2. Welcome to the spaceship
We found this primitive human
species.
We decided to keep it as a pet.
But it seems to freak out in our
strange environment.
3. Welcome to the spaceship
So we created this device to keep
it happy.
Here’s the results of our tests,
based on our findings of human
evolution…
13. If you want to try to make
humans happy…
Try relying on nature first and nurture second
14. object features to draw attention
understandable spatial relationships
color with evolutionary reasons - i.e. blood red
nesting instincts
exploration instincts
defensive, food gathering, reproductive, parental, etc.
31. Use line of sight to reveal information
PRO-TIP
Source: Elite: Dangerous, LEAP Motion Planetarium, Siemens Demo
Animals in environments with too
much going on are more likely to
miss a critical detail and die, so the
brain sends signals to escape.
Also, humans fear the unknown
and have a desire to explore and
understand so they don’t die.
WHY
32. Take care of humans responsibly
Minimalism helps keep the environment simple, and thus
less stressful.
But having information available immediately is pleasing.
33. Don’t show what you don’t know
PRO-TIP
Source: Stanford Human Interaction Lab, Altpace VR, Jody Medich
Proprioceptive Disparity; If a human ate
something poisonous, it might cause
mismatched signals in their senses. The
brain reacts by making the body sick to
vomit what they ate. This is why
vestibular and ocular mismatch makes
humans sick. This also breaks suspension
of disbelief.
WHY
34. Take care of humans responsibly
You’re better off not showing an elbow rather than
showing one in the wrong place.
35. Looking left and right is easier standing;
Up and down is easier sitting
PRO-TIP
Source: Jody Medich
It’s the way human muscles
and tendons evolved
WHY
36. Take care of humans responsibly
Format content for the experience.
Use rows and columns where they make sense.
vs
37. 5cm separation on near UI elements is as
clear as a drop-shadow in 2D
PRO-TIP
Source: Josh Carpenter
object identification based on
parallax and convergence is hard-
wired into the human’s brain
WHY
38. Take care of humans responsibly
Use z-depth for hierarchical UI elements
39. Flat planes look convex from distortion;
Compensate with dynamic plane curvature
PRO-TIP
Source: Steam VR, Jody Medich
The brain breaks suspension of
disbelief with unexpected physical
characteristics
WHY
40. Take care of humans responsibly
Adjust 2D plane curvature based on distance from user
Use a reference grid to test
41. Sound helps for lack of tactile feedback
PRO-TIP
Source: Jody Medich
Synesthesia; The human’s senses
work together. Smelling things can
give it the illusion of taste. Sound
feedback on actions helps (but
doesn’t always solve)
WHY
42. Take care of humans responsibly
If they touch something, play a corresponding sound
43. Human scale helps spatial cognition
PRO-TIP
Source: Jody Medich
Humans come automatically
trained to recognize distances
relative to themselves.
WHY
44. Take care of humans responsibly
Help your human navigate, remember,
and find things by using real sizes
45. Podiums help them feel balanced
PRO-TIP
Source: Alex Chu
Vertigo; When a human is near an
e d g e , t h e y m a y b e c o m e
unbalanced, making them want to
grab something for support.
Having a railing, podium or object
near helps them feel more
comfortable.
WHY
46. Take care of humans responsibly
Ground them with elements in the foreground plane,
particularly for standing experiences
Foreground Midground Background
47. Use aspects of physical reality, even if
your art style is not photorealism
PRO-TIP
Source: Jody Medich, Alex Chu, Tony Davidson
Presence is involuntary subconscious
suspension of disbelief. The brain
accepts a presented reality more
readily if physical properties behave
appropriately.
WHY
48. Take care of humans responsibly
Pay attention to the way light bounces.
Add imperfections and reflections.
Use optimized normal maps and shaders to achieve
believable materials and corners.
Bake ambient occlusion and raytracing where possible.
49. More UX/UI Resources
Josh Carpenter - Mozilla
youtube.com/watch?v=ZOaOYTOpwyM
Jody Medich - LEAP Motion
youtube.com/watch?v=f0PCyyfbJpw
Alex Chu - Samsung
youtube.com/watch?v=XjnHr_6WSqo
