Summary Challenge Background Approach Concept Implementation Review

Cultural Climate & Historical Precedents

ᐸ

The advent of modernism in art and architecture ushered in by the twentieth century international style machine age conventions removed scientifically proven cognitive and wellness enhancing fractals from the visual culture of the classical and folk architecture of the built environment replacing them with empty rectangles and planes with sometimes random chaotic forms.

Mixed Reality environments affords media and interior designers the opportunity to once again redefine the visual culture of our environments with the novel developmental possibility of reintroducing the regular occurrence of fractal elements of organized complexity into the physical and virtual structures, user interface functions and systems of interactivity.

Twentieth century precursors to modern AR systems in the most simplistic sense includes electronic billboards/signs as well as sensors and basic projection technology. The designers Robert Venturi and Lars Spuybroek serve as important precedents to consider when researching the background of strengths versus weaknesses to allow for future developments into the best approach for incorporating interactive media and 3D interfaces into interiors.

Mixed Reality Interiors

Design Research (M.S. Thesis Drexel University)

- Spatial Computing Design Futures

ᐸ

Back

Goal :

Immersive Design Research, Conceptualization, Digital Media M.S. Thesis (Drexel University)

Role:

Duration:

2018

Tools:

Academic Research Journals, Literature, Maya, Cinema 4D, PS, AE

Mixed Reality Interiors was a design research endeavor that investigated how digital media and interior design principles of construction could be combined to formulate 3D user interface space planning and interactivity aesthetics for augmented reality spatial compositions.

I explored the design pattern languages derived from the cross disciplinary approach into media/interior design among other subject veins that could be utilized to effectively craft 3D user interfaces for everyday use in mixed reality simulation experiences.

Goals

Aid in developing foundational design frameworks for physical spatial forms and digital asset integration, organization and usage

Have the potential to engage varying sensory perception, learning and interaction modalities

Afford discovered conceptual pathways and insights of opportunity for designers, researchers and developers from a panoply of related disciplines to iterate and improve upon the Mixed reality design process

I took the conceptual design as research approach with this project. The main goal here weighted upon the discovery of relevant informational artifacts in efforts to build archetypal grounding for the Mixed Reality discipline rather than the furnishment of highly polished and tested user experience implements.

Link to Document

***Access the full 200 page document with references is available via the link above. Below, I have included an abbreviated case study including some figures + media artifacts.

The Challenge

How can a sustainable pattern language of construction be developed for Mixed Reality/Spatial computing environments of the future? The primary challenge for this project entailed having to devise a holistic systematic process for composing dynamic elements in Mixed reality that is relevant, purposeful and useful to domestic or commercial users yet grounded in universal design principles.

Traditional Mixed Reality experiences entail usage of some sort of viewing/projection device embedded with sensors to view and interact with multimedia informational overlays upon the real world. At present, most of the MR media productions have been one-off types experiences that exist in their own isolative framework beyond this basic requirement for engagement. Responsiveness in the traditional sense only takes into account accessibility of the user interface with respect to the interfacing hardware medium.

This orientation needs growth and subsequent improvements as it fails to interrogate and incorporate connection ports with the user's context of environment, mental state, human factors along with other AR applications and IOT technologies in any substantive and consistent manner. This would inevitably lead to a jarring user experience as it would be akin to a computer station user having to switch systems or OS interfaces each time they wanted to execute a new application.

The opportunity is presented to develop a connected and wholly responsive ecosystem for these fluid immersive interactions to take place.

Our technological pursuits for the augmentation of reality ethically must move in tandem with the elevation of the human physical, cognitive and consciousness structure, not to mute and stultify these organic hardware capacities through usage of these new mediums. It is the responsibility of designers and developers to build sustainably holistic Mixed Reality systems that nurture the currency of these multifaceted growth potentials.

I aimed here not to just establish a sound utilitarian framework for compositional inter-connectivity but to create a methodology for incorporation of visual design geometries and interaction modes to yield instorative response in users. This terminology refers to cognitive/emotional augmentation in the vein of Environmental Psychology.

Immersive mediums have the potential to balance these interactive scales between the virtual and physical via incorporation of spatial computing experiences that cater towards multiple learning styles and sensory experiences.

One dimensional screen based virtual interactions have been shown to be detrimental for social emotional skills as well as youth critical thinking skills development.

In a world composed of these hybrid environments, systems need to be designed that encourage equal or at least context appropriate amounts of physical as well as virtual interactivity for the sake of mental, physical and social/behavioral health. This poses an issue especially in developing youth as recent research has attributed a decline in the ability to pick up on social cues as well as critical thinking capacity to top-heavy interactions with flat screens and real-time visual media. Inherently, each form of media has it’s benefits for the user be it textual, animated or otherwise.

XR has the potential as an immersive medium to solve these issues by incorporating a multiplicity of sensory modalities for multiple learning styles into it’s input/output streams. This research project focuses the overall design of Mixed Reality interior design layouts at an archetypal level and presents evolutionary architecture connection point opportunities for further development in more specialized veins.

Background & Precedents

In the beginning sections, I set the groundwork by addressing design considerations in relation to biological systems, art movements or cultural influences upon the development of functional/decorative features in our living spaces along with historical precedents for user interfaces and electronic media embedded within architecture.

The notion of interiors as interfaces was examined along with insights into the basic implementation of swarm intelligence principles in mixed reality setting to aid with organizing environmental media assets and directing user attention to varying points in space among other uses for this brand of automation.

Parallels were drawn between AR and past artistic movements such as Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism and the Baroque to re-mediate salient aspects for the development of Mixed Reality Choreographing.

The second part of mixed reality choreographing dealt with drawing in research from how natural systems such as swarms self-organize in the context of a non-hierarchical structure. This affords opportunities for implementation of AI into the Mixed Reality design landscape to streamline routines and boost efficiency of tasks or workflows.

A few of the several notable insights culled from this investigation process include:

Cultural Climate & Historical Precedents

Creating successful Mixed reality user interface schemes foremost involves an examination and interrogation between the digital and physical layers of these environments from a historical context to understand the background and subsequently draw lines of developmental design inquiry.

Augmentation in the current vernacular suggests interactive digital enhancements or overlays on the built environment. However, before the advent of digital media, art, architecture and the interior volumes of space articulated by the latter comprised the original enhancements. These augmentations served to convey practical information vital to the functions of their site or society along with relaying cultural meaning among other uses.

This was an assault on the human visual processing system because our systems have evolved via organization of biochemical complexity and the elements of the environment manmade or otherwise should be reflective of our natural state of processing information to produce harmony.

Scaling, Self-similarity, Alternating Repetition

This example of a geometric ceiling demonstrates a structure with fractal properties that mimic mental and pattern recognition processes in the human brain as well as forms in the natural world through existence in an immersive symbiotic web of reciprocal relationships.

This design convention is significant because modern science has verified that archetypal keynotes of these fractal elements have the inherent benefit of enhancing cognitive function including feelings of connectedness and other positive emotional states.

Conversely, in this figure, we see the absence of any rhythm, interplay of pattern, wholes or nested centers and instead deadening an instance of banal repetition from which no flourishing life or imaginative mental states are likely to emerge.

Banal Repetition, Uniform Scale(no scale)

Robert Venturi, a post-modernist architect/designer sought the reintroduction of useful ornament in the form of electronic signage to enliven our living spaces while serving environmental wayfinding and recognition purposes.

While the electrical component of his designs was novel, his work did not take into consideration the totality of the spatial volumes in which they were situated and can be compared to the works of the artists who relegated themselves to the 2D space of the gallery wall or meant to be viewed as singular isolated entities.

His work also serves as a reminder to take a critical look at the paradigm of 'Always On" culture in which we are currently enmeshed with our smart computing devices. Researchers have reported that the working memory cognitive load of many users of smartphone/tablets is taxed to the detriment of our presence and concentration on subjects, people and places in the physical world which has led to a host of unintended societal consequences.

Lars Spuybroek another designer sought to create structures that were reactive with visual and audio to the motions and interactions of inhabitants. Pictured below is his Water Pavilion structure, a space constructed of smooth flowing forms to mirror the computing age of the continuous systems for processing and organizing information flows.

While these interactive stuctures are representative of the information age in an abstract sense, it does not present a system or pattern language template from which designers can concept future networked interior living spaces replete with embedded Augmented Reality media.

From my observations, if the design methodologies of Lars Spuybroek and Robert Venturi were combined along with utilizing fractal pattern elements, it would yield effective results towards this end. Spuybroek designed sensor based interactive the spatial volumes in accordance to the mutable essence of the electronic information but the useful content was lacking besides animated abstraction. On the other hand, Venturi’s works displayed useful content but did not interrogate the dimensionality of the space and were situated inside a traditional linear context. It would behoove future designers to take these precedents into consideration moving forward in their practice to create mixed reality, digital/physical environmental spaces with organized complexity.

Media embedded within our everyday surroundings should be interactive, customizable towards user needs as well as adaptive the mutable residing environment context. Options should also be present for gradients of media exposure control besides always on or off. Mixed Reality is the perfect medium to implement, experiment and progressively enhance these design aims.

AR Theoretical + Media Design Considerations

Mixed Reality interiors fundamentally gives rise to the cultural reinterpretation of space through enabling local attributes of an environment to be simultaneously global and local. This section aims to explore some of the meaning making potentials and implications whilst operating inside these hybrid environments. How and why will the media that we currently consume, adapt and transform into the visual composition of our living spaces beyond the context of the 2D screen in a functional, environmentally integrated organized format?

Media needs to adapt when transitioning into augmented reality because the user is now more immersed in a multiplicity of visual realities and universes ranging from social, educational, occupational or even in entertainment worlds. Coupled with this notion, the user is also placed more prominently in the director’s role of choreographing the mixed reality elements inside their spaces.

Here, I also examined art movements along with the core principles of swarm intelligence to assist in developing a methodology for the choreography and modulation of media assets in an immersive virtual setting.

Throughout the ages, art beyond mere visual aesthetics is representative of the cultural climate as well as being a tool utilized to convey important messages and meaning to stimulate self reflexive and societal growth. I this regard, I investigated abstract expressionism, impressionist as well as baroque art forms as they relate to and inform the Mixed Reality design process.

Gradients

From Impressionism it was also learned that a spectrum of gradients needs to be established for augmented media asset expression.

Impressionism, a late 19th and early 20th centuries art movement placed prime importance on depicting the fleeting moods and atmospheric effects in a multiplicity of settings through use of a layered buildup of color and texture to provoke visceral response in replicating the immediacy of visual impressions rather than contrived realistic accuracy of traditional paintings.

In mixed reality affording users the ability to control the level and layers of information exposure depending upon their mood or setting serves to remediate some of these impressionist tenants of construction. This would presumably add to the quality of the Mixed Reality experience by endowing users with choice over visualization schemes.

I propose the use of gradients and sampling of media assets and elements in 3D user interfaces to work towards these ends. For example, in accordance to the spatial composition of an interior, the sampling in both quality and quantity of media assets could differ from one area to another. A mixed reality space devoted towards study and learning would have a different gradient of media process and effects as opposed to a dedicated space for socializing and entertainment. Gradients could also be dictated by the spatial scale attributes of the area.

Mixed reality users will inhabit real-time dynamic interior layouts composed of medley of media entities whose distribution and expression are predicated upon user or system modulated gradients. The groundwork for concepting these interfaces lie in establishing a spectrum of gradients relevant towards the space design and interaction goals akin to how the impressionist created values of paint on their palette. Augmented reality expression or programs are not singular isolated entities, rather part of the media scape of future interiors and consideration of gradients is the initial step in the design process.

‍

Abstract expressionism highlights the importance of crafting immersive interfaces that appeal to the sensorium of the userbase to choreograph perceptual and physiological response.

Sampling &Complexity

Abstract expressionism highlights the importance of crafting immersive interfaces that appeal to the sensorium of the userbase to choreograph perceptual and physiological response.

Abstract expressionism an artistic movement which occurred around the mid-20th century was characterized at its onset by uninhibited and spontaneous forms of emotional expression in a wide variety of techniques and styles. Intuitive, musical and fluid applications of paint or manipulation with similar media was the hallmark of the action painting period of the movement and most applicable to be utilized as a starting concept for the pattern expression of media in mixed reality settings.

The actions pursed in life derive largely from intuitive, emotional, and logical factors among others that occur because of various environmental stimuli or innate responses. From a user interface standpoint, this is an important vein of development to consider when designing effective mixed reality interfaces that are appealing to the sensorium of varying users.

Recent scientific studies have been conducted on the seemingly chaotic painterly elements of a well-known abstract expressionist, Jackson Pollack to discover that his works of so called abstraction are poured paint fractals. Further investigations revealed that the level of complexity or fractal dimension D of certain natural or man-made elements in environment impact the human neurological, perceptual and physiological processing systems with regularity regardless of cultural context.

