Meta Avatar Editor
Meta Avatar Editor
One of the most satisfying activities on Meta platforms is to create and edit your avatar. Customizing is fun when there are a variety of outfits from the coolest brands (such as Diesel, Balenciaga,etc) to choose from the Marketplace.
The avatar editor which is present in VR through Meta Quest and Mobile apps such as Instagram and Facebook, is an incredible feature to maintain users engaged and also contributes to partnerships with fashion house and other vendors.
Our forecasting team predicts that avatars will become more and more relevant to younger generations, as a desire for expression grows in the digital space. With social platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite getting more popular each year. We wanted to create a sonic experience for the Meta avatars that would be just as delightful to our millions of global users.
Competitive Research
The creation of avatars in the digital space and games is not something new. In my research of our contemporaries, I’ve looked into these experiences from various games and platforms to analyze their “sonic” experiences in this process. Among them were The Sims, Roblox, Fortnite, Baldur’s Gate, Ready PlayerMe, VR Chat, RecRoom and many more.
One major difference from these to the Meta Avatars was there’s a wider range of types of users we need to cater to. Some people might use their platform for fun while others might conduct business and more serious interactions on social media. Not to mention the wider pool of ages, cultural background, and so on… So it’s important to consider accessibility and also create an experience that doesn’t feel too “childish” nor too “mature”.
Sound Design
The goal was to create sounds that are both delightful and elegant in other to cater to Meta audiences, so they would complete the process of avatar creation fully and become daily active users.
“Repetitive tolerance” is a principle leading this effort, aside from making the experiences more palatable, it’s also a way to ensure sounds are ADA compliant ( The Americans with Disabilities Act). One interesting fact is that one third of Meta users identify having some form of one or more temporary or permanent disabilities.
From a single sine wave it’s possible to start a foundation for Design Language and Palette. It’s important to avoid ambiguity and find harmony with all existing sounds in the Meta Quest system. Then to build upon that wave and add the spatiality needed to create a sense of immersion and embodiment in this space we call VR Home.
Watch the Avatar Editor Full Flow
Mirror Shimmer:
The “Mirror Shimmer” sound is extremely important as it indicates “latency”. When users’ networks aren’t super reliable, it may take more than 2 seconds to load a new selection. That’s when it will play to show progress in the activity.
This sound captures the movement of the mirror shimmer and will play different variations each time for repetitive tolerance.
Save button:
An utilitarian sound with high repetitive tolerance. Expresses movement.
Purchase button:
The “Purchase” or “Buy” button is also considered a “hero” sound in the design hierarchy.
The “Purchase” sound communicates that a monetary transaction has taken place. Referencing to sounds from apps where currency exchange is done, it has a sparkle to it. It is an ascending sound, high-signal, positive and highly rewarding.
The “Save” button is what we call a“hero” sound in the design hierarchy. A moment to add some magic to the experience and more expression than utilitarian sounds.
The “Save” sound indicates resolution and completion with the pitch descending. It’s a higher signal level than other sounds and has a positive feeling to it.
Undo & Redo
The editor sounds are a set of sonic interactions which may relate to each other in order to express their meaning. For example, “undo” and “redo” interactions have opposite meaning so their sounds should reflect that. That’s typically called “sound choreography”.
These are utilitarian sounds mostly and express the movement.
Some interactions may be repeated multiple times in an editing session such as picking different colors. That’s why it’s important to make find a balance between utility and delight in a sound depending on where it stand in the hierarchy. Rounded palettes, shorter duration and soft movement are some of the techniques I used to achieve these designs without getting tired.
360 view:
An utilitarian sound with high repetitive tolerance. Expresses movement.
Color Picker:
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