From product design to VR Google product designers to talk about his unique

"Editor's note" article from Baidu MUX translation team should be requested by the author, as reproduced in article has been authorized by the Lei feng's network, please retain the original title.

The original author-Marc Denis, Google senior interaction designer, April 2015 Cardboard VR into the Google team. He is based on personal experiences in this article to talk about, from product design to join this process of virtual reality, VR he saw, and guided by the designer, interaction design is simplified as much as possible links between VR and wonderful. Jean-Marc Denis said: "there is nothing better than building a new medium and explore uncharted territory more exciting. "

(Google's Cardboard)

| Story background

I joined a company called Sparrow France start-ups, it was acquired by Google in July 20, 2012. From then on, I became Google's product designers, the Gmail team work, scratch building a flagship product to it the Inbox by Gmail (October 22, 2014 launch)

Designing efficient applications for years, I suddenly felt a tipping point. I want to develop your skills, learn something new every day, and on some things that I had never done it better. I need a new challenge, to reset yourself, make yourself outside your comfort zone.

In Oculus participation Kickstarter to raise, because of its sense of immersion and infinite possibilities I virtual reality (VR for short) became interested, there is nothing better than building a new medium and explore uncharted territory more exciting.

On April 17, 2015 Cardboard VR I joined the Google team. This great opportunity to thank Clay Bavor and Jon Wiley.

Another dimension

My first week on the team how much more terrible terrible. Colleague often used words I have no idea, ask me questions I don't know how.

(Note: shown below are all from the medium)

I don't want to lie, enhance the industry term is not easy but I'm looking forward to. VR is a very deep field (pun intended), bringing together all walks of life, each industry requires highly specialized skills. Transfer is very tight in the first week, day after day, I have higher global perspective. Accumulated for a long time, I found the most suitable roles, what needs to be done in order to achieve this role, and things that I want to do. No matter what the task, I think I need to learn more, are ready for this challenge I have. I feel change every day, very exciting to create and learn new things I think need to learn more and am super worried. Working together with the eminent colleagues around, reinforced by these mixed feelings.

| Everything will turn out fine

I tell myself and trust that will eventually connect the dots together. I'm a passionate person, and I know I wouldn't mind spending time on learning and experimenting.

In my whole career in product design, my comprehension, the ability to identify and resolve user issues better. No matter what the medium, make products easier to use and make users happy is the same, so the task of the core is the same, but lets you design a transition to b there are some interesting things you need to know.

Sketches are the core of each design.

In all the mental collision and design phase, more sketches drawn, the sooner the better. After I join the VR Group, draw sketches than before my whole career to be.

Any variety of design skills is a great asset.

Knowledge of photography will help you, because your ideas will influence each other.

Vision, depth of field, such as caustics, exposure and so on. Can have the ability to use light as an advantage is very valuable to me.

You learn more about 3D knowledge and tools you need to learn less.

But note, you need to know how to design buildings, figures, props modeled, equipment, UV mapping, texture, dynamics, particles, and so on.

Dynamic and efficient design is very important.

As a designer, we know where using the device's physical boundaries, but not VR, which is another way of thinking. For example, "How do the elements appear and disappear? "Is a redundant question.

Python,C#,C++ or other known codes will help you rapidly.

Because the underlying needs of iterative prototypes require a great deal of space to expand. This is a very new area, you may be one of the first interactive designers with unique design. Recent popular game engines such as Unity or Unreal engine integrated with a lot of code. In games and VR development there are many active communities, which already have extensive training and resources.

Ready to face the fear, ready to embrace the unknown.

This is a day in the evolution of the new world. Even the industry giant, also in research and innovation. This is the reality.

| Role

VR design innovations of this new platform for design team creates more possibilities, such as in the field of video game and movie on.

I think there are two kinds of design team.

The first class is on the core user experience, interface and interaction design.

And today's product design team has a similar structure (Visual design, interface design, experience design, efficient design, fellow designers and prototype). Each role will need to accept the new media rules and engineers maintain close relations. Share the same goal: the creation of faster iteration cycles, for interaction design to explore a wider area.

The other, copying content team will independent filmmakers and game structure to do all of the Design Studio created from a unique experience to the AAA game.

The entertainment industry as we all know, in other media on the show may be related to VR is very similar.