Studies undertaken involving public exposure to Pollack paintings with different levels of fractal dimension uncovered that humans prefer design features with a mid-range level of complexity from 1.3.-1.4 on a scale from 1-2. Besides simply preferring these levels of aesthetic complexity, the field of environmental psychology has described this mid-range fractal dimension features as having instorative effects or improvements in feelings of well-being and overall psychological health resulting from such configurations.

The Abstract Expressionism case study revealed that while context may vary, human beings are hard-wired to respond similarly across the board to certain levels of fractal dimension visual complexity with the preference being mid-to low range. What we perceive as abstract and a product of our own world-view or emotions could in fact exist within the range of organized complexity.

Incorporating design features in a mixed reality interface setting with a mid-range fractal dimension to generate a restorative environment would be another useful consideration to aid in the pattern visualization of media assets that would enhance the user experience.

Participatory Media/Network Connections

Baroque has emphasized the infinitely unbounded, heterogeneous and participatory nature of structure, art and media forms.

Baroque art and architecture parallels the developments of augmented reality in its aims to combine varying sensory evoking design elements. This movement escapes the confines of traditional frame and stylistic representations of 17th century Italy by blurring distinctions between compositions just as augmented media seeks to escape the frame of the 2D context.

These infinite compositions rely upon the perceptions of the spectator to find the center and order space for themselves much like AR/MR media requires the user to be in the director’s seat in varying capacities.

Mixed reality however moves beyond just static imagery depicting infinity into embodying the infinite through digital network connections in combining a wide array of graphical schemes, program types and functions of interactivity to provide the user with multisensory experiences and real-time interactions with vast meaning making opportunities. It is also infinite in the sense that there can exist an unlimited amount of virtual assets and interface elements anywhere in the interior though it is crucial to consider inter-object relations, design patterns and the overall composition of a mixed reality interface layout just as past artisans would construct baroque artforms with consideration of context in accordance to the tenants of the movement.

In remediating baroque ideologies into the technological era, it’s important to update the cannon of practices in accordance with enhanced affordances so that the original set of rules does not become a limiting developmental factor. The important point to consider in designing 3D interfaces catered towards mixed reality is to design for the user to have a participatory role in being part of the action in directing the composition of sensory feedback systems though their own interactions.

Media Asset Behavior& Organization

Examining the biological foundation of swarm intelligence lead to insights about how designers/developers can graphically visualize, order and program the animated interactive behaviors of media assets in immersive environments.

In addition to choreographing mixed reality elements the basis of past cultural design movements, observing the organizational structures and hierarchical patterns of living entities in nature could provide some insight into the incorporation of automated standard functions in augmented reality. In this capacity, the biological foundation of swarm intelligence was examined.

Members of the swarms in an organic sense include groups or clusters of animals or insects that follow collective behavioral patterns for purposes of migration, foraging and communicating crucial information relevant to daily living and sustenance. For our purposes here, individual units of the swarm are likened to virtual media assets which could follow the same collective behavioral patterns in the mixed reality 3D user interface.

Swarm Recruitment Strategies + Media Opportunities
‍

Indirect

Pheromone Signature

Ants employ an indirect method via the progressive release of pheromone signatures along a path they travel to foodstuffs.

Quorum Threshold

This indirect approach of a non-hierarchical flocking behavior is defined as the command of a group or swarm following suit after a certain number of members from that group form an introductory pattern or strong enough call to action.

Augmented animated media asset particles or light trails can be utilized to direct inhabitants or users in an AR setting to help choreograph the sequence of events in a cohesive format which is almost akin to the pheromone signatures discussed.

Film has developed a set of conventions to automatically lead the spectator’s attention to varying places on the screen, but mixed-reality has yet to develop a set of such rules of composition. When a story or interactive experience is being dictated in AR, this method of utilizing animated trails of media asset particle arrays, graphics, gestures or even sounds could be an initial approach.

The notion of quorum threshold is applicable in the user experience design sense as it could relate back to digital media’s organization of artifacts because a user now has a means to efficiently organize their personalized cloud media assets in their AR living space through automation.

They could be assisted in their organization efforts by a swarm structures such as this forming pattern templates for purposes of order and accessibility and these schemes could also be organized with fractal attributes in mind serving as decorative/functional features in the hybrid environment.

Direct

1: 1 Movement

Scout bees dance to forager bees at the hive to communicate navigation instructions for vital resources.

Thinking beyond the typical point and tap actions taken to manipulate media elements on 2D interfaces, Mixed Reality opens the flood gate for experimentation for gestures and body movements to control the immersive environmental interface.

This line of development would yield itself towards the user having more naturalistic interactions with their media within the context of their familiar everyday environments.

Drawing insights gained from examining past design movements and behaviors of swarms, the following notions were synthesized for incorporation into mixed reality settings:

* Gradients
* Sampling & Complexity
* Participatory Media & Networks
*Media Asset Behavior & Dynamic Structure

The Approach

My methodology followed the conceptual design as research approach over the course of the six chapters linked in the PDF document at the beginning of this case study. Therein, I correlated fundamental design ideologies, precedents and interaction modalities from digital media and architectural/interiors design disciplines.

The synthesis of these investigations created a basis for the Mixed Reality Interiors design template along with giving birth to conceptual outcroppings for future feature or device implementation.

Design as Research Methodology

Consideration must foremost be given to the foundational organizing elements when approaching the design of Mixed Reality physical/virtual spaces. I aimed here to correlate established archetypes of development of interior design patterns and spatial strategies with digital media principles couching the most relevant aspects in terms of holistic fractal design principles. Salient concepts from the literature review as it pertains to augmented reality and interior design will also be utilized to informatively flesh out this methodology and the development of the simulated prototype.

Historical as well as modern background investigations revealed that fractal design patterns in one’s environment gives rise to positive emotive response in addition to cognitive/intellectual growth and stimulation. This occurs through pattern recognition and attendant meanings within the context of a given habitus.

I theorize that utilizing fractal elements to help the user organize, interface, navigate along with perceive patterns within these novel environments is a sound basis as well as barometer for future designers to prototype immersive augmented reality UI interior layouts.

In this vein the designer would be able to initially gauge the effectiveness of their endeavors as a precursor to testing and other research methods to fine tune at another layer of granularity.

The design goals or thematic focus of any given mixed reality environment be it residential, public or commercial will always be subject to high variability though it would behoove each layout to fundamentally embody the methodology of wholes and nested centers at its inception to ensure a basis for environmental readability regardless of the user’s virtual or physical spatial orientation.

This design concept of wholes and nested centers as elucidated by C. Alexander states that centers are coherent microcosmic focal points that support the configuration of the macrocosmic whole.

To translate, on a base level the parti, thematic or functional purpose of a living space which can be considered a whole should possess spatial arrangements and media assets (which we will consider the centers here) that support this living idea.

The creation of strong centers and wholes is sought after in nearly all compositional arrangements across the design fields and this aim should not be different when working with the mixed reality(interiors/physical) medium. Perceiving these modalities in terms of their relational co-creative aspects will achieve this end.

This concept is well known within the Interior/Architecture disciplines yet within Digital Media, this means that designers must extend their design context outside of the 2D computer screen and take into consideration the physical space beyond 3D digital assets simply being in correct physical registration with the environment. The questions of what types of media assets and information should be incorporated into these spaces in addition to where and why needs to be asked. In turn, Interior Designers must consider the presence of Digital Media in their environments as a viable compositional element as one would view furniture, lighting, decoration, structural elements etc. and modify their designs accordingly to accommodate.

Mixed Reality Interior Design Archetypes

A list of fifteen design patterns were discovered in the first book of the "Phenomenon of Life" by C. Alexander, as a basis for architectural or interior arrangements to embody strong nested centers which support the wholeness, unity or overall thematic focus of an environment. Effective centers must demonstrate their relatability to one another in their influential interactions between themselves and the larger whole of the environment. Although, patterns for sound centers are not limited to this list and many more await discovery, I have selected five of these elements which I found to correlate best with digital media principles and the overarching fractal organizing attributes.

The digital media principles as outlined by L. Manovich constitute the building blocks for digital software creations regardless of complexity and are a necessary inclusion when merging both physical and virtual paradigms of design for future mixed reality environments.

The chart below displays these correlations made between these three subjects of study to provide designers with an introductory template of the proposed relations.

| Fractal Dimension

Perception of an object or space’s fractal dimension is all determined by the scale in which it is viewed and subsequently measured. As such an object that is viewed at progressively smaller scales would have and ever an increasing fractal dimension as one is able to see more of the intricacies of the pattern or structure with the converse also being valid. The fractal dimension is one of the cornerstones of strong design system in this vein as it allows the user to perceive an infinite continuum of the creation being focused upon.

Adaptively sample the quality, quantity and type of media assets in a Mixed Reality spatial computing experiences with respect to the context of the physical environment, cognitive affordances and purpose of the interaction.

One must firstly consider the Gradients and roughness of the environmental context of the interactive application in order to move beyond the paradigm of one size fits all or always on of always off computing experiences especially within the smartphone/tablet paradigm.

Within a spatial computing landscape, different spatial localities intended for varying functions will have different layers of roughness which can be defined in this instance as levels of integration ease with respect to the user's mental and physical abilities while inhabiting the setting. In turn, the complexity gradients of the immersive media setting should change in accordance with the studied or designated roughness of the physical environment.

Pictured above is a simplistic example of how the roughness and gradients property from the architecture and interiors paradigm translates to the digital media principle of Numerical Representation.

Numerical Representation determines how all digital media assets are represented, created and translated into virtual space via binary code of 0s and 1s and in in turn subject to varying qualities as well as resolutions of sampling from high to low fidelity. This translation lends itself to multimedia assets or images and text that are both programmable and programed.

Imbuing a digital/physical interior setting with the ability for resolution sampling is an important design pattern to be included in mixed reality environments as far as the fractal dimension is concerned.

In designing effective environmental 3D UIs, users or designers can set or dynamically adjust the quality and quantity of media in their surroundings based upon cognitive load requirements along with other factors which would lead to a more streamlined user experience. Within a given system, it’s best in most cases to create processes in that realm to support the dominant function just we stated in our introduction that centers in an interior should support the thematic goals of the space. By including as well as having control over the resolution of the fractional dimension designers are supported in this aim.

Another factor to weigh in about modulating the complexity is the research presented earlier in this case study that suggests humans have a natural proclivity for mid-range fractal dimension values. How might this preference translate into the organization and pattern expressions of Mixed Reality media assets? While the complexity is being modulated across the media landscape designers might want to consider incorporating this quality amongst other relevant factors at each zone or scale transition when appropriate.

| Self - Similarity

Fractal self-similarity refers to the quality of the perceivable shape at one level of an object being similar to the original shape at varying levels of magnification. Self-similarity ties in to the previous fractal dimension attribute in many respects as it provides more context to the quality of forms that appear while transitioning from greater to smaller dimensions. If self-similarity is present than a form at one level will have both macro and micro self-similar duplicates as well as some passive transforms thrown in to the mix. With self-similarity, changes at any level of the design pattern or shaping has a cascading effect upon the rest of the composition, it will alter itself to suit the transition.

Employing consistent elements of interaction and user interface design that function similarly across a range of resolutions and scales is crucial for accessibility.

From an arch/interiors design sense, local symmetries and deep interlock ties into this notion of self-similarity via prompting designers to question how the physical setting relates to and supports the inhabiting media and vice versa. Local symmetries in addition to deep interlock and ambiguity architectural patterns can be defined as centers in a larger whole of a design system that are made up of regularly shaped smaller pieces that are hooked into their surroundings such that they can sometimes be perceived as unified with neighboring centers and design elements around.

Within the digital media paradigm, modularity is the quality that allows for varying types of media assets be it music, pictures, text, etc. to be combined and transformed into something new or integrated into a larger entity. Everything is essentially interchangeable, can be swapped and layered.

Modularity within Mixed Reality environments could translate into users being able to either invoke or remove as wells as customize immersive media elements in their space. While they all may embody varying interactive purposes, the core user interface functionality will be self-similar across these media widgets.

The design pattern of self-similarity as it relates to digital media elements of modularity in addition to local symmetries and deep interlock architectural schemes discussed earlier gives the designer another useful roadmap for development.

It provides users with graphical indicators and tools for comprehending function and navigational frameworks between the multitude of user interface scale transitions in 3D UIs. For example, rather than having to relearn a user interface system, selection and placement techniques each time the user navigates to a new area, maximizes or minimizes information or media items, if self-similar organizational patterns are utilized in graphical aesthetics and function, the user interface readability is improved.

| Scaling

The fractal quality of a scaling shape is a driver for all other fractal properties as it controls the expression and user’s perception of the fractal dimension, self-similarity, infinity as well as recursive elements within the ecosystem of any holistic design composition.

