The Future of Mixed Reality User Interface Design

5 Promising Areas of Growth

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, Mixed Reality (MR) is paving the way for groundbreaking user experiences. MR bridges the gap between the digital and physical worlds, offering limitless possibilities for user interface (UI) design. Let’s dive into the five most promising areas of growth in MR UI design:

Spatial UI:

• Spatial UI integrates the physical environment with digital interactions, making it seamless and intuitive.
• It utilizes gestures, voice commands, and gaze tracking to manipulate digital objects, adapting to the user’s surroundings.
• Personalized and dynamic experiences are created by considering factors like distance, orientation, and scale.
• Spatial UI leverages the spatial properties of the environment to create intuitive interactions. Imagine a scenario in which you’re playing an MR game set in your living room. Spatial UI allows you to use gestures to manipulate in-game objects seamlessly. For instance, raising your hand to cast a spell or pushing a virtual object closer to interact with it.
• “Minecraft Earth” incorporates Spatial UI elements by letting players interact with the game world through hand gestures and real-world objects as building materials.

Image creedits: Baishali Banerjee

Multimodal UI:

• Multimodal UI enriches interactions by combining various sensory inputs and outputs.
• Users can choose from visual, auditory, haptic, and even olfactory feedback based on the context and task.
• For example, it can use sound or vibration to enhance visual information, providing a more immersive experience.
• Multimodal UI combines various input and output modes to provide immersive experiences. Think about a navigation app in MR that not only offers visual directions but also provides haptic feedback when it’s time to turn. Users could even receive subtle smells corresponding to different locations, enhancing the navigation experience.
• “Beat Saber” immerses players in a musical world, combining visual cues with rhythmic vibrations to guide players through the game.

Image creedits: Baishali Banerjee

Collaborative UI:

• Collaborative UI fosters social interactions and cooperation among multiple users in shared MR environments.
• It employs avatars, gestures, and shared tools to facilitate communication and collaboration.
• Social cues like eye contact and body language can convey emotions and intentions, enhancing the collaborative experience.
• Collaborative UI fosters social interactions in shared MR environments. Envision a business meeting in an MR space where avatars representing colleagues from around the world collaborate on a project. Through gestures and voice commands, participants can brainstorm ideas and manipulate 3D models together.
• “Rec Room” allows users to create virtual spaces for social interaction and gaming, where avatars can engage in activities like paintball or collaborate on building projects.

Image creedits: Baishali Banerjee

Adaptive UI:

• Adaptive UI tailors digital content and interaction methods to the user’s preferences and needs.
• Machine learning and sensors analyze user behavior and context to modify content and interaction options.
• This personalization enhances user experiences by providing relevant information and simplifying interactions.
• Adaptive UI tailors the digital experience to each user’s preferences and needs. Consider an educational MR app that adjusts the complexity of lessons based on a student’s performance and learning style. Users may also have the option to switch between voice commands, gestures, or traditional controls.
• “Pokemon Go” adapts to a player’s location, altering in-game elements based on real-world data, such as weather conditions and time of day.

Image creedits: Baishali Banerjee

Ethical UI:

• Ethical UI focuses on the responsible use of MR technology, protecting user privacy, security, and well-being.
• It employs encryption, consent mechanisms, and content filtering to safeguard user data and prevent harm.
• Transparency, accountability, and education ensure users are informed about potential risks and benefits.
• Ethical UI prioritizes user privacy, security, and values in MR interactions. When exploring augmented reality in a shopping app, ethical UI ensures that users have control over the information shared and can easily opt out of data collection. It also provides transparent explanations of how data is used.
• The “AR Measure Kit” app ensures ethical UI by only accessing the camera when needed for measurement, maintaining user trust.

Image creedits: Baishali Banerjee

In a world where MR technology is becoming increasingly prevalent, these five areas of growth in UI design will play a pivotal role in shaping user experiences. As designers and creators, it’s our responsibility to harness the potential of MR while upholding ethical standards and delivering immersive, collaborative, and adaptable interfaces.