Investigating Usability Enhancements for 3D art creation in TiltBrush VR App
Project Overview
This UX case study examines Google's Tilt Brush VR app as a 3D art tool, exploring its user-friendliness and immersive potential to reveal challenges for both artists & non artists.
My Role
I worked on participant recruitment in a team of 5 students, led the Usability Testing, and performed the Data Analysis for quantitative and qualitative results.
Timeline
August 2023 - December 2023
Setting up the equipment before the testing
The goal is to understand the Usability of the Tiltbrush application in creating 3D Art and identifying improvements based on user needs.
Testing Process
1. Pre-task Questionnaire
This questionnaire is designed to understand participants' background information and prior VR experience so we can tailor the study to different personas.
BEFORE TESTING
1. Participants have prior VR experience and can adapt to Tiltbrush quickly.
2. All the participants are artists with transferable knowledge of art concepts and techniques.
3. Participants are first-time users of Tilt Brush, so tutorials and instructions are necessary before testing.
2. User Testing
I led the usability testing of Tilt Brush, recording participants' audio and video after receiving consent. Following brief controller navigation and creation instructions, the participants were asked to complete the following tasks:
The entire process is detailed in the study protocol document: Link to the Study Protocol.
DURING TESTING
Explore Different Brush Types
Perform Erase and Delete on the artwork
Move and Teleport through the artwork
OBSERVATIONS MADE DURING THE TESTING
During the testing, participants expressed what they liked and the frustrating aspects of the application using think aloud method. My team and I also made some observation notes while the participants were using the application.
Positive initial impression
Users found Tilt Brush engaging and were initially impressed with its possibilities.
Visibility issues
Users complained about difficulty seeing 3D objects, especially black ones, because of the dark background.
3. Unstructured Interview
The users were frustrated while creating 3D work and fussed about specific details. So, I did an unstructured interview targeting these difficulties to gauge their feelings about it.
AFTER TESTING
They couldn’t move their art.
Users tried to use the selection tool to select and move a piece of their artwork to a different place but could not.
Difficulty Erasing
Users felt erasing the artwork was unnecessarily complex; the erase tool deleted the entire segment instead of erasing only the necessary.
4. Usability Questionnaire
The users rated a few statements from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). These statements contributed to measuring the Usability, Immersion, Feedback, and other aspects of the application.
Immersive Environment
Users liked the Flow and Immersion of the application; they forgot the outside environment.
Felt Confident
Although users had no experience with the Tilt Brush VR, they felt confident using the application to create 3D art.
The erase tool was confusing.
Users felt erasing the artwork was unnecessarily complex; the erase tool deleted the entire segment instead of erasing only the necessary.
Sickness Questionnaire
A Sickness Questionnaire measures the extent to which users experience sickness after being in a Virtual Environment and using the Headsets for an extended time. Users rated the level of sickness they experienced using a scale from 0 (None) to 3 (Severe).
Eyestrain
Users complained that the dark environment was disturbing and caused eyestrain.
Headache
Users experienced headaches because of the dark environment and the closeness of the drawings to their eyes.
General Discomfort
Users complained about exhaustion in their arms by having to extend their arms to draw for extended periods.
Participants' most common problems were the dark environment, the selection & movement of artwork, and the confusing eraser tool.
RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FUTURE
Users loved the Tilt Brush VR application and rated it a 4 out of 5 for its ease of use. However, They expressed reduced interest when asked if they see themselves using this in the future.
Based on these, the following feature enhancements will improve the Tilt Brush application's usability by allowing the users better control over their 3D art and reducing discomfort.
Artwork Manipulation
Drawing 3D art at a comfortable distance, selecting it all together, and moving it will allow more control and reduce arm exhaustion.
Providing Adjustable Background
Offering an adjustable environment - light or dark backgrounds - could reduce eyestrain and fatigue, potentially lengthening user sessions.
Erase Tool Precision
Implementing a more precise erase tool and confirm-delete option reduces errors due to accidental deletions.
TESTING GALLERY
LEARNINGS
Visualizing the Path to Improvement
Studying results revealed valuable insights about the app's strengths and weaknesses. Though time-consuming, extracting qualitative data from observations, think-aloud sessions, and interviews proved enriching, helping me enhance and prioritize features.
Unlocking Natural User Insights
Ditching the notepad during interviews fostered a more natural conversation, easing user self-awareness and enhancing information flow. This approach elicited subconscious feedback and deeper insights, uncovering pain points not explicitly expressed by users.
Teaching myself new techniques
This project challenged me to explore and adopt new methodologies independently. Outside the project scope, I proactively acquired knowledge of feature prioritization methods, enabling me to offer valuable recommendations for future iterations.