The Rig
Case Study: UI / UX Project
The Rig is a virtual tour “game” concept built as part of a presentational pitch for a proposed Oil-Rig themepark.
As Head of UI for the project, I was tasked with overseeing and creating the assets for this demo, before plumbing them into an interactive prototype that could be taken and “played” with by a team of coders for final build.
This project required a short turnaround by myself and my team, together we worked to create some industrial styled UI assets, while simulataneously wireframing the basic User flows and eventually combining the two into a final prototype for the client.
Understanding the Concept
The Rig would be operated by a dedicated “Butler” who would control the walkthrough for the investors while they used the VR headset. This “Butler” would act at the navigator of the experience to investors, associated parties and potential clients alike, but they would be the sole operator of the experience for 99% of the walkthroughs. However, I thought it best to design the system to work well with new users also, with familiarity of the system only cementing easier user experiences of the virtual tour.
Menu Wheel
The main element of The Rig would be the access to a dial menu (operated via the thumb stick on the controller), which opened the possibility of a 360 degree control that we could work around. I ideated on a radial root menu that would expand depending on the users inputs and choices, and work in a gamified manner. My challenge was to understand the fine motor controls needed by the primary user and the detail in which I could allow this to work within, as it would be very easy for the user to roll the joystick too far and choose the wrong option. A dead-zone would need to be implemented to dull the responsiveness of the controller to allow this to be negated.
UI Screens
The final design was industrial, minimal and clear; and all of this without coming across as distracting to the viewer during their guided tour of the proposed theme park.