XR Browser Case Study

Current XR browsers replicate outdated 2D interfaces, leading to clunky interactions and missed opportunities for immersion. I designed an XR browser that leverages gesture-based navigation and spatial UI to redefine how users interact with digital content in mixed reality.

My Role

Product Designer (UI/UX and Research)
Developer

Duration

July 2024 - Present

Tools

Figma

Bezi

Unity

Prototype Link

https://bezi.com/play/fda0fbf8-ca5e-4658-bd45-6a442e88329a

Customer Success Stories

‘We reduced our turnaround time by 95% and expanded our reach by 352% within three months of using Sentinel’

- IIFL Team

‘Sentinel gave us granular visibility into loan programs improving policy creation speed by 40% and reduced errors by 50%’

- Poonawalla Fincorp

Research & Insights

Why XR Browsers Need to Evolve?

Understanding the Gaps

XR browsers replicate 2D laptop interfaces, missing spatial interactions.

I conducted testing sessions with 10 users on Meta Quest 3 & laptop to compare browsing experiences.

A detailed competition analysis of Apple Vision Pro, Meta Quest, Safari, and Arc Browser revealed usability gaps.

✅ What Existing Browsers Do Well

Arc Browser: Minimal UI, reducing distractions. Extensive keyboard shortcuts allow users to quickly perform actions.

Safari (Laptop): Pinned favorites improve navigation.

Apple Vision Pro: Smooth animations enhance usability.

Meta Quest: Floating windows allow content repositioning.

View

❌ Key Issues in Existing XR Browsers:

Arc Browser: Minimal UI, reducing distractions. Extensive keyboard shortcuts allow users to quickly perform actions.

Safari (Laptop): Pinned favorites improve navigation.

Apple Vision Pro: Smooth animations enhance usability.

Meta Quest: Floating windows allow content repositioning.

Solution & v1.0 Design (Currently Final Design)

Rethinking Browsing for XR

Designing for True XR Interaction

Instead of replicating 2D interfaces, I designed an adaptive, spatial UI that fully leverages XR.

Prioritized gesture-based navigation, immersive layouts, and natural interactions for fluid usability.

Ensured efficiency and comfort, reducing unnecessary hand movement while keeping key actions easily accessible.

Gesture-Based Navigation & Smart Selection

Reduces reliance on tapping with intuitive gestures and hand menus. Larger hitboxes improve accuracy, minimizing frustration.

Adaptive UI Positioning

Keeps actions close and viewable content farther for usability and precision.

Dynamic URL Slate

Makers can send policies directly to checkers for approval, ensuring a seamless review process.

Movement-Based Tab Switching

Allows quick, natural tab switching without breaking immersion.

Learning and Next Steps

Learnings

Balancing Familiarity & Innovation: I learned how to introduce new interactions while keeping them intuitive. Mimicking real-world hand gestures helped lower the learning curve.
Designing Natural Hand Gestures: Since XR lacks haptic feedback, ensuring gestures felt natural and effortless was a challenge. Instead of forcing users to learn new movements, I translated physical world interactions into digital controls.

Future Steps

Exploring Voice Commands: With Samsung’s upcoming XR headset featuring Gemini AI, voice commands could redefine browser interactions. Future iterations could allow users to rearrange windows, navigate, and interact hands-free.
Rethinking Web Browsing in 3D Space: Right now, web pages are still displayed as flat, rectangular windows. The next challenge is exploring what websites will look like in a true XR environment and how users will interact with them beyond traditional screens.