Eventually, both have a close relationship and create a high quality experience. We have a great opportunity to learn from each other.

…

From my personal experience, I think doing a product designer in the VR field is no different, but in the new fields to understand and learn more.

| VR design 1, the first step

In the second part of this article, I will try to tell you that based on the VR. This means that the designer-oriented, and simplify as much as possible.

Let technology

New dimensions and immersion is one of the major changes, there is a set of internal rules you need to know, to respect to ergonomics and careful treatment of your users. Some great immersive experience that you can learn some of our reformed application design principles. virtual reality headset

(Download carboard Design Lab)

You can see in this year's I/O further Alex's speech. Here is a small summary.

If you need to remember, only 2 rules:

Don't give up on frame;

Keep the head tracking.

You may not realize people will instinctively respond to external events, so you'll need to do the design.

Physical comfort. For example, "dynamic efficiency", a restructuring concept. Need to careful when using acceleration and deceleration. Flat horizontal line to avoid the "sickness" effect.

Comfortable environment. People in specific circumstances such as high altitude, small spaces (claustrophobia), space (desert phobia) experience a different sense of discomfort. Note that given the scale of objects and collision. For example, if you throw something, you will instinctively try to catch it, avoid it or protect yourself.

You can also pass the user's senses to help you create more immersive products. You can find inspiration in the gaming industry, most of the games will be done in two ways such as sound and light to guide the user.

When you start designing VR products, do not use your user fatigue or injury, because this is a classic mistake. To make the movie look cool, Hollywood science fiction film allows us to see some interaction is contrary to the simple principles of ergonomics, and over time, these interactive effects may serious discomfort. In the minority report hand gesture interaction is not suitable for long-running operations.

Let me briefly describe XY-axis head mobile security space. Green areas are the most suitable, the yellow area is also red is to be avoided. Here are some related public reporting of user research, can tell you a deeper level of knowledge (at the bottom of the article).

(Simple model of XY-axis head mobile security space)

Bad design can lead to more serious conditions.

To cite an example, have you ever heard of "SMS neck"? In the field of nerve and spine surgery, according to the study published: when we head in different directions will have different pressures on our neck. Head looking straight ahead from the middle level position to look down on the neck pressure on the 440%. The muscles and nerves in the neck will feel tired and sore; ligaments are stretched; disc would be oppression. All of these bad behaviors can cause serious chronic illness, permanent nerve damage.

TLDR (Technological Limiting Drawing Ratio) the limiting drawing ratio; avoid looking down extended interaction:

2, freedom

Six can be moved in the direction of the body in space, in XYZ axis continuous cycle or a change of direction.

3 degrees of freedom (tracking)

Head-mounted devices such as Cardboard,Gear based on mobile VR through an embedded gyro (3 degrees of freedom) to keep track of your direction. Three axes of rotation will be detected.

6 degrees of freedom (tracks + directions)

In order to achieve the 6 degrees of freedom, the sensor will track the location of space (+X,-X, +Y,-Y, +Z,-Z). Advanced devices such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift is 6 degrees of freedom.

   

Tracking

In order to make it possible to 6 degrees of freedom, involves one or more optical tracking sensor consists of an infrared transmitter.  Oculus tracking sensor is installed on a fixed camera and Vive tracking sensor is a real head-mounted devices.

Oculus and Vive "Lighthouse" (lighthouses), location tracking

3, input

Your design will depend on your system, so interaction methods vary and affect your design.

For example, Google Carboard design a button, which is why it's an interactive mode is single staring and clicking on reason. HTC Vive uses two 6-DOF controllers, Oculus intends to use the Xbox One controller but using 6-DOF dual core controller called 'Oculus Touch'. These devices can allow you to use more advanced and immersed in interactive mode.

(Older Xbox One)

(Oculus Touch)

There are more input devices such as hand tracking, the most famous is the Leap of Motion. You can use it with your headset device interaction.

(Leap in DK2 Motion)

Technology continues to evolve in this field, but as of today, hand tracking is not enough to become a major input, the main question is on hand, finger, collisions, and subtle movements tracked.

Though manipulators is common, but it was a disappointing experience to use than VR, it lacks more gameplay. In the first-person shooter (FPS), fire and movement can cause discomfort because the game is not reasonable acceleration.

