Spex

Based our knowledge and assumptions about creative skill workers as well as our research of current solutions, we created two simplified personas to represent our target audience of Learners and Creators/Experts.

• Social networks have evolved to promote sharing of skills in a bitesize form
• User generated content can promote collaborative learning
• Learners can become creators to expand the network

Sketching and storyboarding helped us to imagine what an integarted learning workflow might look like. Some type of smart glasses was the most intuitive solution for visualizing supplementary instruction without disrupting one’s productivity. It prompted us to consider where the UI would live, how someone like Jeremy might interact with the system.

• Is the technology available to create a lightweight mixed reality spectacle?
• Would users requiring prescription lenses be excluded?
• Could this solution expand beyond digital skills?

After further researching the available and upcoming technology, we could begin to visualize how Spex would receive, process, and return information. Having a better understanding of the components informed our physical concepts.

We tried different forms to accomodate the necessary technical components and leaned towards the idea of a detachable visor to help break up the weight of parts and allow for the spectable to serve as standalone eyeware.

• A visor could allow a user to easily enter and exit the AR environment
• A detachable visor couldl help break up some of the technical components for a more lightweight spectacle
• In a noisy environment, having alternate inputs to voice would expand usage capabilities

Considering the target users needs, Spex’s three main navigational entry points are community, create, and help. Users could find specific resources by asking Spex or browse the community feed for other user created skills

We received valuable user feedback from presenting our concept and early UI ideation.

• Spex may not initially have resources for every user request
• Redirecting to 3rd party existing resources could help connect the user to a solution while it grows it’s skills database
• Communicating with Spex by touch (virtual AR interface), voice, and gesture could help compensate for any environmental constraints such as noise or lighting

Spex’s form and design was greatly influenced by our physical and digital 3D prototype iteration. Creating a wearable object let us feel the weight of a visor and anticipate the necessary field of view

While creating a 3D model helped to easily convey the idea for user feedback, construction a physical prototype was more valuable to learn the constraints that certain forms may have on functionality.

• A visor carrying too much weight may require a nose support
• The visor top should be raised above the eyeline for visibility
• A curved shape for the visor would be more aesthetically pleasing

While Spex is a concept, mixed realilty eyewear is being validated on a daily basis as more and more companies from Hololens to Rayban Stories are introducing smart glasses and integrated UI into our daily processes.

The timing of this project with the pandemic also gave weight to the collaborative user created skills content. Remote work has made us lean in further to digital connections. Spex combines the integration of mixed reality with a network of skilled digital creators to offer a unique platform for learning and collaboration.

• Create a low fi wizard of oz experience with users to better understand the workflow needs
• Develop an MVP prototype in Unity or Unreal for user testing
• Produce a vision video to highlight the value add of Spex for integrated, collaborative learning

• Trying to understand the technology required held us back from determining the physical form
• We struggled to make the collaborative network component clearly understood
• Explaining mixed reality was a barrier to understanding the UI during our presentations

• We leveraged the strengths of each team member for a successful collabortative experience
• Our core concept remained consistent despite our pivots on the physical prototype
• The value of the concept was clearly communicated to industry stakeholders and ignited excitement