Spatial Canvas | XR
Expanding your thinking; Hyperspatially
Rethinking brainstorming with the use of your physical space utilising extended reality
Expanding focus and thinking hyperspatially
I felt like I waited a long time for the MX Ink from Logitech since it was announced. I preordered it and as soon as it came I hit it hard. I played around with it till i felt comfortable and let my mind wander. I thought to myself, "what a mega way to keep notes and ideate". I'm a sucker for post it notes and rather than filling my walls with flows and notes I can keep my partner happy by recreating this in XR so it's essentially invisible to all but me.
Straight away my mind was on it, I decided why stop there? Why not create a full productivity feature set so you can pop on the headset and get lost in your own thoughts? I worked on just that. It wasn't easy but so far it's all coming together.
The app features everything you need to create notes within your space on any surface. A full colour palette, a music player and a pomodoro timer to boot. Everything you need to focus and get on with those thoughts.
Phase One
Phase Two
Defining the problem
The problem essentially is distraction free focus. A HMD essentially is a sort of environment blocker however in mixed reality you can see the environment. Having the ability to overlay on that environment segregates you from reality which gives your mind the seperation it needs to truly focus on the task at hand.
Defining the solution
When in an ideation phase I use notepads & sticky notes. I blow up my mind and it hits the walls around me in the form scribbles, notes and flows. This is how my mind works and to be honest, in thinking sessions it can get very messy and certainly takes a lot of time. I can simplify this process by simply drawing on my environment, each wall it's own canvas, its own section. No more picking up unstuck notes...
Onboarding:
UI
For the UI it had to be accessible as if it was natural and by natural I mean; if you imagine working away during a thinking session like you normally would, you would have everything you need within your vercinity in order to complete the task at hand. But, when the whole room is your essentially your canvas you don't want to be two-ing and throwing back and forth for the items you need. So, mapping the UI to the controller was the best logical step forward. It can be turned on or off to remain non obtrusive and everything you need is in one tidy, comfortable spot.
The UI contains everything you need to stay productive and keep yourself focused on your ideation/thought mapping.
Fig1:
Diagetic UI mapped to left controller. Has ability to turn on/off. contains everything you need for hyperspatial thinking.
Fig2:
Diagetic UI on the stylus presenting canvas (room) name, Pondoro timer & current time & date.
Fig3:
UI contains everything you need for a smooth experience. Has standalone keyboard for normal text tasks.
Colour Palette:
This is the main sketch section. Here the user will be able to change point size and select colours from predefined palettes. Colour palettes are predefined but will host a vast array of colour schemes that instantly change the colour of the lines.
Pomodoro Timer:
A timer to help you focus. You can set the duration from 5 to 20 minutes giving you focus time with ample breaks. Fantastic for getting things done.
Music - Lo-fi playlist
A chilled lo-fi playlist to help block out unwanted environmental noise allowing you again to focus on thinking.
Spatial canvas management:
Here the user will be able to manage their spatial canvases. They will be able to save & load snapshots of their notes as well as clear the current canvas and also delete the current canvas.
Saved Canvases:
When a spatial canvas is saved a button is instantiated into a scroll section allowing the user to load a snapshot of their notes within their space again. The scene name is defined upon save and date and time is recorded and stored. Scene buttons are ordered alphabetically by scene name allowing for easier access when finding notes.
Focus mode:
One of the features of ‘focus mode’ is to manipulate the alpha of their passthrough allowing them to make it darker to help limit distractions within their space.
Flow:
Wireframe
Simplicity is key here. The user already has a product and is looking for the instructions to help build it. Also, the final interface will be represented in 3D and be highly visual so a simple flow much like a list will ensure they find the correct instructional to match their product.
Recent accolades:
Play:
Notes:
Beyond the frame. Into the Experience.
Hey i'm Chris - someone who's always been drawn to creativity, connection and making things that matter. Whether i'm working on a personal project or collaborating with others, I care deeply about doing things with heart and intention. I specialise in graphics & motion, 3D & Extended Reality (XR), creating immersive and impactful work for entertainment and brand experiences. This space is a reflection of who I am and what I love - a mix of ideas, experiments and things i'm proud to share. I'm forever evolving, always learning and always open to new conversations. If something resonates with you or you're curious about collaborating i'd love to hear from you. I don't share that much commercial work online but you can check out more of my work on Behance, Vimeo and ArtStation.
Looking to collab?
Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss a particular project(s) ✌️
CPY
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Location: London | hello(at)hillierforshaw.co.uk
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