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.
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.
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.
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.