Spectra HoloVisio

A MR tool that lets people design their spaces in real time with holographic projections & motion sensors.

I’m passionate about emerging technologies, and in graduate school I worked on a project exploring how mixed reality could transform interior design. My team designed a tool that used holographic projections to let people visualize furniture directly in their spaces. Through user research, prototyping, and testing, we developed a concept that blended digital and physical environments to make interior design more interactive and practical.

Problem

How might we help people better visualize and personalize their living spaces, so the designs they picture in their minds feel closer to what they’ll live with in reality?

Outcome

We designed a mixed reality concept where users can place, move, and customize furniture in real time using holographic projections, bringing design ideas closer to reality.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

13 weeks

Tools

Figma

After Effects

Team

3 product designers

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

13 weeks

Tools

Figma

After Effects

Team

3 product designers

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

13 weeks

Tools

Figma

After Effects

Team

3 product designers

User research

findings & insights

To understand how people think about redesigning their spaces, we ran 4 in-depth interviews and a survey with 89 participants. Our aim was to learn about their habits, frustrations, and priorities when it comes to interior design.

52%

Of participants spend very little amount of time on interior design.

Over half the respondents said they invest very little time in redesign activities, often finding the process overwhelming or secondary to other commitments.

61%

Prefer a DIY approach to redesigning their spaces over professional help.

A majority preferred to redesign their living spaces themselves, valuing the freedom for personal expression and creative control rather than relying on professional interior designers.

64%

Cite cost as a major factor affecting their redesign efforts.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents indicated that cost considerations are a significant factor that affects them from redesigning their spaces or buying new furniture and decor items.


Storyboard

Visualizing a design choice on paper or in a 2D plan often leaves people uncertain. The storyboard illustrates how Spectra HoloVisio could project furniture into a person’s room, allowing them to visualize the space more clearly.

Initial product design

Initial product
design

We sketched early concepts for the eyeband, exploring how it might rest on the head, distribute weight, and house sensors and controls without disrupting the experience.

Low fidelity

ideas & flows

We created sketches and mockups to test different flows, looking at how menus, objects, and gestures could come together to form an intuitive experience.

360° VR sketch sheet.

We used a 360° sketch sheet and a panorama app to create immersive mockups, helping users better understand early designs and share clearer feedback.

Menu placement & visibility

We explored different menu placements to ensure options were within easy reach, and tested how multiple menus could appear without cluttering the view.

Furniture visibility & control

Participants were given the ability to move, resize, and lock furniture in place, allowing them to arrange their spaces with both flexibility and precision.

Design with AI

An auto-design feature was introduced that scanned the room and, using a user’s past choices and preferences, generated a complete layout with furniture already in place.

360° view of the prototype

This video captures how participants experienced the prototype.

User testing

key findings

We tested the low-fidelity prototype with 12 participants (ages 22–35) in short sessions, observing how they interacted with menus, furniture, and the AI feature.

Theme

Key Findings

Design Implications

Menu preferences

Users wanted menus that were easier to access and less restrictive.


Explore dual-side layouts to make options more convenient and balanced.


Menu visibility

Menus should stay out of the way when users are manipulating objects.

Add options to auto-hide or reduce menus during object manipulation

Innovation in design

Participants were excited about Auto-Design as a way to quickly generate layouts

Prioritize development of the AI-powered Auto-Design feature

Dynamic adjustment

Menus should adapt their position depending on user context

Design menus that dynamically reposition themselves to stay within comfortable reach

Theme

Menu preferences

Key Findings

Users wanted menus that were easier to access and less restrictive.

Design Implications

Explore dual-side layouts to make options more convenient and balanced.

Theme

Menu visibility

Key Findings

Menus should stay out of the way when users are manipulating objects.

Design Implications

Add options to auto-hide or reduce menus during object manipulation

Theme

Innovation in design

Key Findings

Participants were excited about Auto-Design as a way to quickly generate layouts

Design Implications

Prioritize development of the AI-powered Auto-Design feature

Theme

Dynamic adjustment

Key Findings

Menus should adapt their position depending on user context

Design Implications

Design menus that dynamically reposition themselves to stay within comfortable reach

High fidelity

prototype

To bring the concept closer to reality, we built a high-fidelity prototype in Premiere Pro and Figma, creating first-person videos to simulate the eyeband experience.

Welcome screen

Users were introduced to Spectra HoloVisio through an immersive first-person view of the headset. This clip explored whether the entry flow and main controls felt easy to recognize and access.

Shift Furniture & Lock Position

Users moved a sofa into position and secured it with a crossed-finger gesture. Since this was a new gesture we introduced, we wanted to see how easily users could learn and perform it.

Grab & Pull Furniture

Furniture was added by grabbing it from the menu, pulling it forward, and dropping it into place. We wanted to see how users reacted to this gesture compared to a conventional touch-select interaction.

Snap to Clear Menus

A snap gesture instantly removed all menus from view. We wanted to learn if this quick dismiss action helped reduce clutter and improve focus while reviewing the space.

Auto design with AI

By activating the AI feature, the system scanned the room and generated a layout based on the user’s past choices. We wanted to understand whether this suggested starting point felt more helpful than beginning from scratch.

User testing

key findings

We showed the high-fidelity prototype videos to 15 participants (ages 22–35) and asked them to rate each interaction. Their feedback highlighted what worked well and where improvements were needed.

86%

Rated the hand gesture for moving objects as highly effective.

57%

Choose the snap gesture as their most liked interaction.

74%

Rated the AI auto-design feature as excellent

35%

Specifically mentioned the system would be useful for client interactions.

43%

Mentioned that the background and environment could be improved.

Made with ❤️ and ✨ from New York | Vrunda Mange | 2025

Find me on

Made with ❤️ and ✨ from New York | Vrunda Mange | 2025

Find me on

Made with ❤️ and ✨ from New York | Vrunda Mange | 2025

Find me on

Made with ❤️ and ✨ from Rochester, NY |

Vrunda Mange | 2025

Find me on

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