Transparency of orientation and is crucial for information rich Mixed Reality settings to assist users in ascertaining their physical/virtual location, context and abilities.

Scaling is tied to the fractal dimension through a fundamental principle known as the scale-complexity trade-off.

This terminology which is found in complex systems literature states that when the scale of an object, surface or representation is increased, some of its complexity needs to be diminished while if one were to increase the complexity, the scale should be reduced.

Scaling enables the varying representations of self-similarity in that a scaling shape refers to a natural object, thing or design feature having similar patterns at varying ranges of scale.

However, the difference in this case is that it can sometimes operate within the context of a finite range of scales. The core principle is similar of having a tiny portion resembling the structure of the larger object. It’s also important to keep in mind that the conditions of scaling vary in application from practical function to optimization engineering as in adaptive scaling to fit the contours of different surfaces to instances of minimizing portions of a design to constrain or afford certain elements an environment, acting as a modulator in this case.

Infinity as well as recursive fractal properties are also controlled by scaling because it allows for the examination and interpretation of a limitless range scales along with the ability to perceive reciprocal feedback loops in space.

Recall the example of the stain glass window mention in an earlier section and how the scientist noted that it resembled organic structures of the human body while also showing evidence of being beneficial for human cognition. As the saying goes by sage Trismegistus, “As above, so below, as within, so without.” scaling affords perception of these relationships.

The fractal attribute of scaling is an applicable design pattern in mixed reality environments for its abilities to aid the user in determining spatial orientation, strategies for navigation, and feature differentiation.

The concept of adaptive scaling is particularly useful when designers create media to be used in a wide array of environmental contexts. Readability of certain 3D UI elements in such cases needs to be dynamically adjusted to yield a coherent user experience with the scale-complexity trade-off principle where one can understand the interface and interactivity without having a steep learning curve with each scale transition.

Scaling affordances and constraints could be informed by human factors cognition and physical factors to spatial strategy composition principles in efforts to optimize certain environmental functions of an immersive interior composition.

| Recursion

Customizable automated functionalities structured with appealing rhythm and flow should be interspersed with direct 1:1 interactions with interfaces to enable more efficiently delightful user experiences throughout an immersive spatialized media scape.

The fractal property of recursion presents the designer with a working foundation to experiment with and brainstorm varied types of automation within the context of augmented reality user interfaces for interiors.

The first application that comes to mind is for automation to be utilized for repetitive organizational tasks that the user might engage in to select, arrange and manipulate 3D assets within their working space.

For example, within an environment of one’s living space, say a person could organize their augmented reality music albums or frequently used applications by either place each asset/icon one by to position spatially or they could use programed templates to organize the assets automatically. This could be based on varying taxonomies inclusive of but not limited to size, shape, color, alphabetical order.

Additionally, designers should also think about integrating the architectural function of alternating repetition back into this digital media component of automation to create an array of user interface pattern templates that appeal to the visual sense along with being functional. As far as these templates go, each of the fractal qualities we have discussed are applicable in the design of these templates and should be considered during the prototyping phase.

| Infinity

Infinity is the property that embodies the rest of the fractal attributes. It allows for the limitless quality of a design pattern’s possibility for repetition, expression or length. As seen with some of the fractal principles already mentioned, there exist possibilities for expression in the fractal dimension, scaling, self-similarity and recursion all of which could be in a finite or unlimited range of scales.

The structure, type and visualization of immersive media should dynamically integrate seamlessly with the user's mental, virtual and physical context.

The architectural principle of not- separateness embodies the quality of connectedness to the surroundings while maintaining degree of autonomy. Spatially, this represents a building that fits in well with its surroundings not unlike the concept of nested centers and wholes discussed earlier. For architectural or interior features to embody not-separateness, there must be qualities or design elements that connect those things to neighboring elements of the composition to establish a sense of fluency.

Transcoding refers to the translation of media assets into varying formats. It interrogates the computer as well as the human cultural layer resulting in a restructuring of the media assets to conform to the common language of the computer for inter-operability.

The fractal attribute of infinity is an important factor for designers to remember in terms of affording the quality of interoperability in mixed reality layout prototypes. Augmented reality 3D UI elements should be adaptable to variable spatial compositions, user cognitive or aesthetic considerations as a part of the underlying design process.

Interior designers should also consider how to construct spatial compositions that embody this quality of infinity to dovetail the inhabiting media forms.

Spatial Strategies

It’s important to consider the spatial strategies of a design that are some of the core compositional tenants established within the interior design paradigm in tandem with considering mixed reality interior layout organization in terms of fractal principles, digital media and architectural attributes.

These principles are examined from their native physical context along withe proposition of insights on remediating these definitions into a digital media context where both can coexist with fluent exchange.

Below, a chart has been culled from I. Higgins manual for interior design spatial strategies which will be followed up by a discussion of the relevancy of each strategy and relationship regarding mixed reality interior layouts.

| Spatial Relationships

Spatial relationships can be defined as four types of arrangements that allow for two or more interiors spaces to functionally communicate within a design composition. For our purposes here, 3D UIs are included along with accompanying digital media assets as part of or an interior space itself. An experimental approach is taken to derive design solutions in this category.

These principles are self-explanatory in the physical sense yet digitally, the first way that they can be transposed is through consideration about how augmented reality assets natively can generate these compositions and in what context they could be useful in benefiting the overall user experience. Digital assets can create these interior compositions in concert with physical arrangements through AR projections and appropriate placement on certain coordinates in space.

A space within a space occurs when a smaller space within an environment is nested within a larger area. This strategy implies that some quality, object or area is existing within a larger whole, so from an organizational point of view, the smaller should resemble or be related to the larger area to support the overall function of the joint space.

The space within a space might also be useful in the context of spatially minimizing and maximizing media asset grids or templates of arrangement acting as a modulator of information relating to the fractal attribute of scaling. Ideally in a single setting, context specific information or media assets should be present in the user’s environment, instead of every single element of the UI.

Allowing for this relationship affords asset modulation and therefore enhanced user experiences.

| Spatial Strategies

Other spatial relationship definitions such as overlapping, adjacent and spaces linked by a common space tie very much into the fractal concept of infinity.

As one media item transits from one portion of a spatial arrangement to another, designers should consider what types of transcoding would be necessary to fit within the design affordances and constraints of the neighboring spatial volume.

Linear arrangements are attributed to spaces that require a simplistic straightforward approach to layouts which could take the form of aircraft interiors, shopping malls or a host of other public venues.

Media in an environmental space should take a graphical linear format when issues of practicality and simplicity are foremost requirements.

For example, it would be useful to put AR projected text that is many paragraphs in length in a linear format either horizontally or vertically for maximizing readability. Other reasons for the linear format could be the simplicity in selecting varying icons in space or understanding where assets are located along a path easily.

Grid strategies are employed when there needs to be a high degree of precision in the functional attributes of a space. Examples of grid layout strategies include the typical workplace filled with cubicles, a concert hall with specified seating requirements among other instances.

Media in an environmental space should take Grids emphasize structure and order and this could provide a useful design pattern to implement in Mixed Reality creations where this quality is necessary. This could be executed via automated templates with varying types of grids to organize icons and user interface elements.a graphical linear format when issues of practicality and simplicity are foremost requirements.

Designers might also want to consider implementing a UI design that deviates from this structure and order if the design brief allows artistic license. Equal parts of order and chaotic or random elements often makes for the most compelling and balanced design compositions across all disciplines rather than banal repetition of in graphical digital format of the pre-existing interior scheme.

Both radial as well as centralized are what is known an extroverted versus introverted interior design arrangements.

The radial strategy employs the use of spaces known as spokes in which spaces radiate out from a common or initial starting place. Some airports, sports stadiums utilize this scheme to spatially organize pedestrian traffic in large venues for efficiency. Some airports, sports stadiums utilize this scheme to spatially organize pedestrian traffic in large venues for efficiency.

Designing digital media information streams as UI currents guiding users in the pathways of these varying radiations from the central hub would be one possible solution geared towards this layout.

Also, since it is such a large and bustling public venue, designers might also want to pay attention to the quality of information suitable for this area along with accompanying cognitive load expectations. Simplified user interface layouts and selection and manipulation controls should have a minute learning curve for ease of accessibility.

Centralized strategies conversely can be attributed to public and private spaces that cater towards introverted or relatively stationary activities. Food courts in malls, Renaissance Italian churches or even some study areas in a library utilize this interior design layout.

The user can handle a greater complexity of information in such areas from a qualitative and quantitative perspective as this area are better suited for contemplation.

Another design consideration for this region is that if users are going to be stationary for a greater percentage of the time it might be useful to employ the first person figural or rotational Panoramic mixed reality scale designation to make all the contents of the UI available from just a few vantage points without making the user traverse the spatial volume to access augmented reality media.

The last of the spatial strategies is clustered strategy which spaces are positioned in a randomized, freeform asymmetrical or even overlapping configurations as the name would suggest.

This strategy fits best for situations where informality or a relaxed setting that encourages meandering and exploration is required. Best applications for this layout could be a lounge setting, a domestic living room, a retail store that encourages shoppers to explore or even a museum environment

Digital applications and UI elements that cater to the thematic focus of discovery in leisure could be best suited for such locales in addition to 3D assets likewise being staggered throughout the environment to mirror the fundamental quality of discovery of this strategy.

| Circulation Strategies

Circulation strategies can be defined as the ways in which the transit pathways in a building are set up to allow for users to navigate the area. Along with thinking about these pathways in a purely physical sense, the strategy could also be applied to the digital objects moving within and inhabiting the space. There are four circulation strategy archetypes which include radial, spiral, grid and network.

The radial configuration much like it’s spatial strategy counterpart, allows for movement outwards from one central hub. Spiral circulation strategies lead users along a spiral trajectory along with grid layouts allowing for regimented succinct movements through space. Networked interior layouts, are concerned with how areas within a space can be connected or networked so to speak for ease of access.

Transposing these terminologies into a digital media context, the grid circulation strategy immediately comes to mind in its usefulness to aid the user in mixed reality environments to move, position, rotate and scale media assets in grid coordinate space.

In this context, the grid would be a digitally projected superficial overlay over all the environmental components in each interior setting that would be visible only during instances of manipulation if need be. More details on this grid design research concept will be discussed in the implementation chapter.

The radial circulation strategy could be employed from the standpoint of a possible configuration of an ambient UI menu

It could contain radial loops within loops to house varying user interface features efficiently organized and easy to access. One icon could be activated, and other radial functions could emerge from that single action.

Additionally, designers could also create radial 3D asset animations in an environmental space as a wayfinding technique to guide visitors in a large public venue towards a certain hotspot attraction.

As far as the network circulation strategy, designers might want to consider the interoperability of certain programs or UI functions as they transit from one area in the interior to the next.

It would be useful to think about what the nature of adaptability to the spatial, conceptual and cognitive constraints and affordances could be for UI and systems layout.

In terms of the spiral circulation archetype, designers might want to consider how to conceptually incorporate the metaphor of a nonlinear spiral into their augmented reality UI media layouts.

Spirals typically indicate progression of either backwards or forwards movements through time and space. As far as system controls go in a UI, gestural spiral movements can be utilized to control certain interface elements orientation, scaling or rotation in space.

Additionally, spiral design elements can be used as a mechanism to allow user to visually see new media items, messages or assets in que for interaction or conversely functions that have previously been executed. Think of this concept as the mixed reality spiral of life displaying graphically, past, present of future systems of interaction in any given augmented reality digital/physical space.

A design research framework is presented for organizing physical and digital space mixed augmented reality 3D user interface layouts. Readers were first introduced with the raw building blocks of these hybrid interiors through the fractal archetypes correlated with architectural design patterns along with digital media principles. We utilized fractals as the organizing archetype for these environments for their potential psychological benefits upon the user in addition to naturally intuitive pattern recognition purposes which would be an asset in these multilayered media rich mixed reality environments where organization and readability is paramount.

After introducing the fractal archetype building blocks, spatial strategy concepts were introduced as a means for designers to use these building blocks within interiors spaces. This translates into mapping out spatial relationships and circulation strategies from which the fractal building blocks can be nested inside or work in concert with in these layouts based on thematic goals.

Spatial Scale

The concept of spatial scale is remediated from the field of geography to assist in the modulation of media expression within Mixed Reality environments.