The other hand, HTC Vive controller using 6-DOF enhanced VR experience, Tilt Brush painting tools are a good example. Even though VR development in the early stages, I don't have to try Oculus touch and feel that those who have seen prototypes are great.

When designing a user interface and interaction design, the input mode you use will have a different design decisions that drive you. You should be familiar with all the input methods and realized the limitations of each approach.

4, tools

This is a very broad subject, and in need of more in-depth articles. I will focus on the most used tool in the industrial design.

Pen and paper 

You can't avoid them, they are our first tool to use. Because they are always around us and does not require a lot of skill, it is a well-established and can express your ideas, and can be quick and inexpensive to iteration. These factors are important because in the VR designs from wireframe to a high-fidelity prototype cost higher than the 2D design.

Sketch

I'm using every day. Because it is very easy to use, can I have more research before making VR prototypes, and due to its exporting tools and plugins you can save a lot of time, so it's a great tool.

Cinema 4D

I don't think that C4D is one of Maya's competing products. They are very nice tools, as well as the respective areas of expertise. If you do not have to learn 3D design background, so your learning curve will be very steep. I love C4D because of its interface, its parameters and no compression is very meaningful to me. It helps me to quickly iterate. I like the MoGraph module, as well as many plugins I have found it very useful.    C4D Community is active, you can find lots of high quality learning materials.

(Dynamic response of exploration of Cinema 4D)

Maya

Maya's strengths and weaknesses are evident. It can do everything required for a 3D artist. All games and movies are basically done by its design.

Maya is a very powerful software, it can easily handle a large number of simulations and very intensive scenes. Rendering, modeling, animation, control perspective, it is the best tool. Maya is a highly customizable, this is one of the reasons it became the industry standard. Studios need to create their own set of tools, integrated channels, Maya is the best candidate.

The other hand, learning these tools you need and unconditional dedication full time for a while. I mean a week of exploration, the monthly and annual exercises are conducted on a daily basis.

Unity

Unity is the best prototyping tool, with it, all things are possible. In your project, you can directly pass the VR preview and easily create and move things around you. It is a powerful game engine, as well as having a great community in its stores has a wealth of resources (resource author can determine price).

In the resource pool, you can find a simple 3D model, complete project, audio, tool, shader, scripts, materials and textures, and so on. Their documents and learning platform is the primary learning tool. They have a wide range of high quality tutorial. Unity3d using JavaScript or c # programming languages, and comes with Microsoft Visual Studio, but did not come with a built-in Visual editor you can in Unity resources store looking for some quality in the Visual Editor.

It supports the major head-mounted devices (HMD), is one of the best tool to create cross-platform product, platform, including:

Windows PC, Mac OS x, Linux, Web Player, WebGL, VR (including Hololens), SteamOS, iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, Tizen, Android TV and Samsung SMART TV, Xbox One and 360, PS4, Playstation Vita, and Wii u.

Unity3D game engine is the most popular, and has a market share of 47%, it supports all major 3D formats, and has the best 2D game creation abilities. Built-in 3D Editor feature is slightly weaker, but the developer has developed some good plugins to fix it. Unity3D is a paid software but you can also to some extent using the free version for development. On the relevant payment details in the billing document.

Unreal engine

Unity3D's most direct competitor, Unreal engine also has extensive documentation and video instruction.

In their online store because it's still under development so small. Unreal engine compared to other competing products, the biggest advantage is its ability to draw; fantasy than in almost every field of rivals one step ahead: terrain, particles, post-processing effects, shading, lighting and shaders. Everything looks very stunning. Unreal engine 4 using C++ and the Visual Script Editor of Blueprint. But I didn't use it, so I am not going to elaborate more.

Unreal engine 4 has a defect, poor cross-platform compatibility: Windows PC, Mac OS x, iOS, Android, VR, Linux, SteamOS, HTML5, Xbox One, and PS4. 

| Summary

Virtual reality is a very young medium. As one investigator, we still have a lot to learn and discover, virtual reality which is why I am so excited and Google Cardboard and this team. We should as much as possible to explore it, over and over and over again to understand, identify, build and iteration.

Via:From product design to virtual reality

Translations for learning purposes only, as have other uses, please contact the original author. Translations reprinted please specify: this article from the MUX to the original translation, Lei feng's network (search for "Lei feng's network", public interest) released: Yes authors: MUX a translation team virtual reality headset

keep calm and be awesome.