Teaching the new user interface
My Role
Strategically crafted the content for voice over script and tooltip text included in the headset tutorial.
My Impact
Empowering users by educating how to use the new system and user interface with a concise interactive tutorial within the Meta tone and voice standards.
The Opportunity
Teach the most significant update to Horizon OS in 6 years.
Target Audience
All new and existing Meta Quest headset users.
My Collaboration Partners
Product Design
User Research
Software Engineers
Product Manager
Internationalization / Localization Team
Sound Design / Voice Talent
Teaching spatial computing
Our current methods of interacting with computers, such as using keyboards, mice, or touchscreens, follow predictable and well-established patterns. However, with spatial computing in headsets, these familiar interactions are completely transformed.
Spatial computing enables users to engage with their environment in dynamic and immersive ways, redefining how they interact with digital and physical spaces. While this opens up exciting possibilities, it also introduces new behaviors and techniques that require clear explanations and basic educational training to fully understand.
First time in headset
For many, this tutorial will be their first experience with a virtual reality headset. This experience needs to be introduced with the essentials first in easy to understand language.
From user experience it’s understood that attention spans are short. Rather than one overall tutorial it was decided to break the instruction down into manageable and specific modules.
The topics determined most important for the first time user were navigating the user interface, switching from seeing your room to virtual reality and using your hands instead of controllers.
The same onboarding is also used by all Meta for business and Meta for education customers. These customers will not be using it for games and social media so the content must work for all.
Selecting the content
The overall narration of the tutorials needed to be determined.
Trying to keep the screen count down to a minimum, I collaborated on a list of requirements with my project manager and product designer to determine which educational moments needed a single screen and which could be combined.
Working within Meta’s voice and tone standards, the big-hearted nerd, words selected had to be simple, straightforward and human.
Words also had to bring an element of delight and encouragement. Research determined users appreciated congratulatory text when completing tasks so some “good job” and “well done” messages were included.
Cross-functional partner collaboration
The team that I sit on has designated product designers, product managers, art and engineering who I collaborate with throughout the week on our various projects. We also have a user researcher who provides the ability to test content as well as valuable insight and feedback for improvements.
I proactively reach across teams daily to gather input from other projects that surface in these education tutorials. The product is so new, many of the features aren’t named, so I work with other Content Designer who are directly responsible for their project area to determine the best way to educate about or discuss specific features in the tutorials.
Internationalization & Accessibility
As the Content Designer I lead the coordination of language management and translation work. After the designs are finished and the content and script are locked, I provide a line sheet to the translators and sound design.
When designing the content I take into consideration that the toasts will be translated so I must ensure the longest language options will also work for each of my text strings.
Another consideration to take into the tooltip text is text font size for accessibility. Font can be made larger so easier to read but that will cause the tooltip text to fill more than the default.
Generally I set the standard when receiving feedback that in English we don’t want to go over three lines of text, knowing that translations and font size can expand into the fourth line as needed. This places limitations on the amount of characters and text that can be placed in the tooltip.
Completed tutorials
In late 2024, all the content, voice-over script, and completed sound recordings and translations. In collaboration with engineering, art, user research and product design, the work was ready to go
Quick pivot on feedback
In Febraury 2025, a sudden pivot from leadership required a complete redesign within 3 weeks to meet the May release deadline.
This new direction focused on teaching different essential skills and adding more “wow” moments to the flow. This required new tooltip text and voice over scripts including more product names that had not yet been decided on internally. Through fast-paced collaboration with many other Content Designers across multiple teams I was able to iterate, review and finalize all content on time. I’ve since handed off the script for translation, and voice-overs will be recorded for testing before the public release.
Final product
Due to the May 2025 release, I can't share details freely, but for now I’ve included my work on a password-protected portfolio page.