Category
Fidelity Investments
JUN - AUG 2023
Ideated, designed, and implemented an educational VR experience within a 10-week time frame in a cross-functional team of 3.
Topic
Internship
UX Design
VR
Role
UX Designer
Team
Sunjoo Park
Clement Lee
Pankaj Warke
Disclaimer:
The following content is a broad, written reflection of my involvement during the internship. It is important to note that it does not include any confidential information from Fidelity, nor does it feature any images from the project.
OVERVIEW
"The Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®, or FCAT, is a catalyst for breakthrough achievements in research and tech. We assess, test and scale concepts and ideas that advance Fidelity’s market leadership and enhance every customer’s experience."
In the summer of 2023, I worked as a UX Design Intern at Fidelity Investments. I was tasked with developing a proof-of-concept (POC) for the Emerging Tech Incubator.
Though I am unable to share details about the project itself, I've provided a high-level overview of the design process I took and lessons I learned over the internship!
DEFINE
How might we align user goals, business goals, and development goals?
Desirability-Viability-Feasibility
Composed of a UX designer, a Business Analyst, and Software Engineer, my team's priority was to define a hypothesis that aligns with user goals, business goals, and development goals.
(Specific goals not disclosed here due to confidentiality)
Our Hypothesis
Utilizing VR as an immersive education platform can bridge the gap in blockchain / crypto education.
IDEATE
How might we identify existing problems and introduce something new?
After choosing the direction of the project, it was time to delve deeper into the problem space. I asked myself, why is there a gap in blockchain / crypto education?
Although I cannot share details about my research findings, here are some processes I went through and the design goals I set:
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Discovering specific pain points through user interviews
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Identifying gaps in current methods + processes
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Exploring possible applications of VR technology
DESIGN GOAL 1
Boost engagement levels.
DESIGN GOAL 2
Enable visual and tactile learning.
DESIGN GOAL 3
Connect technical terms with analogies.
PROTOTYPE
How might we wireframe / prototype for a VR product?
When it was time to prototype, one question came to mind: How in the world do we prototype something as complex as a VR program?
Storyboarding
I utilized storyboards to sketch up initial visualizations. They proved to be much more helpful than traditional wireframes (often used for mocking up 2D interfaces) in communicating VR user flows to the rest of the team.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Sketching
Understanding depth perception is key when designing for VR environments. Incorporating these VR sketches helped illustrate layout in the 3D space, especially for dev handoff.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Interaction Simulation
After finalizing the user flows, storyboards, and VR sketches, I created an interactive mockup in Figma to simulate VR interactions for our program.
This model was also used for lo-fi user testing. As a result, we received content feedback early on in the design process!
(Example image unrelated to project)
IMPLEMENT
How might we alleviate development load so that we can deliver a proof-of-concept in a short time frame?
Going above and beyond the traditional UX role, I embarked on a creative side project to alleviate the development load on our developer. This was essential to our project as our goal was to complete a POC from scratch in just 10 weeks!
Non-Linear Animations
First, I created and animated 3D models in Blender. Importing Non-Linear Animations (NLA) reduced the need to hard-code animations in Unity and allowed our developer to focus on more pressing features.
(Example image unrelated to project)
(Fun fact: It was my very first time using Blender and animating in 3D, but I was able to pick it up quickly from my experience with Solidworks and Rhino!)
Impact-Feasibility
The developer and I also worked together to place each feature on our backlog on an impact-feasibility matrix to identify high-priority items.
TEST
How might we test a VR product?
User testing for VR presented a unique challenge. While foundational principles of usability testing remained consistent with 2D digital products, the VR environment introduced the need to be considerate of motion sickness and VR fatigue.
One area we focused on was balancing audio and text instructions. Having all instructions in text form put fatigue on the users' eyes, while fully audio-based instructions left them feeling disoriented. Through extensive user testing and multiple iterations, we managed to find the right balance between audio and text.
As a result, our final POC model ended up receiving an 88% positive feedback rate!
TAKEAWAYS
My UX design internship at Fidelity was a unique opportunity to lead an end-to-end product design process from UX research to visual design. As I reflect on this journey, I feel a deep appreciation for the intricacies of turning emerging technologies into tangible, user-centric solutions!
Special thanks to:
FCAT Design Team | Emerging Tech Incubator | Fidelity University Talent | Fellow Fidterns 🐸
Category
Fidelity Investments
JUN - AUG 2023
Ideated, designed, and implemented an educational VR experience within a 10-week time frame in a cross-functional team of 3.
