One Beauty about browsing the internet is the ability to be in multiple places at a time, and on an Internet browser, this means opening multiple different tabs at the same time.
There has been a standard format of opening tabs on a PC and a different format for opening multiple tabs on a Mobile device. These design choices have been due to the different screen sizes.
The new Google Extended Reality Software, commonly referred to as Google XR, features two modes: Home Space and Full Space.
In Home Space, apps run side by side with other apps, allowing for multitasking, while in Full Space, the app takes centre stage, offering a more immersive experience.
Image Credit: Android Development
The Home space web browser utilises a combination of the tab management system found on desktops.
This poses a challenge, which is a Monitor screen is limited to a rectangle, but an XR view can have at least an accessible 90-degree semi-focusable view (without head turn) and a full 360-degree view(with head turn).
Although the XR still uses a top panel for managing the Tabs in the Home space, it doesn’t really look visually appealing to have multiple tabs open and makes the large unused space around it obvious.
Image Credit: Android XR
I aim to redesign how the Chrome web browser is handled in the Home space.
For me to better understand how other users view their tabbing experience in the web browser, I conducted Research with two different groups.
The first group has a VR device (Oculus Quest) and has experience with navigation tabs in a VR device and on a desktop and mobile device.
I found this group by going to one of my Alma Mata Luca School of Arts, in Belgium.
The other group doesn’t own a VR device and are just regular users not into tech stuff, but are comfortable browsing in the Chrome browser on desktop and mobile
Both groups like opening multiple tabs, especially when researching or working, and don’t close them until their work is done, which can take weeks if not months.
Below is the breakdown of their feedback.
After the research, I was able to figure out the pain points of the users and the questions I am solving for:
How can I create a better tab management system for XR, which can help the user better visualise all their open tabs?
How can I reduce the claustrophobia that arises due to multiple tabs open?
The main reason Google chose that format is so that they can integrate it into their existing platform. To be clearer, they want you to open a Google Chrome on your laptop
or mobile and continue browsing the same tab on the Google XR glasses without a hitch. which is why they chose they stick with the desktop tabbing system. Designing a new
tabbing system has to keep the same functionality as the hybrid method to keep the sync.
This is the the tesla sitemap but with a more immersive approach
This is the the tesla sitemap but with a more immersive approach
I conducted another research with the same set of people in the two different groups. But this time around, I asked them individually to rank their
The top two (2) best choices, giving their pros and cons on why the design might work or not.
Out of the three low-fidelity prototypes.
Design 1
Pros
It shows a little part of the website thumbnails.
It shows the name (URL) of the website being visited.
Design 2
Pros
It displays the website thumbnails clearly.
You can easily know what each page contains.
Design 3
Pros
It can contain a lot of tabs arranged in a vertical order without them overlapping.
It shows the name(URL) of the websites visibly in each tab.
It is clean and simple.
Cons
You can only see five (5) tabs upfront, except you scroll downwards.
It will take a lot of space and can be visually hindering.
The thumbnails can be a visual overload.
Cons
The name (URL) of the website is not visible.
It will take a lot of space and can be visually hindering.
The thumbnails can be a visual overload.
Cons
Out of the three, the third design is the most preferred based on its ranking in terms of effectiveness. So I took the third design choice and worked with it.
I made this into a high-fidelity prototype and then decided to add other websites to see how it would hold up with different websites.
Google in XR
Showing Multiple Tabs
Nike in XR
Ray-Ban in XR
At this point, I was mostly done with the design and decided to go for one final test with my test groups.
What I was testing at this point is how well integrated the design is with their familiar tabbing system
After testing, the user was able to have as many tabs as possible while still keeping the names of the websites visible at all times and since the design consideration
of Android is taking into account, the tab can still be since and also shown expanded into multiple tabs, but I still needed to add the icons to identify the brand names.
Not everyone likes reading, but being able to see the icon helps recognition.
Although they understood the design, this is the feedback I was able to gather from them
Not interactive enough.
It looks flat.
They don’t feel immersion.
This time, I thought of how best it is to present an Augmented Reality Application without using a VR headset. I researched several methods, as most people haven’t done that before, so I had to develop a way of making it possible using existing design software.
The discussions I had with the users have made me realise that asking the right questions would help me understand the users' needs faster. And also, you have to look beyond what the user is saying to understand what they meant because most people are bad at communication.