Business Development
VR Training (Lead Designer and Researcher)
In this project, we partnered with a customer interested in Virtual Reality (VR) training. Our goal was to develop content intended to improve their efficiency and hone skill.
Considering learners would already have the knowledge needed to perform these tasks, we focused on gamification goals related to scenario-specific motivations. The training thus needed to be visually appealing and accurate, offer atypical scenarios not often encountered in daily work, and be as realistic as possible, in terms of environmental feedback and communications.
To this end, it became very important to work closely with developers and SMEs in an attempt to discern a) what elements of the real environment were most significant, b) which within these were most useful, in terms of making scenarios as realistic as possible, and c) how to recreate or mimic these within a virtual environment.
Impact
Learning Outcomes: Delivered immersive VR training content that enhanced learner engagement, improved scenario-based decision-making, and provided opportunities to practice rare or high-stakes situations in a safe environment.
Collaboration and Accuracy: Worked closely with SMEs and developers to ensure training modules were both technically accurate and highly realistic, increasing trainee confidence and skill retention.
Innovation and Gamification: Applied gamification strategies to create visually engaging, scenario-driven training that went beyond traditional methods, making complex tasks more memorable and motivating for learners.
Customer Value: Enabled the customer to modernize training delivery, reduce real-world training costs, and provide learners with a more authentic, efficient, and effective practice environment.
On the Job Training for Three Separate Roles (Lead Designer and Researcher)
As the organization’s first internally funded endeavor, this effort varied greatly from typical production. Working with a small, multi-functional group, hand-selected for the job, the initial challenge was determining how to establish features and standards—specifically, how to agree on design decisions when each discipline often had competing interests. The ability to work closely with other areas, whose goals may not perfectly align with your own, is a major lesson to be learned within this sort of environment.
By focusing on the end goal and a commitment to quality, I found ways to facilitate solutions amongst the group. Compromise and conversation were key in this regard, as they enabled us to work together in order to accomplish our larger goals.
My effort began with extensive research into the three different end-users the training intended to target. From these demographics, player profiles were created and used to identify game motivations specific to each audience. Motivations were then translated into incentives, which could be implemented within gameplay to increase player engagement and overall success. Incentives ranged from game features and mentor personas, to the environment and narrative itself. This was the first time such extensive pre-production analysis efforts were taken and it represented a huge turning point for the Studio at large.
We also used this time to identify and address risk factors associated with future development. In this way, we could mitigate risks before hitting full-scale production, resulting in less rework and faster turnaround time. Such efficiencies were further cemented when I endeavored to learn Blueprint, a tool previously used only by developers. Realizing the time saved when I could update content independently, I quickly put together a training session for others on the team, so that we could all lend a hand in such efforts.
After beginning production as the sole designer on the project, I eventually brought on additional members, facilitating training meetings, performing lesson reviews of designer-developed content, and in-game reviews of finished lessons. I also provided feedback to new and established members, ensuring consistency and quality, in addition to establishing a project wiki, style guide, and additional development guidance.
These efforts were noted as having a direct correlation to improved quality and effectiveness of training, bringing clarity and intention to development.
Impact
Introduced the first comprehensive pre-production analysis process, establishing a new standard for future projects.
Reduced rework and accelerated development cycles by identifying risks early and adopting Blueprint, training peers to make updates independently.
Enhanced collaboration across disciplines through facilitation, compromise, and the creation of shared resources (wiki, style guide, development guidance).
Improved training quality and consistency, with efforts directly tied to greater learner engagement and effectiveness.