Topic
Internship
UX Design
VR
Role
UX Designer
Team
Sunjoo Park
Clement Lee
Pankaj Warke
Disclaimer:
The following content is a broad, written reflection of my involvement during the internship. It is important to note that it does not include any confidential information from Fidelity, nor does it feature any images from the project.
OVERVIEW
"The Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®, or FCATSM, is a catalyst for breakthrough achievements in research and tech. We assess, test and scale concepts and ideas that advance Fidelity’s market leadership and enhance every customer’s experience."
In the summer of 2023, I worked as a UX Design Intern at Fidelity Investments. I was tasked with developing a proof-of-concept (POC) for the Emerging Tech Incubator.
Though I am unable to share details about the project itself, I've provided a high-level overview of the design process I took and lessons I learned over the internship!
DEFINE
How might we align user goals, business goals, and development goals?
Desirability-Viability-Feasibility
Composed of a UX designer, a Business Analyst, and Software Engineer, my team's priority was to define a hypothesis that aligns with user goals, business goals, and development goals.
(Specific goals not disclosed here due to confidentiality)
Our Hypothesis
Utilizing VR as an immersive education platform can bridge the gap in blockchain / crypto education.
IDEATE
How might we identify existing problems and introduce something new?
After choosing the direction of the project, it was time to delve deeper into the problem space. I asked myself, why is there a gap in blockchain / crypto education?
Although I cannot share details about my research findings, here are some processes I went through and the design goals I set:
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Discovering specific pain points through user interviews
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Identifying gaps in current methods + processes
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Exploring possible applications of VR technology
DESIGN GOAL 1
Boost engagement levels.
DESIGN GOAL 2
Enable visual and tactile learning.
DESIGN GOAL 3
Connect technical terms with analogies.
PROTOTYPE
How might we wireframe / prototype for a VR product?
When it was time to prototype, one question came to mind: How in the world do we prototype something as complex as a VR program?
Storyboarding
I utilized storyboards to sketch up initial visualizations. They proved to be much more helpful than traditional wireframes (often used for mocking up 2D interfaces) in communicating VR user flows to the rest of the team.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Sketching
Understanding depth perception is key when designing for VR environments. Incorporating these VR sketches helped illustrate layout in the 3D space, especially for dev handoff.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Interaction Simulation
After finalizing the user flows, storyboards, and VR sketches, I created an interactive mockup in Figma to simulate VR interactions for our program.
This model was also used for lo-fi user testing. As a result, we received content feedback early on in the design process!
(Example image unrelated to project)
IMPLEMENT
How might we alleviate development load so that we can deliver a proof-of-concept in a short time frame?
Going above and beyond the traditional UX role, I embarked on a creative side project to alleviate the development load on our developer. This was essential to our project as our goal was to complete a POC from scratch in just 10 weeks!
Non-Linear Animations
First, I created and animated 3D models in Blender. Importing Non-Linear Animations (NLA) reduced the need to hard-code animations in Unity and allowed our developer to focus on more pressing features.
(Example image unrelated to project)
(Fun fact: It was my very first time using Blender and animating in 3D, but I was able to pick it up quickly from my experience with Solidworks and Rhino!)
Impact-Feasibility
The developer and I also worked together to place each feature on our backlog on an impact-feasibility matrix to identify high-priority items.
TEST
How might we test a VR product?
User testing for VR presented a unique challenge. While foundational principles of usability testing remained consistent with 2D digital products, the VR environment introduced the need to be considerate of motion sickness and VR fatigue.
One area we focused on was balancing audio and text instructions. Having all instructions in text form put fatigue on the users' eyes, while fully audio-based instructions left them feeling disoriented. Through extensive user testing and multiple iterations, we managed to find the right balance between audio and text.
As a result, our final POC model ended up receiving an 88% positive feedback rate!
TAKEAWAYS
My UX design internship at Fidelity was a unique opportunity to lead an end-to-end product design process from UX research to visual design. As I reflect on this journey, I feel a deep appreciation for the intricacies of turning emerging technologies into tangible, user-centric solutions!
Special thanks to:
FCAT Design Team | Emerging Tech Incubator | Fidelity University Talent | Fellow Fidterns 🐸
Category
Fidelity Investments
JUN - AUG 2023
Ideated, designed, and implemented an educational VR experience within a 10-week time frame in a cross-functional team of 3.
