#5. Spatial Assembly with Jon Lax
Jon Lax, Head of Design AR/VR at Facebook, chats about challenges in Spatial Computing.
May 29, 2019
“I believe we’re building the next generation of computing, not just a means of simulation.” -Jon Lax
The Spatial Assembly is a bi-weekly meetup that takes place in Mozilla Hubs where leaders in the world of spatial computing share their thoughts and discuss how we can “make spatial computing not suck”.
Each meeting is an open discussion lead by a host who works in the spatial computing industry. For the 5th assembly, our host Jon Lax sparked a discussion on how teams can successfully design for spatial computing.
Jon Lax is a Director of Product Design at Facebook. He is also known as the co-founder of the acclaimed product design firm Teehan+Lax which he ran for 12 years before joining Facebook in 2015. At Facebook he is currently responsible for design of the AR/VR org. This includes, Oculus, Building 8, Camera AR, and Social VR teams. Jon was born and raised in Toronto, Canada but is currently living in the Bay Area.
We’re going to need a lot more people working on spatial computing.
Jon believes we’re going to need a lot more people working on spatial computing to discover what works and what doesn’t. Currently there’s a lack of design talent with experience in spatial computing, but we can change that with more mentoring and education.
Traditional design principles still apply in spatial computing, but the stakes are higher for spatial computing design than previous web or app design. Why? Spatial computing design affects more of the human experience than flat screens.
Jon cautions designers today that we’re probably going to be wrong, and that’s okay! Spatial computing is new and there is much to learn. Instead of seeing spatial design as entirely new, Jon recommends we look to the past for parallels. He suggests the spatial computing industry would benefit from a curated collection of foundational design knowledge, if for no other reason than saving countless hours of reinventing the wheel.
From architecture, to hardware and game design, to behavioral sciences and more, a wide range of existing expertise is needed for successful spatial computing design.
“By necessity a spatial computing design team must be diverse.” -Jon Lax
Resource: “A Pattern Language” book recommended by Jon Lax that explores the design of spaces.
Designing systems versus creating content
There is a dichotomy between designing systems for spatial computing, and creating content. Content creators lean towards storytelling and skeuomorphism, where as systems designers lean towards pragmatic solutions and minimalism.
Content creators can come up with creative features, but those features may be impossible to implement. Whereas systems designers are focused on making what’s possible more usable.
Lax says the way you think about spatial computing can change the types of designs you create. If you believe the primary function of VR is simulation, then you’re more likely to design skeuomorphic experiences. On the other hand, if you view VR as a new computing platform, your designs will look more like tools.
An additional challenge designers at Oculus, and in the spatial computing world at large, face is rapidly evolving hardware. Even if an excellent design emerges today, it could be obsolete tomorrow.
Creating with the tools we have today is the best way to learn what we need tomorrow.
Paul Reynolds from Torch believes some of the best content comes from creators working within the restrictions of a platform. Creators creating with the spatial computing tools we have today is the best way to learn what tools we need tomorrow.
Because so much of the VR industry comes from the game industry, designers are used to working towards shipping “final products” with development taking place over the course of years. What the spatial computing industry needs today is more rapid prototyping and experimentation.
Lax likes to remind designers that what one successful product does isn’t necessarily the right answer for all spatial computing experiences. A prime example? Fortnite. Though it is successful by most measures, another game shouldn’t necessarily copy its features. The features that work for Fortnite don’t set the standards for every gaming experience.
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A common theme of Jon’s Spatial Assembly talk was the need for designers to experiment. As an industry we don’t yet know what works and what doesn’t. We need a diverse group of people working to build both content and tools. By building and experimenting we can discover what the ideal spatial computing future looks like.
Previous events: medium.com/spatial-assembly/spatial-assembly-events-list
More upcoming events: spatialassembly.eventbrite.com
