Directions for 3D User Interface Research from Consumer VR Games.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Technology
• User Interface Design

Background:

• The proliferation of affordable immersive virtual reality (VR) systems has spurred a growing consumer content market.
• Current VR systems largely rely on head-tracked displays and hand-held controllers, similar to traditional lab-based systems.
• Extensive academic research exists on the design and ergonomics of 3D user interfaces (3DUIs), but consumer market innovations are diverse and sometimes counter-intuitive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on novel 3D user interface (3DUI) design patterns relevant to the burgeoning consumer VR market.
• To identify patterns that are both highly novel and potentially broadly reusable.
• To highlight patterns that offer promising avenues for future research and evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Curated a snapshot of novel 3DUI design patterns from a crowd-sourced repository.
• Focused on patterns deemed most fruitful for further elaboration and research.
• Leveraged an online adjunct as a living document for ongoing pattern collection.

Main Results:

• Identified and presented several novel 3DUI design patterns.
• These patterns represent a bridge between academic findings and creative experimentation in the consumer VR space.
• The selected patterns are characterized by their novelty, potential for broad reusability, and research interest.

Conclusions:

• Novel 3DUI design patterns are emerging from the intersection of academic research and creative design in the consumer VR market.
• These patterns offer valuable insights for both designers and researchers aiming to enhance VR user experiences.
• Further evaluation of these patterns is recommended to understand their impact on usability and immersion in VR applications.