Topic
Internship
UX Design
VR
Role
UX Designer
Team
Sunjoo Park
Clement Lee
Pankaj Warke
Disclaimer:
The following content is a broad, written reflection of my involvement during the internship. It is important to note that it does not include any confidential information from Fidelity, nor does it feature any images from the project.
OVERVIEW
"The Fidelity Center for Applied Technology®, or FCAT, is a catalyst for breakthrough achievements in research and tech. We assess, test and scale concepts and ideas that advance Fidelity’s market leadership and enhance every customer’s experience."
In the summer of 2023, I worked as a UX Design Intern at Fidelity Investments. I was tasked with developing a proof-of-concept (POC) for the Emerging Tech Incubator.
Though I am unable to share details about the project itself, I've provided a high-level overview of the design process I took and lessons I learned over the internship!
DEFINE
How might we align user goals, business goals, and development goals?
Desirability-Viability-Feasibility
Composed of a UX designer, a Business Analyst, and Software Engineer, my team's priority was to define a hypothesis that aligns with user goals, business goals, and development goals.
(Specific goals not disclosed here due to confidentiality)
Our Hypothesis
Utilizing VR as an immersive education platform can bridge the gap in blockchain / crypto education.
IDEATE
How might we identify existing problems and introduce something new?
After choosing the direction of the project, it was time to delve deeper into the problem space. I asked myself, why is there a gap in blockchain / crypto education?
Although I cannot share details about my research findings, here are some processes I went through and the design goals I set:
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Discovering specific pain points through user interviews
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Identifying gaps in current methods + processes
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Exploring possible applications of VR technology
DESIGN GOAL 1
Boost engagement levels.
DESIGN GOAL 2
Enable visual and tactile learning.
DESIGN GOAL 3
Connect technical terms with analogies.
PROTOTYPE
How might we wireframe / prototype for a VR product?
When it was time to prototype, one question came to mind: How in the world do we prototype something as complex as a VR program?
Storyboarding
I utilized storyboards to sketch up initial visualizations. They proved to be much more helpful than traditional wireframes (often used for mocking up 2D interfaces) in communicating VR user flows to the rest of the team.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Sketching
Understanding depth perception is key when designing for VR environments. Incorporating these VR sketches helped illustrate layout in the 3D space, especially for dev handoff.
(Example image unrelated to project)
VR Interaction Simulation
After finalizing the user flows, storyboards, and VR sketches, I created an interactive mockup in Figma to simulate VR interactions for our program.
This model was also used for lo-fi user testing. As a result, we received content feedback early on in the design process!
(Example image unrelated to project)
IMPLEMENT
How might we alleviate development load so that we can deliver a proof-of-concept in a short time frame?
Going above and beyond the traditional UX role, I embarked on a creative side project to alleviate the development load on our developer. This was essential to our project as our goal was to complete a POC from scratch in just 10 weeks!
Non-Linear Animations
First, I created and animated 3D models in Blender. Importing Non-Linear Animations (NLA) reduced the need to hard-code animations in Unity and allowed our developer to focus on more pressing features.
(Example image unrelated to project)
(Fun fact: It was my very first time using Blender and animating in 3D, but I was able to pick it up quickly from my experience with Solidworks and Rhino!)
Impact-Feasibility
The developer and I also worked together to place each feature on our backlog on an impact-feasibility matrix to identify high-priority items.
TEST
How might we test a VR product?
User testing for VR presented a unique challenge. While foundational principles of usability testing remained consistent with 2D digital products, the VR environment introduced the need to be considerate of motion sickness and VR fatigue.
One area we focused on was balancing audio and text instructions. Having all instructions in text form put fatigue on the users' eyes, while fully audio-based instructions left them feeling disoriented. Through extensive user testing and multiple iterations, we managed to find the right balance between audio and text.
As a result, our final POC model ended up receiving an 88% positive feedback rate!
TAKEAWAYS
My UX design internship at Fidelity was a unique opportunity to lead an end-to-end product design process from UX research to visual design. As I reflect on this journey, I feel a deep appreciation for the intricacies of turning emerging technologies into tangible, user-centric solutions!
Special thanks to:
FCAT Design Team | Emerging Tech Incubator | Fidelity University Talent | Fellow Fidterns 🐸
Check out more projects!
Check out more projects!
© Sunjoo Park 2024
© Sunjoo Park 2024
© Sunjoo Park 2024