doi: 10.56294/mr20229    

 

SHORT COMMUNICATION

 

User experience (UX) in metaverse: realities and challenges

 

Experiencia de usuario (UX) en el metaverso: realidades y desafíos

 

Claudia Bisset Delgado1 *

 

1Design Thinking Service and Innovation Specialist of Leasba Consulting. León, España.

 

Cite as: Bisset Delgado C. User experience (UX) in metaverse: realities and challenges. Metaverse Bas. App. Res. 2022;1:9. https://doi.org/10.56294/mr20229

 

Received: 03-12-2022                         Revised: 20-12-2022                        Accepted: 27-12-2022                       Published: 28-12-2022

 

Editor: Lic. Mabel Cecilia Bonardi

 

ABSTRACT

 

User experience (UX) design is an interdisciplinary field that combines elements of psychology, computer science, and design. It is concerned with how a product or service is perceived by its users and how it meets their needs. UX designers work to ensure that a product or service is easy to use, efficient, and satisfying for the person using it. The purpose of this article is to describe some implications of User Experience (UX) in the metaverse. UX is relevant in the metaverse because it determines how people interact with and perceive virtual environments. This will involve working with a variety of stakeholders, including developers, designers, and users, to understand the goals and needs of the virtual environment and to create user experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and satisfying. The role of the UX professional in the metaverse will involve applying traditional UX design principles and techniques to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by virtual environments. There are several ways in which UX professionals can insert themselves into working in the metaverse. First of all, work with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) companies, VR and AR companies are at the forefront of developing metaverse technologies, and they often hire UX professionals to help design and improve their products. UX professionals in the metaverse must be able to design for immersive and interactive environments that can be difficult to predict and control.

 

Keywords: User Experience; Metaverse; User Experience Design.

 

RESUMEN

 

El diseño de la experiencia del usuario (UX) es un campo interdisciplinar que combina elementos de psicología, informática y diseño. Se ocupa de cómo perciben los usuarios un producto o servicio y de cómo satisface sus necesidades. Los diseñadores de UX trabajan para garantizar que un producto o servicio sea fácil de usar, eficiente y satisfactorio para la persona que lo utiliza. El propósito de este artículo es describir algunas implicaciones de la Experiencia de Usuario (UX) en el metaverso. La UX es relevante en el metaverso porque determina el modo en que las personas interactúan con los entornos virtuales y los perciben. Esto implicará trabajar con diversas partes interesadas, como desarrolladores, diseñadores y usuarios, para comprender los objetivos y necesidades del entorno virtual y crear experiencias de usuario intuitivas, atractivas y satisfactorias. El papel del profesional de la experiencia de usuario en el metaverso consistirá en aplicar los principios y técnicas tradicionales de diseño de la experiencia de usuario a los retos y oportunidades únicos que presentan los entornos virtuales. Hay varias formas en las que los profesionales de la UX pueden insertarse en el trabajo en el metaverso. En primer lugar, trabajar con empresas de realidad virtual (RV) y realidad aumentada (RA). Las empresas de RV y RA están a la vanguardia del desarrollo de tecnologías metaversales, y a menudo contratan a profesionales de UX para que les ayuden a diseñar y mejorar sus productos. Los profesionales de la UX en el metaverso deben ser capaces de diseñar entornos inmersivos e interactivos que pueden ser difíciles de predecir y controlar.

 

Palabras clave: Experiencia de Usuario; Metaverso; Diseño de Experiencia de Usuario.

 

INTRODUCTION

User experience (UX) is the overall experience of a person using a product or service, particularly in terms of how easy or pleasing it is to use. UX design is the process of designing products or services to create a positive user experience. It involves considering factors such as usability, accessibility, and emotional impact in order to create products or services that are easy and enjoyable to use.(1)

UX design is an interdisciplinary field that combines elements of psychology, computer science, and design. It is concerned with how a product or service is perceived by its users and how it meets their needs. UX designers work to ensure that a product or service is easy to use, efficient, and satisfying for the person using it.(2)

Good UX design can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, increase sales and conversions, and reduce the need for customer support. It is important in a wide range of industries, including technology, e-commerce, and healthcare.(3)

UX professionals will need to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and trends in the metaverse, as well as understand the unique challenges and considerations that come with designing for virtual environments.

The purpose of this article is to describe some implications of User Experience (UX) in the metaverse.

 

DEVELOPMENT

User experience (UX) is relevant in the metaverse because it determines how people interact with and perceive virtual environments. A good user experience can make a virtual world feel immersive and engaging, while a poor user experience can make it feel confusing or frustrating to use.(4)

In the metaverse, people are likely to spend a significant amount of time in virtual spaces, and their overall enjoyment of these spaces will depend on the quality of the UX.(5,6) This is true whether they are using the metaverse for entertainment, socializing, or working.(7)

Good UX design in the metaverse involves considering factors such as navigation, usability, and accessibility. It also involves creating a sense of presence and immersion through the use of compelling visuals, sound, and other sensory elements. By considering the needs and preferences of users, designers can create virtual experiences that are engaging and satisfying.(4,8)

In the metaverse, the role of the UX professional will be to design and improve the user experience in virtual environments. This will involve working with a variety of stakeholders, including developers, designers, and users, to understand the goals and needs of the virtual environment and to create user experiences that are intuitive, engaging, and satisfying.

Some specific tasks that UX professionals may be responsible for in the metaverse include:(9,10,11,12,13)

Conducting user research to understand the needs, preferences, and behaviors of people using the virtual environment.

Developing wireframes, prototypes, and other design artifacts to communicate design ideas and gather feedback.

Collaborating with developers to implement and iterate on design solutions.

Evaluating and testing the user experience to identify areas for improvement.

