Puzzler

Statement of Purpose: Puzzler is a VR prototype for first time VR users to get a sense of what a VR gameplay experience might feel like.

First Testing

I make the first testing on the scale and position of the room. I want users to find the room is true to the reality that they are not a giant nor an ant. I lifted the camera 0.5 unit from the floor according to my tester's advice.

Second Testing

The second testing is on distance and the font size of the UI in front of users. The intention is the make the fonts big and clear enough for users to understand what to do to interact.

Third Testing

Motion sickness is my biggest concern when it comes to introducing VR to my users. On the third user testing, I tested out "waypoint" which allows users to go to a specific area as they want, and "on rails" movement which allows users to move at a constant speed. Users found "on rails" movement is easier to understand since there is limited space in the room; they don't find them willing to move around too much before start playing with the puzzle.

Item 1

UI with a big and visible "Start" button that will light up when being hovered over.

Item 2

Five interactive Orbs light up in a particular pattern. Players are supposed to memorize and repeat the pattern by clicking on the Orbs.

Item 3

Sound effects are triggered accordingly during the interaction.

The Puzzler is a good practice for VR prototyping. By continually testing during the design process make it easier to make changes in between steps. The interaction is small and simple enough for the first time VR users to understand what to do right away. I found it much easier to sketch out interactions and user journey than get into building a VR scene right away. It helped me overcome the temptation of altering the design of the scene before thinking through the interaction.

Next Step

Make a second room that will appear once the player finishes the puzzle.