# Udacity VR

A mobile VR app for Udacity's VR Nanodegree

- Role: Designer & Developer
- Company: Udacity
- Year: 2016
- Tags: VR, Mobile, Education
- Canonical: https://austastic.com/work/udacity-vr

Designed and developed a mobile VR application for Udacity's VR Developer Nanodegree, solving the problem of creating a VR experience when not everyone in the audience has a headset.

Designed two parallel user flows - one for students with Google Cardboard, one for potential customers experiencing VR for the first time without a headset.

Defaulted to monoscopic mode for maximum accessibility, using photospheres to gently introduce device interaction.

## Overview

I designed and developed a mobile VR application for Udacity’s VR Developer Nanodegree. The application serves both iOS and Android users, introducing them to the environments they’ll create in the Nanodegree program. I was responsible for design and development through publication.

## Demo Video and Design Deconstruction

### Creating a VR application when not everyone has a VR headset.

The application serves two distinct user groups: Udacity students who have a Google Cardboard viewer, and potential customers who may not own a headset at all. This meant the app follows two parallel, but separate flows - one optimized for stereoscopic VR, and one that works entirely in monoscopic mode on the phone screen.

![Diagram showing the two parallel user flows](https://austastic.com/images/udacity-vr/two-flows.png)

### Photospheres for hinting.

Photospheres serve as a gentle introduction to device interaction for VR newcomers. By placing users inside a 360-degree photo environment, they naturally discover that moving their phone changes their view - building the foundational mental model needed for the full VR experience.

![Photosphere interaction introducing device movement](https://austastic.com/images/udacity-vr/onboarding.png)

### A very first time experience.

The app uses a card-based introductory flow that guides users through landscape orientation, explains what they’re about to experience, and offers the option to order a Google Cardboard viewer. This onboarding sequence was designed to feel welcoming rather than technical, easing people into a medium they may have never encountered.

![Card-based first-time experience onboarding flow](https://austastic.com/images/udacity-vr/hero.png)

### Default to mono.

The app defaults to monoscopic mode - a deliberate choice to ensure the experience is accessible to the widest possible audience. Users without a headset can still explore VR environments by simply moving their phone around. Those with a Google Cardboard can switch to stereoscopic mode when ready. This removes the barrier of needing specialized hardware just to get a taste of VR.

![Monoscopic default mode for accessibility](https://austastic.com/images/udacity-vr/mono-mode.png)

## Contact

Austin McCasland — Staff Product Designer, Meta Reality Labs

- Email: austastic@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austastic/
- Web: https://austastic.com

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