Geographers Egenhofer and Freundschuh distilled schemes for classifying these scales into six distinct categories which media researcher Barba found relevant to couch in terms of a mixed augmented reality spatial scale framework. This is useful because it helps designers to organize, prioritize along with begin development of the design and interaction goals best suited for each of the scale classifications. These spatial scale classifications include:

Another scale to be factored in addition to this frame work in MAR is semantic scale which refers to the way that media assets can be assembled together to generate new lexicons of meaning for users.

| Figural + Global + Map Space

The concept of spatial scale is remediated from the field of geography to assist in the modulation of media expression within Mixed Reality environments.

Figural - akin to human proportions

Global – spaces that cannot be directly experienced and therefore require a map or model as a means for representation

Map space – projection of higher scale spaces onto lower scale spaces which provides symbolic representations of compressed information

Figural, Global and Map space all occupy the same figural perspective view within the context of virtual media. This stems from the inability for users to perceive elements in space at such a large scale as with Global or Map space. Therefore, world in miniature visualization of such geography can be perceived at this miniature figural scale.

| Panoramic

This spatial orientation fosters a sense of immersion by placing the user directly in the middle of the actionable environment, being at one with the interactions in the media scape through participatory exchange.

Panoramic – larger than the human body, yet capable of being perceived from a solitary location by means of rotation, or panning
‍

Panoramic scale which encompasses the user’s ability to rotate around and perceive the environment from a single point in space is illustrated above.

Panoramic space could bring a whole new dimension to tabbed browsing which is currently utilized in most modern web browsers by allow users to distribute their media assets across space. Another reason why this orientation is useful that lie outside the scope of this research project relates to human factors considerations with the individual able to exercise the full range of body motion in interactions with the environmental user interface rather than staying seated all day at a computer workstation which might be a detriment to one’s health unless necessitated by a disability.

| Vista

Vista scale is useful when a user is relegated or needs to focus on only an area of space.

Vista – a subsection within panoramic scale that allows individual to perceive one vantage point without any movements of rotations

| Environmental

The largest scale aside from global and map scale that can still be perceived via locomotion is environmental scale and this applies within the context of mixed reality interiors as being an indoor building with many sections that requires traversal on foot to experience.

Environmental – larger than the human body and viewable only by means of translation through space, walking or a traveling motion

Asset Gradients & Modulators

Previously, it was discovered that one of the earliest instances of digital media in an architectural sense were billboards, electronic signs in retail spaces among other venues. These displays were static mobility, structurally and content wise and were either always on or off. As a culture, we have fashioned most of our modern computing experiences in somewhat like fashion. While our smart devices are mobile, the general trend to is have them powered up and on our persons at all times with status alerts on or off.

The horizon of spatial computing has afforded designers and developers the possibility to consider a wider context of media expression and flow control parameters to move beyond one-off types of applications for augmented reality by creating interface ecosystems around such programs and accompanying media assets. I aim to address this topic in relation to the individual's experience and perception of space in the built environment. Part of creating and effective mixed reality interface is including the aspect of gradients as well as modulators to control them.

| Gradients

Gradients in an augmented reality refer to the quantity as well as type and quality of virtual media present in an environment. A few types of virtual media could be a specific programs or applications, movie, music or a collection there of. Gradients of these items could refer to where they are placed in space, in what quantity and quality and modulation refers to how the user or automatic components of the system organize these media stores.

Below, I have devised a gradient density chart to give creators and introductory means to begin devising development briefs for these types of experiences

This table lists a general media gradient applications chart for mixed reality interiors UIs based on location or spatial volume type ranging from diffuse to concentrated densities. These environment types encompass a medley of interior design layouts, yet it is ultimately the spatial strategies employed in each of these spaces that determine the dominant media gradient concentration.

Although, it is possible for a single environment to contain all three density types across the layout of the building. For example, a sports stadium could contain circulation pathways along the perimeter of the building and stadium seating areas in addition to a Café for patrons, an annexed gym for the athletes along with work offices for corporate employees. The dominant density of this sports center is still diffuse because it mainly caters to the patrons yet throughout the layout of the structure all densities are accounted but some to a lesser degree.

The density can refer to the quantity of certain applications as well as the complexity of interface options and interaction techniques available in and environmental 3D UIs. The composition of media densities can be homogenous or variable. For instance, one gradient could contain a collection of music while another on the same density level could contain music play back in addition to video recording, gameplay or drawing/design related functions.

| Modulators

Mixed Reality media asset modulators can be interior specific, fixed or mobile and personalized to an individual’s custom AR user interface.

Spatial

Spatial Modulators are fixed to a specific area of an augmented interior and comprise an integral part of the aesthetics of the interior’s ecosystem as they modulate the gradient of user interface complexity and asset density in accordance with the room’s spatial strategy affordances.

The purpose of the spatial volume is to dictate the expression of this modulator function. For example, as a user is entering an augmented reality clothing store, there might be augmented reality displays detailing information about new product arrivals, promotions or sales scaled large at the front of the store. However, as the user transitions to the back of the store the gradient of scale and quantity of these displays diminishes to being small and inconspicuous price tags with product information extruding out from display stands. In this example the advertising display banners utilized the Spatial modulator because their media gradient had been modified in accordance with where they were placed in space to account for the area’s design goals and spatial strategies.

On a domestic front, spatial modulators could be used within the context of the menu system alterations when transitioning from an office/study to a hallway. The user interface within the office would have a higher media gradient of complexity and options than when the user goes into the transit pathway where the interface might be optimized for simplicity based on the cognitive constraints of a user already being engaged in the activity of walking. The is another area ripe for more user study tests, however these basic designations prove useful during this initial prototyping phase.

Spatial Membranes, closed (left) and semi open(right) make up volumes of space or physical items/architectural features of interiors acting as digital media asset particle modulators like the swarm entity. However, it has a more permanent immobile quality as it also serves to define the spaces physical as well as digital volumes.

For example, in a living room with wall or spatial feature membranes, they can be either closed showing the user no media or partially open allowing some of the user’s media assets to decorate the setting as ornament in one respect but also containing inherent functionality. When it opens to display the media assets, they are not confined to the wall space but are 3 dimensionally augmented and can occupy any space in the room 2D or 3D. If the user wanted to display picture frames of family on the wall, for instance they could summon them up from the wall’s selectively permeable membrane and position the images somewhere in the room. Besides these frames serving as decoration and nostalgia, they could also double as a messaging or communication beacon with that individual along with housing any additional contact information.

Swarm

Swarm entities are the mobile types of gradient modulators and this form of modulation is especially relevant when a user transits outside of their domestic or familiar customized mixed reality environment that has already been setup with the static spatial modulators. It affords the user with the ability to enter different mixed reality interior layouts and still retain some of their personalized functions much like a smartphone device except in the form of an augmented reality companion of sorts.

If the user purchases or adds to their media collection, the correspondent entity will grow and pulse a radiant glow on that section of their body as an indicator of a recent edition.

The swarm entity is mobile as is can move, jump, flip, fly, glide or perform kart wheels. around the user’s interior space to visually indicate certain status messages or interactive functions. It can also disperse itself or maximize and minimize at the user’s behest to build digital media structures for ease of access to interactive content. For example, if the entity’s sole purpose is to house their musical collection, instead of a physical album shelf, the being can construct an augmented reality one on the fly wherever you summon it and will stay expanded until you ask for it to contract back into its mobile form to perform other tasks if need be. Albums will appear on the walls or in the thick of the air before you to choose from.

The above figure depicts a stylized humanoid swarm modulator which is comprised of the user's media assets in minimized form. This augmented reality entity can morph and expand the contents of it’s being into preset templates of any shape size or geometric configuration to allow the user to easily select their chosen form of media to access akin to a user opening a folder saved with media on a traditional computer system. However, when the virtual assets expand for interaction in augmented reality environments they occupy 3D space rather than a 2D plane.

The first column depicts the user’s assets transforming into a diamond geometric pattern with nesting interactive functionality to access varying tiers of media. (Scaling + Self-Similarity)

The second column has media assets that have expanded into a rotating pentagonal form that has automation features which can further transform it into a virtual media lattice like freeform plant trellises that occupy the user’s interior. (Fractal Dimension +Self-Similarity+Scaling)

The last column comprises media assets in the wallpaper linear tiling format. The user can choose to occupy portions of the aerial spatial volume, its walls or support structures with their virtual items conformal mapping to environmental features like setting up shelving to store belongings on in the traditional sense. (Infinity)

Hardware Considerations

The setup and overall functionality of a mixed reality 3D user interface is predicated upon the types of input and output modalities utilized. Therefore, these designations should be addressed foremost with the layout and interaction functions following suit.

The intention is to provide insight into possible design research paths and to suggest varying input/output modalities for Mixed Reality environmental implementation.

Inputs refer to the types of devices or technologies that enable the user to interact with a computer system. Outputs in turn are the devices that display single or multi-sensory feedback from these systems.

Above is listed an abbreviated chart of the chosen 3D UI output types to be incorporated into the conceptual mixed reality environment that have been culled from J. LaViola’s manual for 3D User Interfaces. When thinking in terms of output modalities, visual devices may first come to mind although this category is applicable to the full gamut of sense perceptions. The sense of sight, hearing and touch will be included in this conceptual space to lay simplistic framework however, a plethora of other possibilities exist for designers moving forward.

Both optical as well as video see-through head worn displays are the chosen medium for visual exchange in this space. A head worn display is defined as an eyewear device that enables the user to see virtual imagery either in a purely digital environment or as superimposed 3D or 2D imagery in registration with the physical space.

Location specific environmental audio as well as ground haptics which are context sensitive sound and physical vibration are important base components to include in a mixed reality design system because they increase the user’s sense of immersion through identification with more sensory components along with providing feedback substitution to the human’s sensory system when virtual objects can’t be directly touched or experienced as one would a physical object.

Another realm of haptics is Passive Haptic Displays which matches the form and likeness of a digital object with the shape of a physical one that has been imbedded with sensors so that the user can have a real world feeling and visual reference for the virtual object. Passive haptics provides the benefit of this tactile augmentation which increases the ease of interaction and immersion into the mixed reality world while also having a minimal learning curve.

Mixed reality environments are not relegated to one type of input or output within any given space. It is encouraged to make use of multiple sensing modalities to provide the system with the most accurate data to perform intended functions.

The input technologies for 3D UIs in mixed reality environments can be divided into multiple categories however, we will discuss both traditional and 3D spatial input for this conceptual space.Traditional devices can be likened to the common computer input peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard however not all such devices would be suitable in an augmented reality interface.

For example, the traditional mouse or game controller would severely limit the user’s ability to walk around and interact within the environment because it requires a surface for interaction. A handheld wireless trackball mouse as well as game controller has been created to compensate for this limitation by enabling users the freedom of mobility. Within 3D UIs, another essential traditional feature is the use of a keyboard and much like the previous description, the standard full-size keyboard suffers from this limitation of mobility. Miniature handheld along with natively virtual keyboards are adaptations that have been developed to approach a solution for is.

Passive Haptic feedback props have been covered in the previous output section, however it’s worth noting that they are a physical and somewhat traditional form of input as well even though sizing and shape can vary. I would also suggest an addendum to the established definition of a passive haptics object to include the control of virtual objects and user interface features that don’t necessarily correspond to exactly to the shape of the object as in having a digital counterpart. Sometimes, varied forms of environmental control devices are called form and the user should be given the freedom to select from a wide range of input modalities to control their system. This notion could give rise to a new line of interior goods that serve both decorative and function aims.

Interiors as Interfaces

| Holistic Design

The way that the human mind processes information from environmental stimuli influences the individual’s actions in the creation, design and arrangement of the same elements of the built environment in accordance to culture. Cognition is also molded via naturally occurring processes of the human body as much as it is by the conventions of culture. Culture and cognition are reciprocal as they perpetually reproduce one another.

Given consideration of this notion, it is the task of designers to reflect these cultural conventions in the structures, processes and interactions of the built environment along with introducing complementary elements based upon societal or developmental trajectories, the design goals of specific clientele and psychological factors reflective of instorative elements of the natural world.

It's important to not just design Mixed Reality apps to accomplish varying aims but rather to think about the cultivation of experience that the interactions would bring and how it might affect their physical/mental environment along with culture. In this vein, developers can map out a framework to visualize the holistic effects of interactive touch points while mitigating unintended consequences of a design that may need revision.

Participatory culture, a dominant cultural developmental trajectory aligns with the ideals of techno morphism which entails developers and designers modeling systems of design in our environments after the inherent logic of our computing practices. Smartphone devices, and interactive applications have become an everyday computing practice in our society and this interactivity should be reflective in our interior surroundings as well. This is where mixed reality design processes come to the forefront as it’s not merely replicating what the interface on these devices can do but it is also affording the user with an additional layer of immersion to participate by operating inside of the system rather than outside. This serves to enhance certain programmatic functions while also reaping some of the benefits of operating in the physical to maximize the relevant affordances of both worlds.

