Meta’s flagship AR/VR product in 2021, Workrooms supported solo work and meetings in a Mixed Reality (MR) environment.
As Product Designer, I tackled 3D room and desk layouts, MR/VR interaction patterns, 2D/3D UI systems, avatar interaction models, physical object integration (desks, pencils, keyboards, laptops), and more.
From 2020 to 2021, I helped take Workrooms from an internal prototype to a public launch — shaping the core spatial UX for VR collaboration.
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Team Mike Lebeau Alex Anpilogov Gabriel Martzloff Jon Mayoh Jon Viera Jon Mallinson Minjee Ham Ethan Miller
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgj50IxRrKQ
Meta aims to create the next computing platform for social interaction, work, and gaming. Through Workrooms, the company sought to demonstrate that VR could enhance both individual and collaborative work while boosting productivity and engagement.
Workrooms anchors users to their physical desks while integrating real-world tools (laptop, keyboard, stylus). It combines hand interactions with both 3D avatars and 2D participants in modular environments. This mix of different interaction modes created unprecedented design challenges.
Traditional design tools like Figma, Unity, and AutoCAD weren't built for MR/VR interaction design and testing. This forced our designers, prototypers, and engineers to develop new tools while maintaining tight iteration cycles.
Using each person's physical workspace as a foundation, we designed a collaborative virtual environment from the ground up. The primary challenge was incorporating desks of varying dimensions into a shared virtual space.
Anchoring the virtual environment to your own desk creates a greater sense grounding and presence
The PUI, or “Personal UI” is desk-anchored, and brings your physical tools in VR (laptop, keyboard, mouse)