This project was initiated by the request of criminologists and law enforcement agencies to build a VR simulation of crime scenes. Stores and their parking lots are where crimes occur frequently, and our job is to create the simulation that enables the construction of virtual stores and parking lots using animated criminal models and to provide analyzable data. My role is to redesign the current prototype to be more user-friendly and intuitive.
ROLE
UX Undergraduate Researcher
PERIOD
Aug 2022 - present In Progress ⚙️
TOOL
Figma, Unity
ADVISOR
Dr. Hyo Kang UF Digital Worlds Institute
DEFINE
/ Identify the main features and the current prototype.
feature 01. Add Prop and 3D Character
The users build their scene at parking lots and stores with given 3D characters and props.
feature 02. Environment Settings
A skybox of daytime, sunset, and night sky and the lightings of a scene are adjustable.
feature 03. Delete & Edit Placement of Objects
The props and the characters added to a scene can be deleted, moved, and rotated. These buttons are located in the top bar in the current prototype.
feature 04. Character Animation
3D character performs target animation and time-frame animation.
feature 05. Scene Play and Data Analysis
The scene that has been built and animated is playable in VR. The scene also provides the analysis on the data such as heat map and path map of 3D character.
/ What could be improved more on the current prototype?
01. All features in a single mode.
02. Distant edit button from objects.
03. Limited environment and character settings.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we organize a lot of complex functions in a single screen?
IDEATION
/ Brainstorm a new design and additional features.
solution 01.
solution 02.
solution 03.
ADD
SEPARATE
Divide the functions into two different modes: environment mode and animation mode.
Click an object and edit button pops up by the object to delete, move, and rotate.
Provide more environment and character options such as weather and character attires.
ADJACENT
/ Initial Sketches
/ How might we make it even more intuitive to target users?
Our target users are criminologists and law enforcement agencies whose ages are mostly 40s and 50s.
The initial sketches removed a top bar and primarily used icons in the interface, which is more similar to the interface of games. Instead of game-like interface, we decided to adopt a similar interface that would be the most familiar to our target users — PowerPoint.
Both PowerPoint and Slides have top bars that contain different menus and sidebars for detailed options. We decided to keep menus in a top bar instead of only using icons without a top bar, and use a sidebar for addition features.
