Rapid Prototyping of Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Interfaces

This course introduces participants to rapid prototyping techniques for augmented reality and virtual reality interfaces. Participants will learn about both physical prototyping with paper and Play-Doh as well as digital prototyping via new visual authoring tools for AR/VR. The course is structured into four sessions. After an introduction to AR/VR prototyping principles and materials, the next two sessions are hands-on, allowing participants to practice new physical and digital prototyping techniques. These techniques use a combination of new paper-based AR/VR design templates and smartphone-based capture and replay tools, adapting Wizard of Oz for AR/VR design. The fourth and final session will allow participants to test and critique each other's prototypes while checking against emerging design principles and guidelines. The instructor has previously taught the techniques to broad student audiences with a wide variety of non-technical backgrounds, including design, architecture, business, medicine, education, and psychology, who shared a common interest in user experience and interaction design. The course is targeted at non-technical audiences including HCI practitioners, user experience researchers, and interaction design professionals and students. A useful byproduct of the course will be a small portfolio piece of a first AR/VR interface designed iteratively and collaboratively in teams.