Another important cultural factor to weigh into consideration when designing these interfaces for everyday use is the research projection that by the year 2030, most of the population in urban metropolis settings will have increasingly seldom opportunities to encounter living elements such as green acres and the accompanying flowers, plants along with other types of natural geographic features. As relayed in previous sections, natural features of our living environments many of which exhibit fractal properties are the root of instorative psychological benefits of clear and enhanced thought processes as well as emotional well-being along with accelerated recovery times for hospital patients. Besides, pure functionality, the visual culture of mixed reality environments must be considered in terms of modeling the physical/virtual features and interactions of these spaces in the likeness of biomorphic or fractal properties. Benefits of this organic form language can be reaped even in the manmade or graphical artistic sense. It would behoove designers and developers to incorporate these elements as a baseline standard for Mixed Reality interface compositions as it is ethically sound while also mirroring the reciprocal influence nature has on the built environment as researchers and designers alike have always investigated the natural world to solve problems in every facet of life. As Harris notes,

“A similar phenomenon occurs when humans are exposed to objects structured according to fractal geometry. The neural circuitry of the scaled self-similar structure in each object causes similar neural pathways to be used, which cause analogous physical, cognitive and emotional effects.”

As mentioned in previous sections, scale is one of the driving components of all other properties on the fractal Mixed Reality framework. The built environment can determine which scales of the user experience are incorporated along with the user's cognitive tolerances with respect to this setting among a multiplicity of other factors.

A user's cultural framework along with attendant thinking processes can influence the expression and creation of elements in the virtual and physical immersive environments. It is also capable of being influenced just like the other elements.

The geometries, intention and designation of the space affect how individuals perceive, emote and interact with that setting.

The loop illustrates the perpetual cycle of how varying elements of the Mixed Reality setting can influence each other to create an immersive physical/mental/virtual experience.

| Mixed Reality Layout

Step: 1

Ascertaining the thematic focus of an interior is the first step in deciding the layout of a mixed reality environment. This orientation plays an important role in determining the overall spatial attributes, along with the look, feel and the physical/virtual functions of the devices best suited for that space.

Is the space residential, retail, museum public access, an educational institution, research laboratory or corporate workplace? Answering this critical question will give the designer initial parameters to draft a functionality and aesthetics framework for the interior.

For instance, the design aims of a mixed reality residential interior or research lab would differ from a public access spaces most notably in the fact that the designer would tailor the public space to have less specialized functions of interactivity. Users perusing public space interiors have generally less time to devote to learning how to interact with a new interface. The amount of user interface options along with the learning curve to utilize the system should be kept simplistic to enable a low bar of entry.

Conversely, in less public spaces, users can allocate greater time and mental resources towards discovery and interaction training. In a lab for instance, specialized tools enabling precise interaction possibilities would be beneficial whereas general gesture-based selection techniques or simple passive haptic feedback objects would be more suitable in a public space for ease of usage.

Step 2:

Once the public or private, commercial or residential classification along with the thematic focus of the environment has been decided, now is the time to either acquire the spatial maps or concept a new space via roughing out the basic shape of the interior along with its zones. This also includes spatial relationships of activity in addition to interaction methodologies for the user to acquire spatial knowledge.

Step 2:

If this were a mall type setting, the orientation is public, and the general theme would be shopping and leisure. There would be areas demarcated for travel, dining, special events along with public rest and utilities. At this point it would be useful to apply the information already presented about spatial strategies and the fundamental building blocks of mixed reality environments to organize the space in terms of thinking about the variability of this area and scaling fractal properties and spatial relationships along with circulation strategies. These two properties, along with spatial strategies enable a user to gain a sense of location and orientation in an interior along with impetus to travel around and discover elements of the space. Designers should refer to the spatial strategies in chapter two as a guideline for concepting the physical/virtual relationships and strategies of their space in development.

With the example mall environment, designers should consider the virtual as well as physical means that would entice a user to patronize certain establishments in accordance to their needs as well as swarm augmented reality animation sequences and virtual scaled maps of the interior to help the user with virtual/physical navigation.

Step 3:

During the conceptual phase of 3D interfaces for mixed reality interiors, it’s crucial to decide upon some basic input/output modalities that will enable a user to function effectively in the environment. Context, purpose as well as public or private orientation determine what types of specialized devices are needed for the user and interior.

For specifics designers can refer to the full list of device recommendations and considerations for mixed reality interiors mentioned in the first part of this chapter. However, a few core implements are necessary for each hybrid environment to function which include rgb/depth sensor cameras, mobile head worn displays, and handheld or user worn controllers along with speakers for sound and portable environmentally placed haptic feedback devices.

Conceptual Design

After completing the background, research and synthesis stage of this project, the next step was to draft an experimental conceptual Mixed Reality interior as a means to showcase some of the barebones of these design possibilities and insights garnered.

I aimed here to re conceptualize the interior space within the context of it being a hybrid virtual/physical media organism given consideration of some of the precedents and background design research developed and discovered in previous phases of work.

Namely, I endeavored to tie in the notion that the physicality of future spaces should mirror the nature of the inhabiting media as well as the organic life processes of the user when first thinking about the general structure to establish a base for holistic design developments.

Next, I sought to remedy some of the tenants of modernism that stripped decorative pattern and motif from our everyday living environments to the detriment of our psychological well being.

In this case, I showcased how Mixed Reality media can be utilized as an intervention that is dually functional both as a visual decorative element that enlivens the mood of the space as well as a usable everyday interactive tool to accomplish varying tasks.

This implementation however does not occur in an arbitrary sense, rather is based upon the chart developed earlier correlating nature’s fractal properties with Manovich’s building blocks of digital media along with fundamental architectural/interior design patterns of wholes and nested centers as elucidated by Christopher Alexander. It includes the purposeful usage in both the physical and virtual media realms of these properties in how the interior is visually designed as well as conceptual methods for user interaction flows with responsive and modulated media representations.
‍
As a proof of concept for these ideas I created a conceptual Mixed Reality Space which I term as the library of experiential learning. When thinking about learning in the traditional context, the vision is conjured of desks, in orderly grids, partitions, projector presentations and 2D books. In contrast, I aimed to have the totality of the environment encompass the learning space by ridding the environment of traditional partitions and abstracting spatial forms and relationships by means of their organic counterpart to convey the user experience of living inside the information rather than being separate from it.

For example simple walkways have transformed into zones of kinesthetic learning with media animated interactions resembling abstracted veins carrying blood in the human circulatory system. The study area of this space resembles and functions like that of a lung with the user being able to interact with a virtual abstraction of branching tree-like alveoli structures in which the UI features can be stored arranged and accessed. The area of the the interior dedicated towards learning through design resembles that of a womb with embryo UI icons capable of emerging and distributing themselves across space via dual light well ovarian palace platforms of interactivity. And lastly, the the zone of social interactions, was structured after the heart with the space featuring a simple cavity for people to sit, mingle and interact with the lifeblood fluidic user interface almost like a virtual/physical wadding pool of sorts.

Conceptual Environment Creation

| Experimental Floorplan

Pictured here is the top-down view of the floor plan made for this experimental space. While each of these zones are unique centers of activity for specific interaction types, they share many similar spatial organizational schemes, input/output designations, basic main menu UI functionality along with themes and purposes.

This conceptual space draws thematic inspiration from organic processes related to the human body with each zone’s theme working to support this aesthetic goal while varying in purpose. Creating commonality and a sense of similarity between these areas in terms of graphics, shapes and functionality in the interior ensures a fluid easily to navigate user experience. Commonality is established with the UIs in this mixed reality space through utilization of self-similar scaling and nesting rings for the default interface functions for each zone that can be activated by interfacing with a virtual/organic feature site specifically present dependent on the spatial context.

The idea is that information media is the life-giving substance and these organic forms modulate the flow or gradient of the virtual assets. These abstract organic elements are simply one of the aesthetic choices for gradient modulators used for this concept, but the design possibilities are limitless, and designers are encouraged to experiment.

Dominant Variable Spatial Strategy – (Fractional Dimension)

Each zone features its own unique composition of organizational schemes which I term as the dominant variable spatial strategy. These schemes are detailed in the specific zone sections of the research documentation which I will also briefly out line in the coming sections. This is defined as the distinguishing elements that ultimately determine the default level of user interface media gradients and functional affordances and constraints. For example, the interactive elements of the zone dedicated towards research and study would differ from the zone for movement and exercise in the controls used to interact with the interface along with the augmented reality programs installed in the area. This variability in the layouts embodies the property of fractal dimensions because the level of complexity can be modulated to a greater or lesser degree dependent upon design goals of the spatial strategies. Along with possessing these differing elements, the zones of this conceptual space also share commonalities in the following spatial organization schemes.

Space within a Space – Spatial Relationship (Self-Similarity + Recursion)

Each zone shares a similar function that works together to support the purpose of experiential interactions and learning in mixed augmented reality. The centers thematically and function wise are self- similar to this concept and is manifested in the UI templates and the features of the physical space. These templates show self-similar attribute at varying levels of scale via automation or nested loops of functions and interactivity. This translates into the branching scaling ring media UI structures sharing similar navigation and interaction functions throughout each zone of the interior along with having the ability to organize virtual assets via automated templates.

Grid – Spatial Strategy (Scaling)

This traditional interior strategy used most often for rigid cubicle workplace environments is applied here to all zones purely in a virtual sense. This is executed through the environmental cameras 3D mapping the interior and establishing a coordinate system for the movement and placement of objects in mixed reality space. These grids are usually invisible to the user except for select instances during object manipulations. Giving the computer system data about where objects are in space aids in also allowing the user to establish a sense of scaling and contrast in the interior through accurate renderings of occlusion as well as registration of virtual items. This contributes to optimal wayfinding and knowledge acquisition of spatial awareness.

Space linked by a Common Space – Spatial Relationship (Infinity)

Spaces linked by a common space are typically circulation pathways, walk or hallways of any nature. Part of what makes a space connected and easy to navigate while embodying the quality of infinity is by utilizing these types of circulation realms to relate one area to another. All the zones in this conceptual mixed reality interior are spaces linked by a common space as they all require a circulation strategy to reach. On a thematic/purpose level, they are linked to the common space and to each other because of similar design aims.

Network – Circulation Strategy (Infinity)

Network is an interior design circulation strategy that refers to how movements that occur in space are interrelated and connected to one another. For the mixed reality design interface, this definition has been expanded to include the interoperability of UI functions and applications as they transit through varying areas in space. The network provides an outline to dictate the linkages and transpositions of certain elements within all the spaces linked by a common space along with all other organizational schemes. It is the roadmap for infinite connections of neighboring elements within mixed reality space.

| Concepting

During the experimental design process, I created several lo-fidelity renders, only a few of which pictured here as a part of the ideation process to capture the look and feel of what such a future environment might look like. I started off utilizing the basic floorplan shown above and then experimented with varying patterns of shapes in efforts to resolve a layout composition in accordance with the stated design goals.

The most notable insight derived was the realization that the core structure of the physical should work in concert with the virtual inhabiting media forms, not compete with it! The same is also true of the virtual media design. In L. Manovich's "Poetics of Augmented Space", this concern is brought up in light of his observations that augmented media tends to occlude, take precedence over or drown out the presence and importance of the physical surroundings it is nested within. I took the first steps in resolving this by keeping the essence of the space simplistic, fluid, yet receptive to dynamic adaptations.

One of the core aims for this research project was to engage in analysis about balancing user interaction flows between these mixed reality worlds. In this instance, I have made the case that the structure of our living spaces needs to adapt to resemble the core systematic processes of the inhabiting media streams to generate a holistic living organic composition which serves to promote balanced interactions along with accompanying benefits as previously discussed in linked documentation.

I aimed to visualize the varying animated interactive possibilities in each zone with these high level 3D sketches. Depicted here is an augmented reality virtual weather system that could potentially react in different ways dependent on the day's forecast.

Here is another concept of a user walking along a circulation route along with encounter a number of AR virtual media artifacts with varying interactive potentials. When concepting, I find it best to work loose like this as it assists in helping to come up with interactive ideas that one can explore many aspects of before locking in on one design.

Another concept is illustrated above where movement such as walking is incorporated into the interaction process. The render right beside it showcases a potential social area with virtual water.

However, ultimately, I decided upon modeling a simplistic low poly floorplan with the four zones as depicted in the 2D orthographic view. The aim was ultimately to demonstrate basic concepts for interactive possibilities in such an area so I wanted to emphasize these potentials with everything else being secondary.

| Construction

Here are the the simplified steps applicable in mostly every scenario for constructing a hybrid space. In this case, I actually created the environment but in most cases these same techniques can be utilized for those pre-existent.

