Start VR • 2017
20 million users reached
Designed the product and UX for an immersive VR editorial experience that delivered significantly higher completion and engagement than comparable VR titles (based on internal analytics)
The Context
Start VR partnered with Atlas Obscura to create an immersive VR editorial experience showcasing hidden wonders of the world. The project aimed to bring Atlas Obscura's signature storytelling into an entirely new medium.
The Problem
Atlas Obscura wanted to expand their storytelling into virtual reality as a new engagement channel. The challenge was translating their editorial voice into an immersive format that would hold audience attention.
The Bottleneck
VR experiences at the time had low completion rates, averaging around 40%. Users would abandon before finishing, making it difficult to deliver narrative-driven content effectively in the medium.
The Solution
Led the product design and UX/UI direction, designing the experience with human-centred ergonomics and engagement patterns to maximise completion. Every interaction was designed to keep users present and progressing through the narrative.
The Results
The experience achieved a 60% completion rate versus the 40% industry average. It reached over 20M people and drove significant year-over-year revenue growth from VR activations.