Analyzing the Current Menu System

When I joined the team, I initiated a deep dive into syGlass’ existing menu system, focusing on three key areas to drive improvements:

• Customer Feedback Analysis: Identified that the absence of system guidance was preventing users from fully understanding the software's capabilities.

• Usability Audit: Uncovered insufficient system feedback, leading to user confusion and an increased risk of irreversible errors.

• Competitive Benchmarking: Highlighted that the current menu design did not align with established VR standards, such as Oculus and Vision iOS guidelines.

Customization: Users want to customize their view, including control over where menus open relative to the data.

We dedicated approximately eight months to designing, usability testing, and iterating on the menu system. The primary challenge was to create an entirely new design without disrupting users' muscle memory or hindering their workflow—a task that initially felt overwhelming but drove our focus on seamless transition and efficiency.

Following the system audit, it became clear that some global functions needed relocation, and certain elements required repositioning to offer users a more comfortable and intuitive viewing experience.

I developed multiple design concepts for various elements of the menu system. Below are a few examples showcasing these designs.

Old vs. New design

Usability testing

I led two rounds of usability testing, each with 8 users, iterating on the wireframes and collaborating with engineers to refine the prototypes.

What did not work and how we fixed it

Working closely with the team, we developed a high-level layout that aligned with our design goals. The new design was crafted to be intuitive and familiar, preserving users' muscle memory while incorporating VR best practices and core UX principles. This approach ensured that existing workflows remained efficient, and users could adapt seamlessly to the updated interface.

Over the course of three months, I led a series of meetings to refine and finalize the design concept. Following that, I developed high-fidelity wireframes and worked closely with the engineering team to guide the development of a VR prototype, which was later used in usability testing to ensure the design met user needs.

One key insight from the research revealed that users typically relied on 2-3 tools in syGlass. To streamline their workflow, we initially pre-assigned three tools. However, 6 out of 8 users preferred having only two pre-assigned tools, as the third tool often varied.

Based on user feedback, we refined the prototype by pre-assigning the two most frequently used tools. After retesting with users, the updated design successfully passed the usability test, confirming its effectiveness in streamlining workflows.

After these iterations, I finalized the designs, which included the following key design elements:

Redesign Impact & Next Steps

This redesign significantly improved the menu system’s learnability, allowing new users to navigate more efficiently while helping existing users discover overlooked features. Our next step is to address dependencies within the system to make advanced features more accessible, further enhancing user productivity in less time.