Construction and Sensor Installations

The first step comprises working with a multidisciplinary team of designers to retrofit or design new interior spaces in accordance with the parti or thematic focus, biomorphic, holistic or fractal design principles with respect to potential virtual and physical inhabitants/elements.

This is inclusive of imbedding modular IOT hardware such as a variety of sensors, spatially based haptics, speakers along with rgb depth cams and other systems pertinent to the functional design of the space.

The image above represents just one example of such an interior space floor plan whose design aesthetics are fluid and continuous to mirror the organic nature of the inhabiting media forms as well as users along with embodying the principles of infinity and not-separateness discussed in the linked research documentation. The light grey squares are suggested placements for the automatic meshing camera elements.

Spatial Meshing and Grid Overlay Capture

Initiate next, continuous real-time interior spatial scanning/meshing systems to give produce a computer generated world in miniature virtual representation of the space.

Thereafter, broadly designate spatial classifications, relationships, along with circulation and spatial strategies.

Afterwards, determine the media gradient spectrum for the area as a whole as well as modulate gradient density based upon zone or other varied interaction goals.

This figure, shows the results of the cameras scanning the interiors space along with establishing a projected coordinate grid. This is important, moving forward for developers and designers to have knowledge of where features are located precisely for spatial choreographing.

Spatial Meshing and Grid Overlay Capture

Interior Spatial Zone Designations + World in miniature +Starting point for specialized app dev

At this stage, pass off the automatic meshing models, thematic goals, proposed virtual media gradient spectrum and density assignment zones to designers and developers for the generation of relevant spatially responsive and adaptive media applications for the interior at a finer layer of granularity.

They would in turn draw up user experiences flows and any other design thinking deliverables associated with the development of their own particular specialized apps or functions for each space or segment thereof.

The picture here is the result of coloration added to different zones on this floor plan to designate spatial classifications and relevant media properties. For example:

Mixed Reality Globals Menu

Along with with drawing up a concept for core interfacing attributes of the physical space, I developed the skeleton of a Mixed Reality Globals menu which is the default menu set with standard functions and settings that would be available in all environments of this type.

Referencing back to the spatial scale orientation concepts and chart discussed earlier, these hybrid environments yield the most effective user experiences when the methods and modalities of interaction are scaled to the interaction type. For example, sometimes semi-2D menus set in figural space within the context of spatialized or other 3D media are the most efficient and practical to accomplish certain tasks. This line of thought was utilized to create a prototype for the Mixed Reality Globals Menu as seen below. Pie menus have been around for quite some time now, yet as a unique feature, the core functionality of this menu operates on the basis of user defined as well as system automated non-linear scaling rings of interactivity.

In a typical linear user interface a back button or other types of widgets must be utilized to navigate from one screen to the next with the user often not being given any indication of where they are in the menu settings beyond the current window, this could contribute to a UI pain-point. However in this instance, a subtle yet easily accessible breadcrumb trail of self similar UI rings is left behind in the wake of the user’s selection activity.

This endows the user with survey knowledge about where they are in space, the ability to easily select one of the rings in or out of sequence to make non-linear navigational transitions all within the context of the convenience of figural space orientation selection affordances.

This MR Globals menu walk-through sequence demonstrates how a user can navigate though just one of many possible layouts of a 3D user interface menu for the share function. Other default features include, the user profiles setting, manipulator widgets, spatial locks and linking for assets, spatial templates, installed programs/ IOT peripherals, and the recycle or delete function.

1. Once the MR globals button is activated, it minimizes slightly into the center and pops out the main menu with all the default 3D user interface options. Details for each function were listed in the previous section. These figures will follow the path of just one of the options which is the share widget to demonstrate the interactive process. In the figure above, the user selects the share widget and then the icon transitions into the center of the interface.

2. An additional ring expands to reveal two additional applications nested inside. Sharing in the mixed reality context can mean attaching media items to send to another individual or sending messages just as one would on a computer or smart phone. In the figure, the email icon is selected and then it transitions as well to the center of the interface and then pops out another ring revealing more options to select contact in addition to a menu for mail settings.

4. Now that the user chose the contact Auriel, the mail icon activates and returns to the center of the interface followed by a widow maximizing to allow the user to type a message via their mid-air virtual keyboard. The user can also include any other attachments they wish to send. Once the message is sent, the window minimizes and then disappears to reveal the three expanded rings with the icons attached at the highest rung. The user makes an inwards swiping motion and it collapses the menu on the highest ring to reveal the one previously selected beneath it.

5. An inwards swiping motion is continued until the user interface returns to the base MR globals icon that was displayed initially.

Conceptual Implementation

This section serves to showcase an experimental Mixed Reality 3D UI design concept utilizing consideration of some of the precedents in addition to background and design research methodologies developed in previous chapters.

The purpose of this conceptual space is to demonstrate a spatial user interface layout catered towards varying interaction types and possibilities within a Mixed Reality interior setting.

Design was undertaken in this stage as a tool for the discovery of knowledge artifacts for potential MR app development trajectories to be explored more formally at a finer layer of granularity in projects moving forward. Developing hybrid media experiences is a relatively new territory and the purpose of this thesis was to research the background and develop an introductory pattern language aesthetics that could be an archetype applicable for the construction of all physical/virtual spaces moving forward.

With this goal in mind, I decided to simplify the sample concept environment reducing it to low poly 3D sketch fidelity to demonstrate the bare bones of process and possibility to maximize critical inquiry along with ideation for future applications designed to exist in these hybrid environments. After deciding upon the parti and structure of the general environment which was that of an abstracted physical/virtual media organism as well as the setup as explained earlier, I broke down the of the general setting into it’s component parts. Part of this analysis included creating an attributes chart for each of the four areas or zones of the interior concept space.

The three categories with variable contents for each area in question included:

▘Spatial/Organization schemes

Within the spatial organizational schemes category, consideration was given to the unique features of each zone with respect to interior design principles and practices of arrangement. These definitions were used in their traditional sense along with being transposed into context of the virtual space to create a semantic fluency between both realities.

For example, the grid classification is an interior design spatial strategy that is traditionally employed in interior spaces where there is need for precise orderly arrangements such as office space cubicles, concert seating, commercial airplanes to name a few. Within the context of mixed reality interiors, every zone inherently has the grid spatial strategy however in this case, it refers to the underlying coordinate grid system that is automatically generated by the rgb depth or spatial meshing cameras that give the computer processing systems real-time vision of the space to enable dynamic media adaptations. The grid in this instance is present in essence but never seen by the actual user inhabiting the space unless during editing or creation mode.

Another example is the clustered spatial strategy which I assigned to the social as well as creation zone. The interior design paradigm, utilizes the clustered strategy for spaces such as retail venues or children’s playrooms or even some museum exhibits as a way of placing interior components to maximize discoverability through meandering. The same precept applies to virtual assets/media placed within these zones to achieve similar user experience potentials.

▘Input/Outputs

The second category on the chart input/outputs details the types of peripherals that can be utilized to interact within these hybrid spaces. This section is subject to the most change because as new technologies are released, we are continually developing new ways of interfacing. However, the basic premise of having some means or tool to view as well as interact with these physical/virtual environments remains constant.

On this end, I have detailed a number of available inputs/outputs that could currently be used in this type of setting such as see-through head-worn displays, wireless controllers, and haptics among many other implements. This is by no means exhaustive list as novel forms of tangible or even multisensorial user interfaces are a hot topic of research.

Another important point is that these interactions can be multimodal, using a combination of interaction modalities within this hybrid ecosystem, such as arbitrary surface displays, scent, sound, actuated surfaces of the actual interior space in combination or without the traditional controllers and HMDs.

▘Thematic Modulator/Purpose/General Media Gradient

The thematic modulator/purpose/gradient category relays information about core components and functions of the zone in the interior space. It prompts the development team to ask the critical questions about, why, how, and when in reference to the hybrid media to help set and navigate the scope of the multifunctional spatial user interface compositional arrangements.

For example in the area of research/learning displayed on the floor plan diagram already shown, the purpose is defined as information gathering, study and research. With this goal in mind, the designers delve into consideration about how this purpose can best be executed through UI and media asset scale modulation classifications to best interact and engage with the media. This could be inclusive of panoramic, figural, vista, environmental or even map space as detailed in previous sections. There are benefits as wells detractors for each of the scale perspectives and designers must bear this in mind when making choices suitable towards the desired interaction goals.

In the next series of diagrams and media, I will summarize some the key insights gained from utilizing the design as research process to experimentally conceptualize the varying zones for this mixed reality space inclusive of an area for travel or circulation, one for research/study, another for social activities and the last for creation or design related endeavors. I followed the same system of creating the 3 category chart as explained to map out the archetypal experience for each zone as a sketchy virtual sandbox for conceptual inquiry.

| The Spatialized World Wide Web, Virtual Acres, and Playful Media Architectures

Pictured above is an example of the chart detailed previously that is a good idea to assemble when planning out the hybrid physical/virtual landscape of spaces or zones within an interior composition.

This zone is an area dedicated towards research and study and is resultingly shaped like that of a lung as a metaphor for the breadth of knowledge contained within the breath of life of users whom inhabit and utilize the space. Bearing in mind the thematic focus, correspondent media modulator widgets are fashioned in the likeness of lung alveoli trees and branches of knowledge in which the user can dynamically size and position around their space.

The pictures show this space with and without any inhabiting media and the alveoli trees are interactive in the sense that every bright blue sphere inside the virtual tree air sack represents a node where the user can attach customized apps or media files for easy access. Yet another layer or interactivity is present with certain portions of these alveoli trees being able to automatically pulse or grow in color or size to communicate varying status updates to the user.

This is an example of one method of utilizing physical space as the desktop with usage of playful media architecture elements that are functional, decorative and highly customizable. I would also like to bring light to the virtual layouts exposure tab present in the zone which enables the user to save a multiplicity of spatial layouts replete of customized media for easy access.

Before I move on to the next insight gained from this research zone, it’s important to note that one of many ways regularity was established for these mixed reality interiors with media assets and representations varying by region is to establish a globals menu that functions the same regardless of location. This precept translated in the totality of this interior space to usage of the self-similar scaling rings menu prototype I showcased in the last section.

Each section of this space has the triangle mixed reality globals menu as detailed in the previous section as well as a default homing icon to access the functionality of the spatialized computing experience on a per zone basis. For this zone dedicated towards study/research, I utilized the default icon of a page. When it is activated, it partially minimizes and then pops out another ring displays the array of default functions and actions of the zone which in essence translates into a higher cognitive load. In this area, the user can engage with word processing, pictures/video, email, eBooks along with the world wide web.

In the chart under gradients, I listed this area as being characterized by a concentrated media gradient. This classification then denotes the complexity of the media being represented in this region as being fairly high and this is purposeful because areas where the user has time to sit, think and study correspond to their ability to take in more information or deal with user interface features with a higher learning curve. For example, the information visualization experience of surfing the web in the circulation zone dedicated primarily to movement and travel would be more simplified than this zone to balance out or choreograph the different interaction goals for that region.

Here is an example of the zone specific scaling ring globals menu with the user selecting the webpage icon and then selecting the Wikipedia link. It should also be highlighted here that any of these icons can be dragged out into physical space and then attached to one of the node points on the alveoli trees as shown in the previous figure for easy access.

In these screen shots, the user has activated the Wikipedia icon and is browsing the site in the conventional figural mode as one would do on a typical desktop or flat screen display. While this project deals with researching new methods to spatialize these types of media forms, in some instances, it suits the interaction goals to have multimedia content displayed in this fashion. Remember that media should be represented in accordance with a range of scales appropriate to the task at hand. In this instance, the user, wanted to quickly browse a web page entry. However, there are other scale representation modes available as will be shown in the next figure. The architectural feature of the extruded strip in this zone represents a multi-performative touch surface in which any type of controls can appear and disappear anywhere on the surface in accordance to the user's specifications. This is inclusive of all types of overlaid keyboards, buttons, controls or switches.

This system utilizes something I term as spatial meta tags which tells the user’s browser or computer system that the multimedia either the contains customized 3D models or information on how to translate the standard 2D image into 3D projections.

For example, in the animation above, the user entered the search term Hexacorallia a classification of coral into the Wikipedia search entry field. Upon arriving to the page, the user is met with the conventional web page layout however upon choosing to enter into immersive or mixed reality mode, the web page contains additional functionality for a multiplicity of scale representations. One such feature is that the image as animated above can be translated from a 2D to a 3D context in the user’s space. While in this case, no 3D modeler explicitly modeled these coral structures.

