in consideration there may be more competitors out there to research.
Community: Discord, Artstation, Pinterest
3D modeling software: Blender, Unity, Maya, Sketchup,
Browser 3D modeling for VRchat: Ready player me, VRoid
SDK library: Sketchfab
E-learning: Udemy, Youtube tutorials
3D modeling software: Blender, Unity, Maya, Sketchup,
Browser 3D modeling for VRchat: Ready player me, VRoid
SDK library: Sketchfab
E-learning: Udemy, Youtube tutorials
Personas
To help me out empathize further with the community and the users, I decided to prepare an aggregated map and set up the two most distinct groups as targets.
Furthermore, I created a set of personas that represents a member of each group. These personas helped me for the further development of a solution and the entire process of this case study.
The Idea
Before my research, my idea was on creating a user-friendly web app for 3D modeling, aimed to be adapted to reduce the learning curve.
However, once completed my research and understood the clear frustrations I noticed a larger valuable opportunity connected by a common denominator. There are already tons of solutions to address things individually, and although they get the job done, their division causes frustration in general.
What if there could be a digital ecosystem designed to connect a whole community of digital content creators and enthusiasts, with other external entities favored by such community, empowered by a single platform that provides powerful web-native tools that are cross functioning for all devices, with no hardware drawback?
I called this digital ecosystem...
Why OASIS?
The definition of an oasis is a fertile place where there is water in the midst of a desert or a place of calm in the midst of chaos. With the number of centralized entities and the mixed feelings from their communities due to the lack of freedom, OASIS is meant to be a safe place for the content creator community, in the midst of chaos and the new upcoming metaverse project.
The OASIS digital ecosystem
OASIS is a digital ecosystem that is dynamic, continually evolving integration of systems, tools, user community, and external partners as digital environments, brought together to increase data flow and ensure an omnichannel customer experience. This digital ecosystem aims for digital content creation, sharing, networking, and learning to fuel the community's growth and deliver value through increased flow of data, shared insights, and powerful tools. Furthermore, those within the digital ecosystem will support, encourage, and empower the 5 key visions of the OASIS: Open-mindedness, Accessibility, Security, Inclusion, and Satisfaction.
In addition, each individual user will own their personal digital space in the form of a user dashboard, which will be private and fully customizable. From there, users can access a range of powerful tools provided by the OASIS, which can function in conjunction or independently from one and another. Furthermore, to guarantee no hardware drawbacks these tools will function by a cloud computing system.
The tools of the OASIS
The OASIS community is a cross-functional networking web app. Here, users can discover, connect and interact with users that match their personal interests. Furthermore, users can view, interact, and publish posts or articles to share with the community, as well as find content related to the user's interests.
As a difference from other networking platforms, this tool will maintain an uplifting user experience by avoiding visibility hierarchy generated from followers or likes counts, as well as a paid booster. Other valuable features are custom portfolio building, live streaming, and inspiration gathering with mood boards creation.
The OASIS studio (OS) is a cross-functional file organizer and 3D modeling & compositing web app. Here, users can easily create and organize projects, files, and Creations. Within the organizer, users can find supportive features such as labeling, filter, and search.
Before entering into the 3D modeling & compositing web app, users can select between 4 different Creations which are 3D painting, Modeling, Worlds, and Scenes. Each specific intuitive tool will be displayed and restricted by the type of Creation selected. Aside from it, there are simplified and advanced modes, as well as assistive guides, to reduce the learning curve for all use cases. There are other powerful features within the app such as a VR test environment, and AI troubleshooting assistant, to provide a smooth and positive user experience.
The OASIS Library is a web app to discover, share, and publish 3D, and VR assets as well as content or collectibles. It provides a viewer based on the WebGL and WebXR technologies that allow users to display 3D models on the web, to be viewed on any mobile browser, desktop browser, or Virtual Reality headset.
From here, users can gather as many desired assets to be used on their Creations in the OS, or downloaded for external use. Most assets and content in the Library will be free and allow a possibility to publish paid assets once a user has at least published 5 valuable free assets.
Furthermore, Users can publish exclusive content or art pieces that can be used as collectibles or digital merch for some content creators.
The OASIS school is an e-learning web app for publishing, enrolling, and watching free or paid courses and tutorials aimed at digital content creation tools, development, and methodologies for Adults and students to gain knowledge and certificates.
Some key features found within the tool aside from browsing for courses and tutorials are publishing for certified or proven professionals, LIVE stream sessions, interactive activities, videos, open chat sessions, forums, and private tutoring.
The Objectives from the OASIS
User journey maps
To guarantee a smooth flow between tools and spaces within a User's dashboard, I had to research the workflow when creating models or 'avatars' for VRchat.
From my findings, I proceeded to recreate a user journey map to find possible opportunities and think ahead for frustrations that may come up.
Information architecture
I had to also study and plan sitemaps, flows, and content organization to create an architecture where Users can interact with the digital ecosystem, the environments, spaces and other tools.
One example of the different maps created for a proper info architecture
User Dashboard Wireframes
Once the info architecture was in place, I proceeded with the creation of layouts via wireframes for the user dashboard. During the process, I maintained a user-centered approach by keeping the users' and personas' goals and frustrations in mind.
