Heuristic evaluation of user-generated content discovery interfaces in existing Metaverse platforms

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master_Ngo_Anh_2024.pdf (3.02 MB)

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School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
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2024-11-16

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New Media

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Master's Programme in Art and Media

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en

Pages

59

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Abstract

Technological advancements have facilitated the development of immersive and decentralized virtual worlds, placing the Metaverse at the forefront of this phenomenon. User-generated content (UGC) is central to Metaverse platforms, fostering diverse social and economic activities. However, with Metaverse platforms adopting varied design strategies, defining best practices for future development has become increasingly complex. Traditional design principles, such as Nielsen’s heuristics, pose challenges when applied to contemporary digital environments like the Metaverse. Motivated by a real-world project aimed at designing UGC discovery experiences, this thesis investigates usability issues and design strategies within UGC discovery interfaces on existing Metaverse platforms. This study applies four of Nielsen’s (1994) heuristics—"Match between the System and the Real World,” “User Control and Freedom,” “Consistency and Standards,” and “Aesthetic and Minimalist Design”—to assess four pioneering Metaverse platforms. The applicability and relevance of these heuristics were further examined through feedback from six external evaluators on an additional platform. The findings reveal six key usability issue categories: confusion over icons and terminology, navigation challenges, limited control over UGC, internal consistency, limitations in VR experience, and interface clutter. Additionally, six key design strategy categories were identified: navigation, creator culture, UGC search, immersive content experience, visual design, and platform-specific differentiator. These categories emerged from a qualitative analysis of platform-specific examples, showcasing common usability issues and strategies observed across various Metaverse platforms. Findings also highlight limitations in using heuristic evaluation as a method for assessing immersive environments. This study suggests that while Metaverse platforms share commonalities with traditional content and game platforms, they also present distinct characteristics tied to their immersive technologies and spatial content expectations. Developing domain-specific evaluation methods focused on content quality, user perception, and UI design for virtual environments will support research on UGC interaction that leverages the Metaverse’s spatial and immersive potential.

Description

Supervisor

Reunanen, Markku

Thesis advisor

Lucero, Andres

Keywords

Metaverse, user-generated content, heuristic evaluation, Nielsen’s heuristics, usability, design strategies, human-computer interaction

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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202412188029

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[master] Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu / ARTS