Rather, the web page developer implemented spatial tags in reference to the image. This in turn drove a computer vision/machine learning embedded web application to access a back-end database repository of 3D form to dynamically synch features of the 2D image subsequently projection mapping, tiling and morphing the provided asset making it customized ready for perusal in mixed reality space.

This is just one of the many possibilities introduced here. The other option is simply to have the page already loaded with 3D models which correspond to the 2D image which can be dragged and dropped into the AR/MR space much like is seen in functional instances of the Magic Leap’s Helio browser.

Lastly, to close out this section, I wanted to bring up the concept of virtual acres. Within the ecological and and landscaping paradigm, we have what is known as spaces reserved on the land for green acres where no development is allowed in efforts to preserve the natural landscape. Within the Mixed Reality Interiors context, I am suggesting that in like kind, there should be open spaces in the space set aside for virtual acres. It is true that within these hybrid spaces, the entirety of the interior is the computer interface, however, for more specialized projection tasks or activities especially within a educational or research setting, leaving some spaces exclusively open for varying types of site specific media to inhabit would be beneficial. This is because, often when dealing with augmented reality media, it can sometimes occlude or diminish the importance of other elements in the setting that are equally as pertinent to interaction goals and the application of virtual acres could help to balance this relationship in select instances.

| Reconceptualization of Circulation Zones, Mobile Swarm Entity Modulators, Zone Specific Content

The area pictured above is the zone of kinesthetics or in other words the circulation pathway or walkway of the interior. The original concept contained the walls and extended walkways but for simplicity's sake, I reduced it here to a simple platform showing the path. I devised a attribute chart just as I did previously with the other spatial zone which catered to the unique characteristics.

One of the standout elements to be noted is that the user will primarily be in motion, so any populating multimedia should be simplistic bold, highly readable along with be relevant to the goals of the person occupying the space.

Usually when the user is in this area they are traveling to somewhere else in the interior or out of it. Knowledge of these goals influences the subject as well as gradient of media present in the space. For instance, if the individual was just starting their day preparing for departure to work, it would be relevant to showcase local weather information in this space so that the user can prepare with the necessary accessories and clothing articles for the climate. Instead of showing the AR weather simulation everywhere in the Mixed Reality Interior, it is relegated to the circulation zones unless there is a user specified change.

The metaphor utilized for this area was that of nerve synapse and a circulatory system and the media inhabiting this space along with interactive functions is to be thought of in like kind. In reference to the media UI complexity, this area should be of diffuse or intermediate orientations because the user is already engaged in the physical activity of walking.

One of the first insights derived is that this would be the perfect zone to showcase what I term as a mobile media modulator. In essence, this would be a user's personalized virtual agent or NPC that is composed of the person's media assets that could be programed with their schedule to perform certain tasks in Mixed Reality space along with having the ability to shapeshift into varying UI widgets. It is akin to an augmented reality pet, but usefully functional.

In the renders above, this mobile modulator has taken on an anthropomorphic abstracted representation with the yellow cubes denoting a stylized placeholder for where a person's customized media assets could be placed. The main advantage of this entity is that when the user leaves their Mixed Reality Interior space and goes outside or into other hybrid settings, they can carry with themselves their own unique virtual interface to interact with much like how we utilize our personalized cell phones in this day and age.

Within the research documentation along with the beginning of this case study I touched upon the notion of transposing the biological systems of interaction onto the virtual to aid in choreography the media to direct the user's attention in this new type of media landscape. I applied some of this knowledge here particularly with how swarms of ants are led in non-hierarchical frameworks to food sources in the wild via pheromone signatures. I transposed this phenomenon in the virtual sense in the above renders by having the mobile media entity leave behind virtual energy streak trails when necessary as a means to point the user to performs certain tasks or functions in the context of their schedule or living space. The trails are a way of immersively directing and engaging the individual's attention. All the user has to do is to follow the annotated energy trails to varying touch points of action in the interior landscape. Albeit, this is a very simplistic representation, but purposely so in efforts to demonstrate this basic concept and how it could be potentially used for a lot more advanced or sophisticated applications.

The above rendering is a rough conceptual 3D UI for the circulation zone. This zone has a pie menu similar to the other zones feature specific applications relevant to physical activity, calendars, weather or status updates that one might need to see on the go among other offerings.

From left to right is picture first an instance with the weather forecast projections, next, the default scaling rings UI of the ring in the context of virtual veins that because visible in the scene. Lastly, this is an instance when the mobile modulator transformed itself into a sound musical player widgets to allow the user to play as well as spatially position virtual clouds anywhere in the Mixed Reality Interior to activate audio playback functions in which ever zone or spatial orientation it is situated.

| Spatialized Digital Avatars, Virtual Media Lattices, Functional Uses of Animation in the Living Space

The zone of social interactivity features a large cushioned cavity like basin in which the user can engage in a variety of mixed reality interactions while either seated or standing. It was concepted to resemble the abstracted likeness of a cavity of the human heart with the subjective focus of the zone being centered around connections with the people and experiences that we love.

The media and user's interactions are in essence the life blood and the clustered strategy for spatial assets media organization was used because this space caters to a freeform, unstructured or leisurely sense of play and engagement. This translates into the virtual representations being placed in a semi-scattered meandering structure to allowed for joyful exchanges of discoverability of socially oriented media elements.

When speaking about the media gradient, I have generally set it to intermediate because this is not a strictly work area or travel zone so the legibility of media simulations complexity should be somewhere in between light-hearted and of medium complexity because users can sit down and concentrate here but this concentration is mainly social so this was kept in mind when conceptualizing the mixed reality application possibilities for this zone.

This illustration showcases the Mixed Reality Globals menu as it appears in the social zone.

The notion of digital avatars is nothing new in the digital arena of interactive systems. However within the context of this zone I am presenting a design pattern in which these types of social avatars can be utilized as an ubiquitous presence inside the user's environmentally spatialized computing experience. These avatars can be functional as well as decorative in the living spaces through varying modes of state change.

The above left figure shows an example of fish swimming around the environment with each animal serving as representation of the user's social media contacts. In the passive state, a fish is semi-transparent, yet when there is a status message it will glow along with swim into the user's vicinity as a means of signaling. In this instance, fish were used as representations however, the sky is the limit as far as generating variations of this concept.

This sheds more insight onto how our current computing practices can be translated into interior spaces replete with virtual/physical assets of varying qualities ranging from projectors to HWDs and other peripherals to interface with the environment. Instead of a user explicitly going to an interface to check their messages, the messaging or social media application is an ever-present fixture within the user's living space subject to permissions and exposure control through usage of media gradients, being functional as a messaging app while also serving as a decorative background that enhances the wellness restorative properties of the environment.

Restorative properties is an environmental psychology term which refers to varying elements of an environment that enhance the user's cognition as well as overall psychological well-being.

Bearing this in mind, after uncovering research artefacts which explicated the restorative benefits of user's seeing imagery of natural elements in their living space, I thought it would be interesting to conceptualize the social zone's theme of the heart space and media blood with it's analogous counterpart of the visualization of water, a life bringing substance.

More specifically, it was found that imagery of water as well as aquariums has a calming effect on individuals and this state of being is preferably relevant for engagement in varying interaction potentials in the zone of social activity.

This translated into the incorporation of a virtual water user interface with virtual avatar fish as well as other virtual buoys represented as the bright blue cubes in which user's can attach frequently user functions or icons to for easy access. You will also notice the continued usage of the scaling pie menu for the user to access the social zone's global functions in efforts to establish some semblance of interaction continuity across the varying zones.

This illustration showcases the Mixed Reality Globals menu as it appears in the social zone.

Specifically, when one thinks of the heart, what often comes to mind first is imagery of valves, and movement. I took hold of these visuals and generated the concept of a virtual template which I term as a media lattice that is projected as a digital canopy over the entirety of this zone which allows users to customize, create, position and store media structures relevant to their working or social purposes.

Each aperture or valve of this lattice represents a point in which a media artery can be created which allows users to manipulate their media artefacts to taste. Media arteries can be extruded along with being connected with each other or tethered to certain physical spatial features in the environment. For example, in the screenshots, the user at the most simplistic level was able to summon a media carousel artery from the above aperture/valve, select desired media and them place the chosen screens in accordance with particular points on the overall lattice. The bright blue concentric rings underneath the carousel represent the chosen spatial anchor point for the media artery stream to settle.

This is another example where I wanted to point out the intentional use of pattern for this virtual lattice that is not only functional but also has restorative psychological as well as decorative benefits due to the alternating repetition of the design resembling the patterning in natural systems. Within the vein of environmental psychology it has been uncovered that subjects viewing elements of the built environment such as classical stained glass windows experienced an increase in wellbeing and certain cognitive functions as opposed to the banal repetition of the modern double hung window. Modernism has removed much of this fractal form from the decorative features of our built environment and the overriding insight here is that it should be re-introduced in a purposeful, measured fashion through virtual user interfacing elements such as this for the establishment of holistic Mixed Reality environments of the future. These designs would be centered around the enhancement of wellness, based upon some of these varying research inputs not arbitrary subjective whims of the designer. Specific details about this as well as references can be found in my write-up documentation link in the summary provided in the introduction of this case study.

‍

3D UI for streaming media

Spatialized emoji when conversing with friends

Mixed Reality board games

Mixed reality gaming utilizing the environment as the game world

The last touch point of discovered insight I wanted to discuss within the context of this social zone are it's potentials for gamming. These Mixed Reality environments create suitable conditions for customized procedurally generated immersive game environments due to the real-time computer vision view of the environment established from the spatial meshing cameras which can be user worn, embedded within the environment or a combination of both.

For example, suppose a user wanted to initiate a Mixed Reality racing tournament using environmental features of the interior of their home as the racing track. Based upon the topology generated from the spatial meshing camera, a world in miniature would be created from which procedural game elements could be overlaid such as roads, scenery, obstacles and more. Today's media is increasingly lean forward oriented as Jakob Nielson terms it which denotes the ability for users to be able to interact with the system instead of being a passive watcher. This has given rise to more user experience design frameworks catering to this participatory goal and giving users the ability to construct custom game materials and then the ability to play in them through shared gaming networks allows the user to feel and be a part of fun and creation process.

The above screen shows a simplistic instance of a user specifying for their racetrack only to appear within the context of the oval shaped social zone. From this starting point, they drew out tracery of where they wanted the track to appear and then it was automatically generated, shared and available for their friends to race against them on. In other examples, the racing track could extend beyond this zone and follow the topology of the interior and even incorporate more complex visual design elements as per taste.

| Conformally Mapped Media, Movement as a UX Function, The Media Organism + Decorative/Functional Characteristics of Spatial Assets

The creation zone in this Mixed Reality environment is a conceptual space catered towards optimizing the user experience of design related activities. The structure of the space is modeled after an abstract womb featuring dual light well ovarian palace UI portals populated by ovum application icons that serve as functional anchor points to ground the virtual in the physical. What can also be noted form the above screen shot is that between these two UI portals, I have created a walkway with an incline in the likeness of the figure eight for infinity. This was purposeful as I wanted to call attention to how the physical form of our surroundings should resemble of thought patterns as well as organic processes to create a fluency of interactive exchanges.

To drill a bit deeper, I am also questioning or rather challenging the long held notions of our modern cubicle work environments as recent research has indicated that sitting down all day has deleterious effects upon our health and that walking enhances creativity as well as overall cognition.

Therefore, I implemented a walkway in this layout as a part of the user interfacing function as a template to enhance the wellness of the user as well as presumably boost productivity though enhanced cognition that comes as a result of physical movement.

It has long been touted in interaction design literature that the user will always inherently seek the path of least resistance and to design UIs with the least steps as possible to make them efficiently easy catering to the dwindling attention spans of much of today's populace. So, the question might be proposed about the feasibility of creating a walkway and actually creating more steps for the user to have to traverse in having to interact with their spatially embodied media experience.

In response to this, I would like to restate that within this or any given zone, interactions are scaled in accordance to context and media gradients. Therefore, each interaction would not require the need for the same type of movements. For example, I have set the scale modulation in this zone to encompass panoramic, figural and vista orientations which comprises the ability to walk around and view media in the 360° of the environment, from a wedge of this space or in a up close and personal level when dealing with the pie menu or other such UI widgets.

Another aspect is the topic I mentioned earlier about how culture determines cognition and vice versa. A person's attention span is not an immutable element and can change dependent upon the systems and circumstances in which an individual must operate. If the user experience parameters are altered in a way that ultimately serves the greater good of the populace's health as well as productivity then I theorize that users will ultimately habituate to the new system or modes of operation.

