PoV

How to Design for the

Metaverse Environment
Introduction
Metaverse – a term coined for a network of virtual
worlds that allows you to explore, connect and
interact with each other in a 3D avatar – is fast gaining
popularity. Metaverse exists currently on online
gaming platforms by Roblox, Sandbox, Decentraland
and Fortnite. Here, users can don their virtual avatar,
explore different worlds, and compete or socialize
with their friends. They can interact, engage, and fight
with other players, and modify their environments or
trade and win currencies/ goods/ ammunition and
even health parameters.

It is a world of immersive engagement that allows

users to take on their online Avatar and stay there
for hours offering a completely different level of
interaction.

With Facebook rebranding itself as ‘Meta’ and

announcing its move towards this realm, social
media platforms, FMCG retails brands, e-commerce
giants, automotive companies, consumer goods
brands and even IT tech companies are making a run
towards understanding what metaverse has to offer
to their clients and customers – magic, challenges,
or opportunities of further engagement. Virtual real
estate - an inhabitable form of the internet that is
powered by blockchain technology and accessible
through web browsers, VR, and AR headsets - is up for
sale with everyone trying to grab their share of “land”
that can be monetized with thousands of dollars.
Designing for Metaverse
environments
Scenarios are being imagined now where
people staying within the confines of
their homes can interact with each other,
experience a brand, a new location,
interact with sales avatars for a virtual
buying experience, date or even getting
married virtually!
With the piquing interest for Metaverse
along with the onslaught of Web 3.0 and 5G
network, a world of interconnected virtual
worlds is soon going to be most sought-
after industry for designers to create
3D avatars, environments, engagement
models and worlds. These virtual worlds
will require designers who are not just
researching and designing experiences,
but creators of an engagement schema
for users and their online counterparts in
the true sense. The role of these designers
will not be limited to designing for
digital, omnichannel or wearable forms.
It may expand and become increasingly
immersive and strategic in nature.
Virtually anything is possible and hence
designing the virtual world is not limited to
the physical world’s laws and regulations
of nature and construction. Some worlds
may reflect the sophistication and realistic
depiction of the physical counterpart,
while some may be built in the crudest
manner providing the user an opportunity
to improvise it further with materials and
colors.
The first step would obviously be to
create the virtual world in an acceptable
3D format followed by online avatars that
can be modified/ changed swiftly. It may
seem far-fetched and out-of-bounds,
but it’s quite executable after a little bit
of research and learning. Designing for
the metaverse is pretty much like the UX
design process.
Here’s how you can get started:

• Storyboard: Create a user flow of the different “Scenes” or “Environments”.

entire virtual reality app. Just like how
we create a user journey for a mobile
or web-based app, for VR too, we
create a storyboard with all possible
scenarios and outcomes. This is an
important step to understand the
Designers will then design the VR
UI. The different outcomes or ‘End
scenarios” will help define all the
touchpoints required for the user to
move forward in the VR app.

Low fidelity storyboard example (sketches) pic courtesy Microsoft.com

High fidelity Storyboard example, pic courtesy Microsoft.com
• Wireframe: Once the scenarios are
panned out, low-fidelity sketches
offer a blue-print of what needs to
be built as part of the entire ‘scene’.
It’s a 360-degree view with a double
height to help the user pan the entire
‘scene’ comfortably in comparison to
the 2D view of a Digital device. For
example – To design a web- based
app, designers use the resolution
dimension, whereas for a VR design,
designers need to work with
foreground ‘Actors’ and a 360-degree
view background. Different scenarios
are worked with the foreground
actors and touchpoints to provide an
understanding of the VR flow.
• Design - VR design has two
important elements – Foreground and
Background. The foreground consists
of the Avatars, moving objects and
touchpoints or action points to move
forward in the VR space. There are
various software tools to help create
the 3D models of the actors.
The ‘background ‘houses the
environment of the foreground. It
needs to be in three-dimensional view.
The background needs to provide
a seamless view of the 360-degree
view, and hence, the ends are stitched
together to give a feeling of continuity.
These can be created with 3D Software
like Sketchfab automatically with
panoramic images, or can be created
manually through a design Software
tool. These environments consist of
anything from imaginary space to
something which is realistically closer
to the physical world – Buildings,
interiors of offices/ homes, natural
habitats, etc.
360 degree repeat background

Example of a psychedelic background for a 3D game. Note how the edges of the
background seem in continuity when stitched together.

• Prototype the VR UI with motion • Test it on an online VR Player

design tools – Designs complete
with background and foreground
actors are animated with motion
animation tools to provide
prototype of the outcome. This
provides an opportunity to improvise
and bridge the gaps for a seamless
virtual experience. An immersive VR
environment can be created and
animated in Adobe After Effects.
simulator – there are many Software
tools that provide a simulation of the
VR experience as to how your 360
a and 180-degree footage looks like
in a VR head-mount display (HMD).
Following headsets are compatible
to most of the Software tools.
– Oculus Rift (Windows only)
– HTC Vive (On Mac and Windows)
– Windows Mixed Reality (Windows
only)

There are a lot of technical limitations and considerations while working on the VR design.
To provide a seamless experience to the user, the entire design process needs to have
specialists attending their respective areas of design. Following are the roles we feel, will
contribute to creating an immersive VR experience.
• Metaverse Design Architects
– Real-world architects who can
visualize the virtual world
respect to physical realm landscape.
They create the virtual environment
reflecting or mimicking the physical
environment and structures – natural
or manmade.
• Immersive Storytellers – Art
directors and persona creators who
create storyboards of the intended
experiences for the users.
• 3D modelers/ Artists – Designers
who can create 3D objects and
Avatars which are either imaginary,
creative or are strikingly like the
realistic human look.
• Immersive Designers – Experienced
designers to create seamless
with journeys that extend from the digital
world to the virtual one.
While there are limitless possibilities of
how these worlds can be built ignoring the
laws of nature, gravity, and engineering;
companies are starting off with providing
a virtual experience that is strikingly like
that of the physical one. We are looking at
every brand across industries and services
making a run to book their real-estate in
the Metaverse or virtual reality space. The
future of customer experience is upgrading
itself from focusing on user experience of
a physical world to that of an immersive
one, combining the experiences of both -
physical and virtual worlds.
About the Author
In a career spanning 21 years, Priti has played key UX strategic
and consulting roles in digital transformational journeys for
customers across US, UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa.
Since the inception of UX in the industry, she has delivered
strategy-led design on complex enterprise-level projects
for B2B and B2C customers across industries like banking,
healthcare, telecom and travel.

Priti Saini
Associate Director, LTI

LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helping more than 495
clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 33 countries, we go the extra mile for our clients
and accelerate their digital transformation journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro
Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges
of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 46,000 LTItes enable our clients to
improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers,
employees and shareholders. Find more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global.

info@lntinfotech.com