CS Lecture: “Designing for AR/VR toward XR”

This talk will provide an understanding of the unique aspects of AR/VR as a medium with guidelines for designing experiences for mobile and headset devices. Using a real virtual environment of Spatial.io to bring in practical examples and demonstrations. Concluding with a deeper perspective on the true value of AR/VR as becoming XR and facilitating new ways to interact with the tangible world, specifically through robotics.

Speaker:
John Hanacek
Immersive XR UI/UX Designer, Entrepreneur, johnhanacek.com

Thursday, February 24, 2022
3:30p – 4:30p EST
A special topic online lecture for the Course CSCI 3907/6907 Augmented and Virtual Reality. To attend, please RSVP to Dr. Hurriyet Ok at [email protected] by February 23, 2022

Abstract
Virtual and augmented realities are fundamentally new mediums for human thought and expression. Never before have we had a medium that lets creators make so many aspects: volume (like sculpture), temporal (like animation) combined with interactive (it’s computation) in a spatial and immersive experience (like reality). Historically, when new media emerge there is an initial period where the technology is still new and fragile or complex and standards are not yet formed. Initially, audiences/users are not familiar with the new medium limiting their ability to engage, while creators / practitioners making content for the given new medium do not yet understand the best practices and optimal uses of their own medium. Creators may approach the new medium in old ways getting stuck in sub optimal results, or else believe too much in the raw newness and ignore the reality of making valuable experiences. We are at a similar moment in history, which is a very exciting time. A new medium has emerged and now we are in the process of designing projects, creating standards and otherwise pioneering the new AR/VR medium that is converging on a unified medium of XR. In this talk I will discuss what makes the new medium of “immersive computation” unique compared to all other media, then share tangible examples of my design work and thought process of designing for headset VR and AR such as hololens, before concluding with a discussion of where this technology is headed and what it could mean for human culture and civilization. Yes I might say metaverse, but this talk is more about how to create value in immersive computing right now (from mobile to headset) while talking about tangible future uses in complex systems and robotics. My goal is you will come away from this talk with a more “seasoned” perspective on how to make useful and fun experiences now and a more grounded approach to where this technology is heading, beyond the marketing hype and into a truly (unpredictable) new era for human language and thought.

Bio
John Hanacek is a designer, entrepreneur, consultant, artist, and researcher working at the intersection of new forms of computation, creativity and human augmentation. John has expertise in head mounted display AR and VR design. His most recent role was serving as the primary immersive designer for BadVR, an immersive data visualization company where he introduced new design processes and created designs for data display, manipulation and user interface targeting Quest 2 and Hololens 2 devices. As an independent researcher John has been creating with Magic Leap since launch and as a startup founder has worked with robotics and HoloLens 2 to explore new possibilities for extended reality (XR) technology. John has also founded technology startups in both building materials and medical information technology and has first responder experience as a CA State Parks Ocean Lifeguard. He obtained a MA degree from Georgetown University in Communication, Culture & Technology, and a BA degree from UC San Diego in Political Science.