OverviewProblemSolutionTarget AudienceUser ResearchPrototypeDesign IterationsShowcaseTakeaways

Eyedylic: An immersive VR simulation to raise awareness towards visual impairment and aid in guiding those affected to understanding and accepting their impairment

Unity | Virtual Reality | CBT Self Therapy — 2021 - 2022
Project

Team Project
5 members

Timeline

1 year
2021 - 2022

Tools used

Unity, Figma,
Oculus Quest 2

Role

UIUX Designer
Interaction Design
Experience Design

Overview
Project
An immersive VR simulation to let the visually abled experience what it’s like to live with a visual impairment.

Aim: to raise awareness towards visual impairment and aid in guiding those affected to understanding and accepting their impairment
Problem
Visually impaired individuals require accessible mental support services to help them navigate the challenges and psychological adjustments associated with living a handicapped lifestyle, without relying solely on traditional in-person therapy sessions.

Solution

Create a buffer support system for visually impaired patients going through that phaseUtilize VR to simulate end-stage visual impairment, providing a buffer support system for early-stage visually impaired individuals, helping them mentally prepare for challenges and build resilience and adaptability.

Target Audience

• Visually impaired patients with oculus quest2
• Occupational therapists in their therapy session
User Research
We interviewed 2 visually impaired individuals, an eye doctor from NUH and an occupational therapist from NUH to get a better understanding of the challenges and issues they face to better design our VR product solution and enable us to tailor our solution more effectively.
user personas
We then came up with three user personas based on our interviews.
user need statements
We focused on need statements with the 3 components:
[A user] needs [need] in order to accomplish [goal].
‍
Therapist — Susan:
- Susan needs to be emphatic with her patients in order to help VI patients better adapt to living with their new impairment.
- Susan needs to relate to her patients in order to better understand patients’ needs.
- Susan needs a community of patients in order to help her patients build their confidence and their environment.

VisualIy Impaired(VI) — Serene:
- Serene needs the community to help her feel more understood
- Serene needs her family’s and peers’ support in order for her to accept her VI condition
- Serene needs a tool in order to help her mitigate the difficulties of living with VI
- Serene needs an experience what life is like when she is eventually visually impaired in order to better prepare herself for her impairment
Designing the prototype
To provide an engaging experience, we opted for a storytelling approach in our project.

Users are presented with daily home activities as task objectives, while simultaneously experiencing different eye filters that simulate visual impairment.

This combination immerses users in the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of their daily lives.
user interface design iterations

First iterations

Starting Home screen
Menu screens
Final iterations
Button when clicked will switch to better colour contrasted mode with colors better adjusted for the visually impaired
After some user testing and refinements: Final design
Shorter width layout to reduce disorientation and improve readability• enables user to view everything at a glance without eyes having to travel very far
--> less disorientation when first using VR headset
--> allows for maximum usage with minimal potential for eye strain

• user can be closer to menu
--> reduce intended viewing distance
--> leads to better text visibility (without having to break design by increasing font)

Wider start button with an accent colourAs it is an important Call To Action
--> captures the user's attention and makes it more prominent on the interface.

Distinguishing Clickable Components with Color DifferentiationThe blue descriptive box has been intentionally designed with a different color than the buttons enabling users to easily identify which elements are interactive and which ones are not, facilitating intuitive navigation.
showcase at Impact Festival Singapore 2022
Our booth with a member of public (in white)
takeaways:
Through this project, I gained valuable insights into the intricacies of virtual reality (VR) design and the unique challenges posed by designing within a 3D space. This project served as my initial foray into utilizing Unity and designing VR interactions, which proved to be an incredibly engaging experience.

Additionally, applying UI/UX concepts to a 3D VR product was uncharted territory for me, having previously only focused on web and app designs. Despite the novelty, I found the learning process enjoyable and manageable, thanks to the assistance and support of my capable teammates. :)