Problem

Artland’s virtual exhibition platform was originally built in Unity but had become clunky and outdated. Migrated to Babylon.js as part of the redesign, the platform needed a complete rethink of both its visual language and interaction model to align with the broader Artland experience.

My role

Lead UX/UI Designer

Sole designer on the project, working in close collaboration with the VR developer.

Approach

Working closely with the VR developer, we started by evaluating the existing feature set against the desired direction for the platform. This revealed both functional gaps and interaction patterns that no longer served users well.

A heuristic review of the current interface identified friction points and inconsistencies – both in how users navigated the space and in how the visual language related to the broader Artland platform.

From this foundation we established a core design principle: the entire experience should be navigable using a single button or tap, regardless of device. This guided every subsequent decision and ensured the solution would work across browser, mobile, and VR headset without requiring technical confidence from the user.

Solution

We redesigned the interface to align with Artland’s visual language, creating a consistent experience across desktop browser, mobile, and VR headset.

For touch-enabled devices, familiar gesture patterns were introduced including pinch to zoom. For VR headset users, particular attention was paid to comfort and reducing motion sickness during navigation.

Three significant features were introduced:

• an interactive floor plan for spatial overview and direct navigation to works
• a guided tour mode that moved users through the full exhibition without requiring interaction
• and a redesigned admin tool for galleries to place and position artworks in the virtual space.

Small but meaningful details – such as ambient dust particles – were added to elevate immersion and make the space feel alive.

The floor plan made navigating large exhibition spaces a breeze.

The admin panels used contextual action pills conveying only the relevant actions for the current state – keeping the interface clean and focused without hiding functionality.

Impact

The redesigned platform was implemented across browser, mobile, and VR headset experiences, delivering a consistent and intuitive interface across all entry points.

The single-button navigation principle ensured the experience was accessible regardless of device or technical confidence. Familiar gesture patterns on touch devices reduced the learning curve, and motion sickness was significantly reduced for VR headset users through the blink teleportation mechanic.

The virtual exhibitions became a meaningful differentiator for Artland, and the solution was unofficially recognised as the best interactive installation platform on the market.

Tours, Floorplan and Artwork quality demo.

Vision

The original admin experience was built on top of the visitor-facing interface – a pragmatic starting point that worked, but blurred the boundaries between the two contexts. A concept was developed for a dedicated admin environment that gave galleries their own distinct workspace, with purpose-built tools for managing artworks, framing, and space settings directly within the virtual room.

Conceptual Admin Environment