Driving business with extended reality apps
2021-2022
Startup
Oculus & mobile apps
Context
Extended reality (XR) is an umbrella term that encompasses augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR).
Holotch, a Japanese startup, specializes in hologram software and XR experiences, offering tools for creating and viewing holograms across VR headsets, AR apps, and more. As the sole Product Designer in a seven-person team, I was responsible for both software interface design and crafting immersive hologram viewing experiences.
Challenge
Designing hologram experiences was central to the startup’s communication and business strategy, but each project came with unique challenges, such as varying use cases, audiences, devices, and technical constraints. Additionally, transitioning from 2D interfaces to 3D interactions was a new challenge for me.
My approach
I researched XR and 3D apps to identify best practices, defined clear goals and audiences for each experience, and leveraged my technical background to navigate constraints and work autonomously in Unity to create XR experiences.
Outcome
Combining my design expertise with my development background enabled me to create a workaround for a major technical limitation: viewing holograms on iOS devices.
This breakthrough enabled multi-device XR experiences at a Rakuten Mobile event, boosting Holotch’s visibility.
My role in XR design positioned me at the core of the business strategy, leading the CEO to bring me to AWE USA 2022, a major XR exhibition in San Jose, where we showcased our proof of concept, engaged with potential partners, and secured a partnership with INTEC, a U.S.-based company.
Demonstrating Holotch’s Capabilities at AWE
Clarifying the audience
When I joined Holotch, the lack of a clearly defined target audience made product scope decisions challenging. To address this, I conducted secondary research in VR/AR and created a proto-persona to help the team align on user needs.
Though initially based on hypotheses, this proto-persona coupled with a competitive analysis, reinforced the importance of Holotch’s lightweight approach to holograms, leading us to highlight mobile capabilities as the centerpiece of our showcase at AWE USA 2022.
Holotch mobile user proto-persona
Designing for AWE
To emphasize our competitive advantage, we focused on demonstrating how a single iPhone could both create and view holograms. While the VR headset provided the most immersive experience at our booth, I also designed and developed a Unity-based concept app that allowed users to view holograms in 3D and AR on smartphones. This app became a crucial asset for quick demos, even beyond the exhibition.
Photo from AWE USA 2022 and video sample showcasing our demo app
Designing an engaging XR experience for Rakuten Mobile
For a Rakuten Mobile event, we created a live VR experience where Vissel Kobe fans could meet star player Bojan Krkic. Designing this required catering to different audiences: an immersive VR experience for users, an intuitive setup for stakeholders, large-screen displays for onlookers, and a mobile version for those waiting.
Using Unity, I developed viewers for VR headset, external screens, and mobile devices, ensuring seamless interactions. Feedback was highly positive, with many users feeling as if they were truly standing in front of Bojan. The event significantly boosted Holotch’s visibility.
YouTube video of the VR event hosted by Rakuten Mobile at Vissel Kobe Stadium
Navigating the challenges of XR design
Picking the right tools
Since designing end-to-end XR experiences extends beyond traditional UI design, I expanded my toolkit:
Figma remained useful for UI overlays, high-fidelity screens, and illustrating user flows.
Framer provided an option for prototyping basic 3D interactions.
Unity proved to be the best choice, allowing me to develop both prototypes and functional solutions using Holotch’s holograms rather than generic 3D models.
Learning Unity significantly improved my ability to design and implement XR experiences autonomously. This, in turn, saved development time, allowing our engineers to focus on core product functionality.
Design tools used for XR projects: Figma, Unity, and Framer
Google Calendar event for weekly design meeting
Following standards & guidelines
While general design principles remain relevant in XR, their importance is amplified, as minor usability issues can disrupt immersion. To ensure best practices, I followed XR design guidelines from Apple, Google, Meta and Unity.
Noteworthy Applications to My Work:
Prioritizing direct manipulation over indirect controls when interacting with 3D objects.
Using standard mobile gestures (e.g., pinch-to-zoom, drag-to-rotate).
Applying interaction constraints to prevent ambiguous states, such as setting minimum and maximum scale limits and restricting object movement to a single axis when necessary.
Offering real-time feedback within the AR environment.
Providing coaching interfaces to guide users in finding a surface for AR placement.
AR coaching interface using dotted overlays to assist 3D model positioning
In addition, I discovered effective ways to improve spatial awareness in VR for our use cases with holograms:
Using Passthrough Mode in VR headset to enable mixed reality without blocking the user’s physical surroundings.
Displaying avatar hands in fully immersive VR to help users gauge depth and distance more effectively.
User avatar hands visible in a fully immersive VR environment
Reflections & key learnings
What worked well
Strong communication ensured alignment between startup objectives and product direction.
Investing in Unity—despite its initial learning curve—enabled me to deliver both rapid prototypes and production-ready solutions.
What I would do differently
Initially, my focus was on continuous discovery and experimentation, often prioritizing new features over refinement.
In retrospect, once core interactions (e.g., AR viewing, hologram scaling, and rotation) were functional, dedicating more time to polishing the user experience—such as refining interactions and enhancing the aesthetics of 3D environments—would have made the core experience feel even more seamless.