Creating design guidelines and standards to ensure a consistent and cohesive user experience across the virtual environment.

The role of the UX professional in the metaverse will involve applying traditional UX design principles and techniques to the unique challenges and opportunities presented by virtual environments.

There are several ways in which UX professionals can insert themselves into working in the metaverse. First of all, work with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) companies, VR and AR companies are at the forefront of developing metaverse technologies, and they often hire UX professionals to help design and improve their products.(14)

Another element, also relevant, is the fact that work with companies that are building virtual worlds: Many companies are building virtual worlds or environments for a variety of purposes, including entertainment, education, and training. UX professionals can work with these companies to design and improve the user experience in these virtual spaces.(15)

Work with companies that are integrating the metaverse into their existing products or services: As the metaverse becomes more prevalent, more companies will be looking to integrate it into their existing products and services. UX professionals can help these companies design user experiences that are seamless and intuitive.(15)

Finally, it could be an opportunity to start their own businesses. UX professionals with expertise in the metaverse can start their own businesses and offer their services to companies looking to build or improve their virtual environments.(16)

 

CHALLENGES AND FINAL REMARKS

The job of a UX professional in the metaverse can be complex and challenging, as it involves designing and optimizing the user experience. It is important must take into account a wide range of factors that can impact the user experience, including the physical and virtual environment, the user's goals and motivations, and the hardware and software being used.

One of the main challenges that UX professionals in the metaverse face is the need to design for a new and rapidly evolving medium. The metaverse is still in its early stages of development, and there are many unknowns and uncertainties about how it will evolve and what users will expect from it. As a result, UX professionals in the metaverse must be prepared to adapt and innovate as new technologies and user needs emerge.

Another challenge is the need to design for a wide range of devices and platforms. The metaverse is likely to be accessed through a variety of devices, including VR headsets, AR glasses, and smartphones, each of which has its own unique capabilities and limitations. UX professionals in the metaverse must be able to design for these different platforms and ensure that the user experience is consistent and seamless across all of them.

Finally, UX professionals in the metaverse must be able to design for immersive and interactive environments that can be difficult to predict and control. In the metaverse, users will be able to move freely and interact with the environment in ways that are not possible in the physical world. This can make it challenging for UX professionals to design experiences that are both engaging and intuitive for users.

 

REFERENCES

1.        Allam AH, Dahlan HM. User experience: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Information Systems Research and Innovation 2013;3:28-36.

 

2.        Moser C. User Experience Design. En: Moser C, editor. User Experience Design: Mit erlebniszentrierter Softwareentwicklung zu Produkten, die begeistern, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer; 2012, p. 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13363-3_1.

 

3.        Rebelo F, Noriega P, Duarte E, Soares M. Using Virtual Reality to Assess User Experience. Hum Factors 2012;54:964-82. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018720812465006.

 

4.        Choi Y. A Study on Factors Affecting the User Experience of Metaverse Service. IJISSS 2022;14:1-17. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJISSS.313379.

 

5.        Jeon J-E. The Effects of User Experience-Based Design Innovativeness on User-Metaverse Platform Channel Relationships in South Korea. Journal of Distribution Science 2021;19:81-90. https://doi.org/10.15722/jds.19.11.202111.81.

 

6.        Lee HJ, Gu HH. Empirical Research on the Metaverse User Experience of Digital Natives. Sustainability 2022;14:14747. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214747.

 

7.        Mystakidis S. Metaverse. Encyclopedia 2022;2:486-97. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010031.

 

8.        Kato T, Nakano T, Horibe T, Takemasa M, Yamazaki Y, Shirai A. Cross-platforming “School life metaverse” user experience. SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 Posters, Daegu Republic of Korea: ACM; 2022, p. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1145/3550082.3564200.

 

9.        Song SW, Chung H, Chung D. The Effect of Space Size and Dialogue Topic on Metaverse UX. Journal of Korea Game Society 2022;22:65-76. https://doi.org/10.7583/JKGS.2022.22.1.65.

 

10.      Hedrick E, Harper M, Oliver E, Hatch D. Teaching & Learning in Virtual Reality: Metaverse Classroom Exploration. 2022 Intermountain Engineering, Technology and Computing (IETC), 2022, p. 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1109/IETC54973.2022.9796765.

 

11.      Rameshwar JR, King GS. Caribbean Metaverse Development: A Literature Review Perspective. Journal of Metaverse 2022;2:83-99. https://doi.org/10.57019/jmv.1120470.

 

12.      Sutopo AH. Developing Teaching Materials Based on Metaverse. Banten: Topazart; 2022.

 

13.      Shin D. The actualization of meta affordances: Conceptualizing affordance actualization in the metaverse games. Computers in Human Behavior 2022;133:107292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107292.

 

14.      Mirza-Babaei P, Robinson R, Mandryk R, Pirker J, Kang C, Fletcher A. Games and the Metaverse. Extended Abstracts of the 2022 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play, New York, NY, USA: Association for Computing Machinery; 2022, p. 318-9. https://doi.org/10.1145/3505270.3558355.

 

15.      Cui H, Xu Z, Yao C. Will the Metaverse Be the Future of the Internet?, Atlantis Press; 2022, p. 2165-70. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220504.392.

 

16.      Kraus S, Kanbach DK, Krysta PM, Steinhoff MM, Tomini N. Facebook and the creation of the metaverse: radical business model innovation or incremental transformation? International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 2022;28:52-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-12-2021-0984.

 

FINANCING

None.

 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No conflict of interest.

 

AUTHORSHIP CONTRIBUTION

Conceptualization: Claudia Bisset Delgado.

Original writing-drafting: Claudia Bisset Delgado.

Writing-revision and editing: Claudia Bisset Delgado.