Inspirations for the Studio
While planing on the OASIS studio and inside tools, I had to research other 3D modeling tools and avatar creation out in the market that could achieve newcomers' and professionals' needs.
One that really stuck up to me by their user-friendly interactions was Dreams by Media molecule for the simple UI and intuitive behaviors either on flat or VR environments.
Images of Dreams PS by Media molecules
To guarantee I got the professionals covered with all needed tools, I had to research and gather inspiration from some top used 3D modeling & compositing software such as Maya, Zbrush, and blender. My focus was to understand the top common tools and find ways to simplify them.
Images of Blender, Zbrush, and Maya
Lastly, for the users with zero knowledge of 3D modeling software, I got my inspiration from MMORPG games and their character creation system, with an intuitive UI, simple gestures, and quick alterations with the help of sliders, and others.
Recognition to some of the best character creation systems: Black dessert, Dragon Raja, Astella, and Kingdom under fire 2
Lo-fi prototype
Once satisfied with the wireframes and layout, I prepared a lo-fi prototype to run a usability test.
Password must be requested in order to interact with the prototype
Usability study findings
For this phase, I was able to contact back 5 people from the previous interviews. In addition, I was curious to find the reaction from other 5 people that had no context from the first research. having a total of 10 participants.
Brand identity & components
Once the lo-fi was tested and fixed with the changes, I proceeded to prepare a proper brand identity that could represent the community and what OASIS stands for. Followed, by creating the components needed to build the hi-fi prototype, while keeping in mind the usability insights.
User Dashboard Hi-fi prototype
Putting all together and having a polished Hi-fi prototype.
Interact with the prototype
Password must be requested in order to interact with the prototype
Final usability study
After 2 months from the previous usability test, I gathered up all previous participants to run a final usability test. The result was highly positive and accepted by the participants, with some minor changes to resolve.
Overall, all participants were very excited, with a positive attitude of viewing themselves using the platform, its tools, and happily transition to the OASIS. Furthermore, they have encouraged the case study to go beyond just that.
The Methodology
OASIS methodology would move around the community and empower their needs. Its environment would be free to access, where everyone is welcome to join.
The aim is that pretty much everything is reachable regardless of budget and background. Interacting with the community, using the creation tools, as well as getting Free assets from the library.
OASIS is a fictional project with no development intentions at least for now, but only to be used as a case study to showcase the design process. If this project were to be real it would focus on the following milestones:
Early access will be available for Alpha and Beta testing for a number of selected users. During this stage, features will be gradually released. To start in action with a community-driven methodology, anyone will be able to provide feedback and test the features. In addition, during the Alpha and Beta testing, OASIS will have open donations as subscriptions with extra perks for donators such as a donator tag, exclusive models, and collectibles, and unlimited space in the studio while on testing phase. Once the Platform is officially launched, donations will be closed, and donators will keep their perks.
OASIS will aim to adopt Cardano's blockchain for digital currency transactions. This will allow users to create safe transactions while also keeping their assets safe from any hacker attack. Once OASIS goes out of beta to an official release, a feature to publish paid courses will be activated.
Professional content creators will benefit from this feature as an income source by publishing paid learning content to the community. These contents may include videos, readings, activities, or live stream sections. Publishing will be free, with only a small percentage fee deducted from the overall cost of the course, per every transaction.
To support the community with free content, OASIS will constantly supply free tutorials and courses to guarantee the community's knowledge growth. To encourage content creators to share free learning content, a bonus plan will run in place. The more free content is shared, the bigger the benefits, such as reduction of the percentage fee, medals of recognition, and visibility.
Lastly, users will be able to create exclusive content as collectibles or digital merch. This will be the introduction of paid assets but which will be limited in order to test its behavior. The ability to open digital shops will be also in consideration at this point.
As OASIS' community grows, it is expected for the library to grow with it. Once reaching 10,000 free assets in the library, the feature to publish paid assets will be unlocked for all content creators in the Library. Furthermore, no publishing fees will be needed, rather a small percentage detraction of the total cost per sale.
In addition, to continue the growth of free assets, it will be a requirement for new members to publish 10 free qualified assets to unlock the paid asset publishing feature. Furthermore, since OASIS follows a decentralized method, all free assets that are created in the studio or imported in are fully owned by the creators (imported assets will require ownership verification). Meanwhile, paid assets will be partially owned between creators and buyers.
As a final milestone, once OASIS has reached 1 Million active users, the VR metaverse experience project will be started. The OASIS metaverse will support a decentralized ecosystem, where content will grow by the community. This experience will be available for all devices thru cloud hosting, supporting access for all users. Using the same tools from the OASIS studio, users will be able to expand the metaverse by creating worlds, items, activities, games, opening up Virtual shops, and so much more the imagination comes in place.
As an open-source, the community can provide as much support as wished with new features or tech to improve the metaverse. OASIS itself will also work on improvements of the user experience, and security of the ecosystem.
See ya in the OASIS!
What's next?
OASIS, started from the idea to solve the frustrations of creating avatars for VRchat. Over time as I researched about the community and other struggles, several useful opportunities came up, and remaining stuck onto only VRchat could it be a waste of potential.
I feel that there is a hidden potential and I would love to continue research on it. New research may be used for another project.