How can we describe, compare and catalog various types of interfaces and sub-interfaces? What types of Pattern Libraries or standards exist? The Interaction Pattern Library is intended to be a visual collection of VR design patterns. This is the eventual goal once this research reaches completion.
The purpose of this Library is to set these design patterns in the context of their experiences, to describe different UIs and define new patterns that arise in the research. Ideally, the Library will highlight common patterns across multiple VR use-case categories, but also differentiate patterns found only in specific categories.
The following serves as a work-in-progress for what the Interaction Patterns Library will contain.
Interactions
Interactions are how the user directly acts within the virtual experience. For the purposes of this test, there are 2 types of interactions: selection interactions — those specifically focused on selecting objects in the virtual environment — and all others that go beyond making and committing to selections. Examples of all other types of interactions include skiing, driving, shooting, mirroring body movements and gestural gameplay.
Interfaces
For the purposes of this test, an interface is defined as a component or arrangement of interactive component(s) that is used within the virtual experience. We use interfaces exclusively for these virtual systems whereas for physical components that have this functionality, we use input devices. For example, in a virtual driving application, the user may use a VR controller as an input device but, within the virtual world, the cockpit of the virtual car provides an interface to the car.
