Overview
Team
❖ One Developer
❖ Three artists
❖ One lead UX Designer / Researcher (me)
My key contributions
❖ UX Research
❖ Project Management
❖ 3D Modeler
❖ Optimization dev
❖ Tester
Process❖ Define problem
❖ Test
❖ Prototype & Implement
❖ Test
Tools used
❖ Oculus 2
❖ Horizon Worlds
❖ Discord
🌱 The Problem
Users (players of the Horizon Worlds VR app), don't return to worlds they've visited. Many users don't finish experiences before losing interest.
🔍 My Key Contributions
-Led user research & live playtesting in VR
-Facilitated group testing sessions with players and developers
-Created 3D models, weapons, and environments
-Implemented world optimization for performance
-Introduced a progressive map structure to organize content and flow
🔑 Solutions
(1) Replayability hinges on variety: enemies, weapons, level pacing
→ I created distinct atmospheres as players progress
→ I created weapon variety, which also supported different play styles
→ Introduced a player score/progression system to incentivize replay
(2) Mission clarity improves with spatial and audio cues
→ I added spatial audio cues during enemy battles and puzzle progression
(3) Joyful moments come from unexpected object interactivity
→ I designed enemy types with unique attacks
→ I designed interactable objects throughout the experience
📈 Results
- 87% of players reached the last area, and indicated they would 100% replay the experience
- Early drop-offs decreased by 95%
- 90% Players feedback indicated this experience is memorable compared to most Horizon Worlds experiences.
🧪 UX Process
Iterative Workflow:
-Define problem and align team via collaborative mapping
-Usability testing (focus groups of 2–4 users) across development phases
- Iteratation of design solutions via usability testing and team design sessions
-Final testing for pacing, replayability, and task clarity
⚔️ Key Design Improvements by Phase
Early:
-Added respawn points
-Replaced templates with custom level layouts
-Introduced new enemies & ambient lighting
Mid:
-Added sound cues, puzzle hints, and atmosphere layers
-Increased enemy spawns and interactivity
Final:
-Reduced friction by shortening walk distance
-Increased difficulty in later areasCreated a “World’s Fair” ambiance
🤝 Working with the team
Initially, I held a meeting with the team to discuss their vision for the world and expected needs of the project. I also facilitated the creation of a map (very similar to wireframing in traditional UI Design), to breakdown the project into 'areas' we can encapsulate to their own mechanics, tasks, and atmosphere. Each 'area' held a list of level design ideas and goals. The map served two goals:
(1) To keep myself and the team alined on the function and events tied to each area
(2) To help the team use a design behavior perspective as we continually update the map with new/changing design decisions.
🚧 Project Blockers
(1) World object capacity: Acted as Optimization Dev: rebuilt assets using low-weight objects
(2)Platform scripting bugs: Paused relevant testing and shifted to design tasks until scripting bugs were fixed by the team at Meta.
💡 Learnings
❖ Live playtesting is invaluable for understanding player behavior in immersive media
❖ Creative experimentation—especially with enemy design—drives replayability
❖ Gained deep 3D modeling and lighting experience in Horizon Worlds
❖ Reinforced the power of collaborative iteration and VR-first UX thinking
Want to see more of my work?
If you like what you see and want to work together, get in touch!
alicia.marisal@gmail.com
