XR UI Best Practices

🎯 What Are XR UI Best Practices?

👁️ Designing for Depth & Spatial Awareness

• Maintain ideal UI distance: 0.5m–1.5m from the user.
• Use subtle shadows & parallax: Helps the brain interpret depth correctly.
• Provide a stable anchor: UI should not float unpredictably when the user moves.

👐 Gesture, Gaze & Controller Inputs

• Gesture-friendly buttons: Large enough for pinch or poke gestures.
• Gaze fallback: Useful for accessibility and hands-free interaction.
• Controller precision: Laser-pointer selections must be smooth and responsive.

📐 Layout Principles for Spatial UI

• Don’t overload the field of view: Leave breathing room around interfaces.
• Use curved surfaces: Wrap content slightly around the user for easier reading.
• Avoid floating clutter: Keep UI simple, purposeful, and context-based.

🧩 Example: Unity World-Space XR UI Panel

// Create a world-space UI panel that always faces the camera

using UnityEngine;

public class FaceUserUI : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Transform cameraTarget;

    void Update()
    {
        if (!cameraTarget) return;

        // Rotate to face the user
        transform.LookAt(cameraTarget);
        transform.rotation = Quaternion.Euler(0,
                                              transform.rotation.eulerAngles.y + 180,
                                              0);
    }
}
  

🎨 Visual Hierarchy & Readability in XR

• Use large typography: Minimum readable size in XR is bigger than 2D screens.
• High contrast UI: Prevents readability issues in bright AR environments.
• Color-coding: Helps users process information faster.

♿ Accessibility Principles in XR UI

• Voice input as a fallback
• Multiple control methods (gesture, gaze, controller)
• Adjustable text size, panel distance, and brightness
• Clear audio cues for low-vision users

⚠️ Common XR UI Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowded menus placed too close to the user
• UI locked to head movement (leads to fatigue)
• Tiny buttons that are hard to select
• Ignoring lighting — dark UIs become unreadable

🧪 Testing & Iterating on XR UI

• Test across different lighting conditions
• Evaluate physical comfort in long sessions
• Check if interactions work for left and right-handed users
• Measure time-to-select and error rates

🚀 Future of XR UI Design

✨ Final Thoughts / Conclusion