So we all know @recroom is an amazing social experience, but I also realized tonight that it has the ingredients needed for a great VR prototyping tool. Unfortunately, it’s really bogged down by its UI - so I put together a little heuristic evaluation because I'm a 🤓.
🤔 Sev 2: Match between system and the real world
To pick up the Marker Pen, I instinctively grabbed it with my right hand (grip button), but nothing happened. Turns out, you have to push the Use button with your finger for it to fly over to your hand.
To pick up the Marker Pen, I instinctively grabbed it with my right hand (grip button), but nothing happened. Turns out, you have to push the Use button with your finger for it to fly over to your hand.
🚨 Sev 4 - Discoverability of actions
To open up the creation menu, you have to rotate the gun in an awkward manner, such that the top of it is facing you. This is undiscoverable, and challenging to perform, especially considering how often the menu must be accessed.
To open up the creation menu, you have to rotate the gun in an awkward manner, such that the top of it is facing you. This is undiscoverable, and challenging to perform, especially considering how often the menu must be accessed.
🚨 Sev 4 - User control and freedom
Undo/redo are very hidden. Literally could not find them until I was analyzing this screenshot. Some actions are also not possible to undo, like moving an object.
Undo/redo are very hidden. Literally could not find them until I was analyzing this screenshot. Some actions are also not possible to undo, like moving an object.
🚨 Sev 4 - Consistency and standards
Most VR creation tools put buttons/tools on your hands/controller. Rec Room has chosen to create a ton of floating menus. These are difficult to physically manage around you, and sub-menus being detached from parent menus causes confusion.
Most VR creation tools put buttons/tools on your hands/controller. Rec Room has chosen to create a ton of floating menus. These are difficult to physically manage around you, and sub-menus being detached from parent menus causes confusion.
🤨 Sev 1 - Consistency and standards
The Create menu allows input via laser pointer with my empty hand, but not with my hand that's holding the gun.
The Create menu allows input via laser pointer with my empty hand, but not with my hand that's holding the gun.
Takeaways: I suspect that most of these issues stem from the team avoiding any UI anchored to the user’s hands to remain consistent with the rest of Rec Room. A change in opinion here would go a long way towards making the experience fast, intuitive, and powerful for designers.
Ok I'm done dorking out. The feature set here is super impressive, and I recommend y'all go try it out. Big asset library of models, logic gates, multiplayer, permission settings, oh my!
