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Furniture decisions are difficult because people are not only choosing a product — they are choosing how that product will change a space.
A floor plan can show dimensions, while a 3D model can show the design, but neither always helps a client understand what the final space will actually feel like.
Role
Product Designer
Platform
Meta Quest 3 · iPad
Focus
Spatial UX · Interaction Design · User Research
Impact
It bridges the gap between design visualization and real-world spatial understanding.
Transformed furniture visualization into an immersive spatial experience
Enabled clients to explore furniture at real-world scale before making decisions.
Designed a connected experience across MR and iPad
Allow interior designers to guide furniture selections while clients explore designs in an immersive environment.
Improved usability through intuitive spatial interactions
Simplified navigation, reduced visual distractions to help first-time MR users interact with confidence.
Understand the workflow
I wanted to understand not only what designers do, but where communication breaks down between the designer and the client.
Following the team discussion, we refined the user flow to create a more intuitive and seamless MR experience.
Prioritize
There were many possibilities for a mixed reality furniture experience, from changing materials and lighting to moving furniture and creating complete room layouts.
Define
Unlike a mouse or touchscreen, VR interactions rely on controller inputs, each with a different level of precision and intent. Defining clear button mappings and documenting their behavior was essential to creating a consistent user experience.
Three principles guided the design
Designing for MR required a different way of thinking about interaction.
On a screen, the interface controls the user’s attention. In MR, the user is moving through a physical environment while interacting with digital objects.
Scale
Virtual objects need to feel connected to the real environment.
Awareness
The interface should not make users lose awareness of their surroundings.
Simplicity
Interactions should be easy to learn, especially for first-time MR users.
Design Change 01
Reduce visual clutter
Changed the background to a solid colour to improve focus and reduce motion distraction.
Design Change 02
Make navigation easier
Users needed to understand what they could do without having to experiment with every control.
I replaced hidden hover-based actions with visible labels and clearer navigation.
Companion iPad Experience
The MR experience was designed alongside an iPad interface for interior designers.
This separation allowed each device to focus on what it does best instead of forcing every task into the MR environment.
Test
We conducted user testing to validate the usability of the MR experience and identify areas for improvement. The sessions revealed two key insights:
Improved onboarding
Improved onboarding and contextual instructions helped users understand controls faster.
Increased confidence
Users found that viewing furniture in their own environment helped them better understand scale and layout, reducing uncertainty.
Reflection
This project changed how I think about designing interfaces.
In a traditional interface, the screen is the environment. In MR, the environment becomes part of the interface.
That meant I had to think beyond screens and consider movement, scale, physical space, attention, and discoverability.
Good spatial design is making the technology feel natural enough that people can focus on what they are trying to accomplish.