Inspiration
Research indicates that long-distance relationships can significantly increase individual and relationship stress levels (Du Bois et al., 2016). Conventional communication methods like text messages and phone calls do not work well in creating new memories of time spent together and could also be routine-like. It lacks in sentiment and gesture of affection.
Could there be a new way to express our care and affection for our loved ones at a distance?
Our particular inspiration for Ever-present comes from our own experience as international students living abroad. We want our parents to know that even if we are miles apart and perhaps even sleeping because of the time difference, when they see Ellowyn, they would know that our love for them is ever-present.
What it does
Enter our enchanting digital companion, Ellowyn. This magical creature will gracefully travel between the homes of ours and our loved ones, and deliver tokens of affection across space and time.
A Gift of Experience: With Ellowyn, you can deliver a variety of magical experiences called “Greetings”. Like dazzling fireworks, serene shooting stars, or an enchanting undersea these experiences are designed to surprise and delight your loved ones. Your loved ones can collect these experiences as memories.
Symbol of Mutual Care: To send and receive greetings, both parties need to nurture Ellowyn. As it grows on you, it becomes more willing to deliver Greetings. Every successful delivery of _Greeting represents mutual care and affection.
Ambient: Ellowyn happily resides in your everyday MR spaces, and is not an individual app or game to be launched. It won't seek your continuous attention, but a calm, companion that connects you and your loved ones.
Challenges we ran into & How We Built
Balancing User and Demo Experiences
Ever-present is ambient experience and is meant to be experienced over time, with delayed gratification. We had to ensure the demo effectively conveyed the eventual delight of the full user experience. We strategically selected high emotional points of the experience for the demo, which is 1. sending out Ellowyn to deliver Greetings, 2. seeing Ellowyn enter a portal to deliver a Greeting and 3. Launching Greetings
Importance of Room Setting and Context
Spatial context and scale are crucial in shaping the experience and the narrative, especially for Mixed Reality experience. When designing portals where Ellowyn travels to and fro, we were careful to consider all possible cases. We were able to use Meta Presence's building block related to room settings.
Strategic Use of SDK Features
We aimed to leverage the specialty of the SDKs to their fullest, for example, the multitude of gestures. However, we also needed to stay true to intuitive interactions. We were able to create several custom gestures using Meta's Interaction SDK. More documentation would have increased our productivity, but we are proud that we were able to look into the original codes.
Navigating Uncertain UI Guidelines
With Mixed Reality being a relatively new field, established UI guidelines and design principles are sparse. This required us to experiment and make decisive choices in uncharted territory.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Alignment of Ambition and Expectation
Throughout the team formation process, we prioritized ensuring that every member shared a common vision and passion for the project. This alignment was crucial in setting a solid foundation for our collaboration.
Adopting a Problem-First Approach
We dedicated significant time to thoroughly understanding and defining the problem before jumping into solutions. This approach helped us stay grounded in the real needs of our users and ensured that our solutions were genuinely tailored to address these needs.
Fostering Transparency and Efficiency in Communication
Our team culture emphasized clarity and detail in all forms of communication, especially during debates or when providing feedback. We made it a point to articulate our reasoning comprehensively, ensuring that every team member understood the perspectives and rationale behind different viewpoints.
What we learned
We realized that our product has a life of its own and it was telling us what it wanted to do, just like writers find their characters coming to life and the story telling itself. Ellowyn began to have a life and personality of its own!
What's next for Ever-present
Here are some of our plans!
Increasing scalability
We want to improve accessibility/HCI usability so that we can help more user demographics adopt the MR technology. This is especially important because we envision our parents using it. During our process, we put accessibility first and designed it to be low stimulus and complexity because we understand that older adults can become stressed and anxious with emerging technology. We hope refine the spatial instructions that we currently have in place.
Increasing user retention
Ellowyn will be equipped to deliver a range of Greetings (multi-sensory experiences) and personalized messages. Imagine receiving a recording of your loved one's voice, tailored specifically for you by Ellowyn. Over time and through your interactions, Ellowyn will develop a unique personality and mature. This growth is not just in appearance but also in character, reflecting the depth of your relationship with it.
We also want to introduce diverse companions like Orion, Lunara, Serapelle, and more! Each messenger has its distinct flair, allowing you to select one that resonates best with your style and preference.
Future updates will also include synchronous mini-games and challenges, such as competitive enticement of Ellowyn to visit your room. These playful elements are designed to enhance engagement and shrink the distance between you and your loved ones.
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