ui/ux designer
project in progress
demo video
task
UI/UX Designer
mentor
Ajay Menon
ELVTR Team
date
2024
overview
what are some useful applications of augmented/mixed reality?
My climbing friend, Max, is color blind. That does not stop him from being a better climber than I am. However, that does mean he occasionally uses a pink hold thinking it was dirty white, ruining the validity of his flash attempt. In order for him to stop asking me what color is what hold, I decided to design a AR app that let's him distinguish the colors on his own.
brainstorming
As pass-through technology evolves, integrating digital UI/UX into the real world is becoming inevitable—for better or worse. I decided to explore some of the "better" possibilities in this rapidly emerging industry.
Colorblindness, while often considered a minor inconvenience, can lead to costly mistakes and confusion, especially in critical situations. According to my surveys, common challenges include determining if a fruit is ripe, if meat is cooked, reacting to red/green signals while driving, and even enjoying activities like Christmas decorating, sorting Skittles, or building with Legos.
When wearable AR/MR devices become more discreet and accessible, these challenges can be addressed through Chromassist, which combines advanced color recognition with intuitive UI to improve day-to-day experiences.
storyboard
first prototype
augmented reality on phone
A similar app, Color Blind Pal, offers functionality for color identification, but I aim to enhance its design with a more intuitive and streamlined interface. Users can easily select the color they wish to "see" by either sliding a color bar on the right or tapping directly on an item within the view. Once selected, the chosen color is displayed as text at the top of the screen, while all matching items are highlighted with dashed outlines, akin to selected objects in Adobe Photoshop. This approach simplifies the process and provides a clear visual reference for users.
mixed reality on headset view
bezi prototype
Integrating this idea into Bezi enables me to prototype and visualize the concept in VR. While the climbing wall itself is virtual, this environment allows me to experiment with the placement of UI elements like windows and color bars. Through testing, I realized how distracting it could be to have a text-heavy window constantly following head movements. As a result, I adjusted the interface to strike a balance between functionality and comfort, deciding whether elements should remain stationary or track the user’s gaze.
next steps (unity prototype)
I plan to redesign the highlighted item UI to adopt a more visually minimalistic approach. A small icon displayed next to all items of the selected color would suffice, as shown in the example below. The large text displaying the color at the top can be repositioned to the side and replaced with a more informative color slider bar.
Using Unity, I can further enhance the experience with haptic and audio feedback. A faint audio cue will indicate when a color is selected, adding another layer of intuitive interaction.
Ultimately I plan to overlay my UI on to a first person POV video to finish my proof of concept.
inspiration from Rosa Park