Ever-Present
MIT Reality Hack in the MIT Media Lab
OUR GOALS
Could there be a new way to express our care and affection for our loved ones at a distance?
Timeline: Jan 2024
Role:
Product Designer
Interaction Designer
XR Prototyper
Product Manager: Amy Tiffany Loo
UX Designer: Qilin Li,Renan
Developer: David Lou, Renan
Tools:
Unity (Meta Presence Platform,
Oculus All-in-one SDK)Figma
Disciplines
Product StrategySpatial Interaction DesignMixed RealityHuman Factors Engineering
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Ever-present was born during the 2.5 days' MIT Reality Hack in the MIT Media Lab, where we ideated, conducted research, mapped user journey and completed rapid prototyping and built great team spirits. Well received at the hack, we decided to carry the project beyond and continue developing its features, with the goal of launching it someday.
Research indicates that long-distance relationships can significantly increase individual and relationship stress levels (Du Bois et al., 2016). Conventional communication methods like text messages and phone calls do not work well in creating new memories of time spent together and could also be routine-like. It lacks in sentiment and gesture of affection.
Core Experience Mixed-Reality Digital companion, Ellowyn, who travels through space and time
Send "Greetings" to the other side
With Ellowyn, you can deliver a variety of magical experiences called “Greetings”. Like dazzling fireworks, serene shooting stars, or a customized recording.
The asynchronous nature of the interactions echoes and attempts to address the challenges of long-distance relationships
Mutually take care of the companion and grow with it.
Ellowyn has a unique personality. In order to send greetings, both parties need to nurture Ellowyn, as it grows on you and with you.
Every successful delivery of Greeting represents mutual care and affection.
DESIGN PROCESS
Product Strategy: Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
In order to be able to deliver an application for the judges to experience, we decided to aim at the most basic version first, with all the core functionalities working. Details will be iterated after, with however much time left.
FEATURE AND INTERACTION MAPPING
We brainstormed different features and mapped them in terms of product value (Y-axis) and feasibility (X-axis). Being synchronous means multi-player experience, which is technically more difficult. Quality of communication is evaluated based on how likely the feature will initiate a quality conversation between two users outside of the game itself. Implicitness aligns with the concept of ambient game, which is also the core of our product vision.
Parameterized definition of complex interaction intentions and experiences of the user
Details in technical implementation determine user experience. I made significant efforts to fine tune the parameters within the Interaction SDK to make sure the threshold of gesture recognition is reasonable, preventing undesired triggering
CHALLENGES AND TAKEAWAYS
Balancing Demo Effects & Product ValueEver-present is ambient experience and is meant to be experienced over time, with delayed gratification. We had to ensure the demo effectively conveyed the eventual delight of the full user experience. We strategically selected high emotional points of the experience for the demo, magnifying the "wow factors" but also adhered to the product value.Navigating Spatial User Interface GuidelinesEstablished UI principles are sparse, especially when it comes to interacting with virtual creatures in MR. This required us to experiment and make decisive choices in uncharted territory.
NEXT STEPS
Iterate on current features to increase user retention
Recognized and inspired by the XR Community, we decided to push the product further and continue its development. We want to find an expression to further reflect Ellowyn's unique personality and maturity, whose growth is not just in appearance but also in character, in relation to the depth of users' commitment to it.
Expand core feature lists and support asynchronous game experiences Future updates will also include synchronous mini-games and challenges, such as competitive enticement of Ellowyn to visit user's room. These playful elements are designed to enhance engagement and shrink the distance between the user and their loved ones
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