We've all been spellbound by the potential of this digital realm to weave a universe where virtual reality seamlessly intermingles with our everyday lives. Standing at the forefront of this innovation is Sensorium Galaxy, a digital Metaverse striving to enhance virtual reality experiences for its users.

Sensorium Galaxy transports its users to an alternate universe comprising multiple virtual worlds, each distinct in its content and purpose. AI-driven virtual beings inhabit this space, creating an ecosystem where arts take on an innovative, digital form. It pushes the boundaries of creative expression, where the gap between the creator and the audience blurs, giving rise to interactive, high-quality virtual content.

In its mission to perfect user experiences within its digital reality, Sensorium Galaxy has embarked on a unique journey of research. It aimed to understand its users’ expectations, motivations, and behaviours within the app, highlighting any possible challenges that might impede an immersive virtual experience.

The UXSSR's role in the Sensorium research

To carry out this investigation, Sensorium Galaxy entrusted the task to the global research team at UXSSR. Armed with a wealth of international experience, the team was tasked with a mission: to gain insights into users' expectations and understand the primary motivations driving their behaviour.

The UXSSR embarked on this task, armed with a robust research methodology. The first part of the research involved conducting in-depth user interviews. These interviews aimed to understand users' preferences, motivations for downloading the app, and their typical behaviour while using it.

The second part of the research methodology was an intensive app UX-testing phase. During this phase, users were taken through a regular app session to glean insights about their interactions and overall user experience.

Key insights from the research

From the research, several key insights emerged. Firstly, users revealed their distaste for artificial-looking avatars. They found such avatars off-putting and viewed them as an impediment to an immersive experience. Secondly, users whose primary interest lay in the AI aspect of the app showed negligible interest in the app's dance moves feature. Lastly, the app's tendency to freeze or crash, attributed to heavy animation, was identified as a source of frustration and a point of negative perception among users.

These critical insights are pivotal in creating a roadmap for improving the app's design, prioritizing its AI functionalities, and addressing performance issues. By doing so, Sensorium Galaxy can significantly enhance the overall user experience.

Understanding user perception

A deep dive into user perception revealed that their primary motivation to download the app came from a scientific interest in artificial intelligence and a desire to engage with various AI bots. Many users stumbled upon Sensorium through AI topic discussions on platforms like Reddit.

Their initial expectations from the app were quite minimal, given their familiarity with similar AI avatar applications. However, the app's superior technical capabilities, such as advanced graphics and the human-like behaviour of the AI avatars, impressed them.

Interestingly, even though some users initially found the AI avatars to be rude, this did not discourage their continued use of the app. Instead, it provoked intrigue, challenging them to forge a connection with the AI.

Graphics: avatars, animations & app interface

The research provided invaluable insights into users' perceptions of the app's graphics. Most users deemed the avatars as overly artificial and futuristic, which was seen as a significant drawback. Also, the majority of users did not engage with the animation feature, choosing to focus mainly on the AI chat functionality. Users yearned for more customisation options for the avatars, which they felt would enable them to create a more unique and personal user experience.

Technical performance: app stability & AI capabilities

Technical performance was a significant point of discussion among users. App crashes and freezing issues, due to the heavy animations, were reported. This performance issue not only affected the app’s functionality but also its perception among users.

The research underscores the need to prioritise stability in Sensorium's future development roadmap. Enhancing the AI capabilities, given users' primary interest, and resolving stability issues will enhance user satisfaction and app retention rates.

Concluding insights: the way forward

In summary, the insights gleaned from UXSSR's extensive user research offer invaluable guidance for Sensorium Galaxy to enhance the overall user experience. By addressing users' concerns, refining its design and performance, and continuing to evolve its AI capabilities, Sensorium Galaxy can elevate the user's immersion in the virtual worlds.

The fusion of art, technology, and AI has immense potential to transform the realm of virtual reality. Sensorium Galaxy is uniquely positioned to take this vision forward, striving for a user experience that is immersive, personalised, and truly unforgettable.