Presently, most computing experiences take place within the context of a seated posture, some research touchpoints have indicated that this orientation has varying mental and physical health consequences. We also have knowledge that before the advent of the mechanical age and even earlier, our ancestors incorporated movement, walking and standing as a way of life for optimal health instead of leading sedentary lives which constitute the majority of western' society's white collar workers. I am suggesting that UX designers and developers could transform the modern work environment utilizing incentivized or gamified spatial interfaces as well as body movement interactions to presumably boost wellbeing and company productivity. An entire research report/study could be written or conducted on this alone to account for more variables such as those with mobility issues and other factors, but the purpose here was simply to relay this discovered topic of insight for further work in future endeavors.

The user is accessing the default pie menu of the zone from one of the UI portals of the space. Part of the design process of many types of creative work involves the assembly of mood boards or reference imagery based upon certain project goals. I utilized this notion here with the Pinterest app to re conceptualize the interaction potentials after they have transmigrated from the 2D screen to spatially embodied interactions of this creation space. It also must be re emphasized that this is a conceptual look at the possibilities, as a precursor to a more formalized UX approach with design thinking deliverables suitable for another research project with a more specific and granular focus on a chosen vein of development.

In breaking free from the confines of linear 2D space, once the Pinterest app is launched the user has the ability to select how the imagery is displayed and distributed in the Mixed Reality physical/virtual environment. In the two screenshots to the side, the user has selected the option for conformal mapping which translates to the imagery conforming to the structural properties of interior elements.

In this instance, the user can walk around the 360° of the ambient space select, maximize, organize or even rearrange chosen media. This experience is reminiscent of an option for discoverability via a leisurely stroll through a garden observing plant species. Yet in this case, they are discovering and selecting media assets for usage in their working endeavors.

Another vein of possibility is the incorporation of an AI Pinterest entity known as a media organism. People visit Pinterest because they are looking for inspiration or a frame of reference for a particular activity. The media organism is a collation of the user's selected imagery that acts as a spatialized pinned board or repository of media with multi-performative functionality.

In it's passive state, it acts as a decorative or collage element in the living space, however once activated it can perform three main tasks. In it's first active state, it can take the form of an animated kaleidoscope showing certain geometric forms to induce a desirable brainwave states in the user for the performance or a certain design task, ie meditation, visualization, a call for action.

The animated elements of imagery can also serve discoverability efforts by allowing users to select photos in a novel and engaging format. For example, if a user was searching for images of waterslides. A large virtual waterslide comprised of slide imagery could populate the 3D space while also pouring out imagery water in the form of the search results for the user to also select from. I could see this being particularly useful in an educational context especially within grade school to communicate information in multiple forms and have a hands on experience of learning for children.

The next two functions of this media organism deal with IOT functionality of multisensorial output of search results. Keeping in alignment with Pinterest goals as a tool for inspiration, it can also interface with technology in the environment to emit certain scents in accordance with search parameters and even to play subtle sounds in the ambient in accordance with these results as well. For example, if flowers were the search entry then a floral scent would emit into the atmosphere while one is searching through this type of imagery and dependent on many other variables color mapped musical tones would also play in correspondence. These occurrences mentioned from the imagery to the scents as well as the sounds serve to prime the immersive Mixed Reality IOT interior atmosphere for the user to feel inspired, empowered and supported in whatever creational, learning or design task at hand.

Selected photos can form different Media Organism patterning in the environment to influence creative inspiration, cognition or brainwave states towards desired ends when designing in this zone of creation.

Users can play a selection game to populate their mood boards with favorites. How it works is that the user enters in a search term and then the search results come back in the form of a game where the user must select the image game elements quickly to store on one of their pinned boards before it vanishes similar to snapchat functionality. I've created a conceptual animation clip of these processes which can be viewed below.

Conclusion & Review

The summary below is comprised of the results of this design research endeavor in the form of an evaluation chart created for usage in any Mixed Reality design project, insights, findings and suggestions for futureward developments in this immersive space.

Evaluation

The purpose of this design research endeavor is to establish connections between seemingly disparate veins of design and other subjects of study to aid in the creation of a framework for mixed reality interiors. The successfulness of this endeavor lies in the quality of relevant correlations that were made at the archetypal level of principles from which paradigms of design modalities originate.

Digital media along with interior design principles and fractals which are nature’s organizing principles were compared for their commonalities and five building blocks of mixed reality environments where derived along with questions that designers should ask during the creation process. This will help prioritize generating a balanced physical/digital interior layout from conception to completion with iterations thereafter.

The objective is to create augmented reality 3D UI systems and interior arrangements that complement each other compositionally so that the user can perceive the interrelations of the zones in spatial compositions to achieve a phenomenological gestalt of the of the environment and its purpose, instead of only individual sections.

To reiterate, the five properties of fractals were utilized because the mixed reality environment in many respects is an artificial simulation of the natural world. It is an endless flood of life blood that is akin to digital media that inhabits, moves and interacts within the body of the organism or ecosystem which in this case is the interior composition of buildings. Nature does an excellent job at organizing complex environmental information into pattern languages that generate positive psychological feedback in humans according to research findings conducted by cognitive scientists and psychologists. Resultantly, it makes sense to use fractal properties as a foundation for designing these hybrid restorative spaces while also being open to making design modifications as needed during later iterations of the planning process.

Below is a design pattern evaluation chart to aid designers during the process of developing concepts for mixed reality environments. On the left is the fractal properties and their correspondent digital media and interior design principles. On the right, is a series of questions for evaluation. Following this chart will be an explanation of how these principles were integrated into the simulated mixed reality conceptual environment.

Another measure of success is its ability to stimulate further lines of inquiry and impetus for researchers and developers to conceptualize discovered potentials. This research project is relegated to the scope of analyzing and connecting these fundamental building blocks and conceptualizing inherent possibilities through design experimentation, simulations and brainstormed opportunities for development deriving from background research into augmented reality, user interfaces and interiors. This level of granularity forgoes the necessity for user testing or more finely tuned production processes as it provides a conceptual basis for such prototype generations.

As a part of the evaluation process in chapter 5(168-185) of the Mixed Reality thesis document linked here, I detail the discovered and synthesized development potentials resulting from this design research. The bullet points for these topics discussed in the document include:

▘Mixed Reality Design for Physical and Psychological Health

- Body movement as a part of frequently used immersive UX processes to encourage a healthier and happier work populace, not just for dedicated fitness apps

- Creation of holistic immersive interaction design schemes which encourage real world interpersonal social/interpersonal communications as a part of the experience

- Balancing the digital and physical aspects of the design in relation to relevant environmental of psychological context

▘Product Design Ideas + Improvement Suggestions

- Occlusion/Registration Error Solutions

- Holographic Arbitrary Surface Displays

- Multimodal Sensor/Pointer Ring + Grasping/Gesture based Methodology Explorations

-Passive Haptic Feedback Homewares + Furniture + Soft goods

▘Mixed Reality Interior Design + Environmental Psychology possibilities

- 3D user interfaces can be utilized in a dedicated environmental space to engage with multiple learning styles in an interactive sense

-Media Gradients and modulation on the basis of location and context

- Immersive biomorphic UX pattern design language for emotional response or instorative/resorative benefits

Conclusion

The design research journey of constructing 3D user interfaces within the context of mixed reality interiors has been investigated throughout the course of this document. Mixed Reality interiors in this case has been defined as an interior that is residential, public access or commercial that is specifically designed for being embedded with augmented reality digital media content which could be considered akin to any other physical decorative/functional feature situated in an environment.

Presently, most augmented reality applications ensure that the media is in correct registration with physical surroundings where necessary and that location specific information can be accessed but little to no consideration has been given to how this digital media integrates into the design composition of the totality of an interior setting. The virtual elements must inform the design of the physical world and this relationship is reciprocal. The following sentiments by C. Alexander most aptly illustrates this point.

“This is a fundamental view of the world. It says that when you build a thing you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must repair the world around it, and within it, so that the larger world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make takes its place in the web of nature, as you make it.”

With the advent of increasing advances in user worn input/output and display and systems manipulation technology, augmented reality media will become a habitual occurrence in our interior settings. Bearing this in mind it’s important to start asking the critical questions of how designers can move away from these one-off types of applications into designing integrative systems that interrogate the whole environment by opening responsive exchange between the digital as well as the physical layers of a given setting. This provides a foundational structure to organize elements while composing balanced design compositions of a mixed reality interior. A system for organization is paramount to crafting user experiences with easily readable user interfaces and graphical interactive pattern languages that boast attendant cognitive benefits as some environmental psychologists would purport.

The pattern language for Mixed Reality Interiors was developed by examining, historical precedents, journal articles, literature and case studies of relevant architectural interior, digital media and augmented reality systems along with correlating interior and media design principles couched within fractal archetypes and design philosophy. The questions about the how and why certain locations or spatial features are optimal for certain media assets existing in a spectrum of gradients with varying levels of modulated expression has been addressed. Different types of input/output modalities have been suggested for usage along with the identification of the core features and organizational templates a default mixed reality user interface might want to have in addition to suggestions for other types of functions based on thematic and spatial strategy context.

In chapter four Implementation, these Mixed Reality Interior pattern language concepts were illustrated graphically in a 3D simulated environment that provided users with a visual cue of just one of the many possibilities to iterate upon during this multidisciplinary design process.

Finally, a Mixed Reality design pattern evaluation was presented along with considerations for further development into more nuanced aspects of the design process. These were discovered through the course of this design research process and shared in chapter five, evaluation.

The scope of this project was to explore new augmented reality territory through perceptions of correlating elements on the archetypal level of the interdisciplinary design process between digital media and interior design disciplines. This is aimed at encouraging a holistic strategy for conceptual development. Designers are encouraged to delve into finer granularities through user testing, further research and development of varying mixed reality prototypes utilizing these foundational elements a starting point in their quest to produce optimal augmented reality interior user interfaces and interaction modalities.

In the future, such mixed reality user interface templates will be created and installed in residential, commercial and even public access interior settings just as we presently install operating systems or applications on a traditional computer system or smart device. As advances in technology and human society continue to march forward, it will become increasingly relevant to consider the totality of the environment as the computer interface and it is high time to consider the multidisciplinary design components that work together to craft these virtual/physical environments of the future.

ᐸ

Back to UX Case Studies

Cultural Climate & Historical Precedents

Cultural Climate & Historical Precedents

Mixed Reality Interiors

Design Research (M.S. Thesis Drexel University)

Goal :

Role:

Duration:

Tools:

The Challenge

Background & Precedents

Cultural Climate & Historical Precedents

AR Theoretical + Media Design Considerations

Gradients

Sampling &Complexity

Participatory Media/Network Connections

Media Asset Behavior& Organization

Swarm Recruitment Strategies + Media Opportunities‍

The Approach

Design as Research Methodology

Mixed Reality Interior Design Archetypes

| Fractal Dimension

| Self - Similarity

| Scaling

| Recursion

| Infinity

Spatial Strategies

| Spatial Relationships

| Spatial Strategies

| Circulation Strategies

Spatial Scale

| Figural + Global + Map Space

| Panoramic

| Vista

| Environmental

Asset Gradients & Modulators

| Gradients

| Modulators

Spatial

Swarm

Hardware Considerations

Interiors as Interfaces

| Holistic Design

| Mixed Reality Layout

Step: 1

Step 2:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Conceptual Design

Conceptual Environment Creation

| Experimental Floorplan

Dominant Variable Spatial Strategy – (Fractional Dimension)

Space within a Space – Spatial Relationship (Self-Similarity + Recursion)

Grid – Spatial Strategy (Scaling)

Space linked by a Common Space – Spatial Relationship (Infinity)

Network – Circulation Strategy (Infinity)

| Concepting

| Construction

Construction and Sensor Installations

Spatial Meshing and Grid Overlay Capture

Spatial Meshing and Grid Overlay Capture

Interior Spatial Zone Designations + World in miniature +Starting point for specialized app dev

Mixed Reality Globals Menu

Conceptual Implementation

▘Spatial/Organization schemes

▘Input/Outputs

▘Thematic Modulator/Purpose/General Media Gradient

| The Spatialized World Wide Web, Virtual Acres, and Playful Media Architectures

| Reconceptualization of Circulation Zones, Mobile Swarm Entity Modulators, Zone Specific Content

| Spatialized Digital Avatars, Virtual Media Lattices, Functional Uses of Animation in the Living Space

| Conformally Mapped Media, Movement as a UX Function, The Media Organism + Decorative/Functional Characteristics of Spatial Assets

Conclusion & Review

Evaluation

▘Mixed Reality Design for Physical and Psychological Health

▘Product Design Ideas + Improvement Suggestions

▘Mixed Reality Interior Design + Environmental Psychology possibilities

Conclusion

Swarm Recruitment Strategies + Media Opportunities
‍