How do you research user needs in a world they’ve never experienced?
When it comes to user research for XR, things get tricky. You’re not just asking users about their experience with an interface, they’re interacting with entire virtual worlds. 🌍
So, how do you gather meaningful insights when the environment is completely new to them?
In traditional UX research, we rely on familiar methods like surveys, interviews, and usability tests. But in XR, those methods need some serious tweaking.
Here are three unique approaches that can help you understand how users truly experience your immersive environments.
1. Immersive Prototyping: Let Users Step Into the Experience
Forget about showing users flat wireframes or mock-ups.
In XR, it’s all about immersion from the start.
With immersive prototyping, you can create early-stage versions of your virtual environment and let users walk through it. They can interact with objects, explore spaces, and give feedback based on how they feel inside the experience.
For example:
If you’re designing a virtual shopping app, let users navigate through a digital store and observe how intuitive the layout feels.
Are they able to find products easily?
Do they feel comfortable moving around?
The key here is to focus on how users feel as much as what they say.
2. Behavioural Observation: Watch How Users Move
In XR, body language is everything. Unlike traditional apps where you track clicks and taps, here you’re observing full-body movements.
Are users hesitant when reaching for objects?
Do they seem confused by certain interactions? Are they moving naturally or struggling with controls?
For example:
If you’re designing a training simulation for factory workers, watch how confidently they move through tasks. If there’s hesitation or confusion at any point, it’s a sign that something in your design isn’t intuitive enough.
By observing their behaviour in real-time, you can pinpoint areas that need improvement without relying solely on verbal feedback.
3. Simulated Scenarios: Test Real-World Tasks in Virtual Worlds
One of the biggest advantages of XR is that you can simulate real-world scenarios inside your virtual environment.
Let’s say you’re designing an emergency response training program. You can create exact replicas of disaster scenarios and observe how users react under pressure without any real-world risks involved.
This method allows you to see how well your design supports users in high-stress situations and whether it provides the right level of guidance when needed.
The beauty of XR research is that it allows for more immersive testing than ever before. By combining immersive prototyping, behavioural observation, and simulated scenarios, you can gather rich insights into user behaviour that traditional methods simply can’t capture.
What’s been your biggest challenge conducting user research in XR?
Share your experiences below, love to hear what’s worked (and what hasn’t)!
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