Hello (VR) world

It’s come to a stage where all I keep thinking about is what the next big thing is. When I started designing for digital, the web was so new. Every thing us designers did was a leap into the unknown and the industry was constant innovation ever since.

Now, however, things feel like they are changing. With computer gaming being the catalyst, user interface is now moving into another reality. My prediction (and many others) could be that consuming interactive content in 3D will become a norm. The designers who learnt their craft for games, will be the UI designers of the future.

Having watched 2d platforms flourish over the last 15 years, I can tell that things were not always great in their infancy. The designer in me sees this as a great opportunity to help shape patterns for how people interactive with content and produce amazing new experiences, even if i’m making a really small contribution.

What do I need to do?

I think I need to have a hard look at myself and go on a journey to discover what is possible and what I need to produce move myself forward as a UI designer of the future.

My gameplan

1. Start a blog. I thought it might be a good idea to write this shit down. My idea is that people will read this and think, “Hey, this guy really gives a damn” and they’ll hire me and pay me lots of money. Simples no?. I am also hoping it helps me track where I am and motivates me to move further.
2. Buy a new computer. I need to ditch my Mac and buy a laptop that runs some kind of VR/AR/MR/XR headset. Jesus, this was a big step. Apart from Windows being, looking and feeling shitty, the main reason it is such a difficult jump was because I can’t run Sketch on a PC, and I use that for my freelancing. However, I’m going to have to deal with that, keep my Mac Book Pro or install a VM. I bought this laptop.
3. Learn 3D Design Skills. I need is learn some 3D design skills. I am really looking forward to this. Word on the street tells me that Blender would be a good start because it is open source. This felt like a good place to start as it was free to learn and there are lots of resources. I completed a course in 3D Studio Max ten years, so I think that’ll will help me through the “what the fuck am I doing?” phase of learning, but I think this will be a serious test for me!
4. Buy a VR Headet. I am looking at the oculus at the moment. I’m not a betting man, but I would say that Facebook might have a good chance to win in this market. It is also cheaper than the HTC vive. More importantly, I think it might be easier to develop for. That being said, I still haven’t fully made up my mind though. I’m deliberately not buying this just yet as I don’t want to waste lots of time playing VR games, when I should be learning like a boss.
5. Read, Learn, Document, Repeat.

I’ll keep you posted.