Amazon Delivery Driver VR Demo

Built within 3 weeks, this demo targeted both emotional and cognitive learning, focusing on driver distraction and crash risk awareness.

Role

VR UX Designer

Target Hardware

Meta Quest 3

Industries

Logistics and Delivery

Date

Sep 2024 - Oct 2024

Problem

Proof of concept demo for training delivery drivers in recognizing and managing real-world distractions that contribute to incidents.


Constraints:

  • Compressed three-week development window.

  • Full driving controls were out of scope due to time/complexity limits.

  • Designed for first-time VR users making simplicity critical.

  • Triggering an emotional response was a core requirement.


User Challenges:

  • Amazon executives would be using the app in a busy expo environment.

  • The demo needed to evoke an emotional response without portraying Amazon drivers negatively or suggesting recklessness.

My Role

  • Led UX architecture, scene logic, and interaction flow.

  • Prototyped in ShapesXR to validate design decisions.

  • Owned the audio, visual, and spatial storytelling strategy.

  • Worked with a sound engineer to direct audio and voice production.

  • Defined state-machine logic and implementation structure for Unity integration.

  • Presented and validated UX logic in design walkthroughs of Unity builds.

Process

Design Sprint Initiation:

  • Three-day internal sprint using ShapesXR for ideation.

  • Led the design of scene pacing, lighting, and interactions, often driving ideation and refining final logic in close collaboration with another designer.

Prototyping and Iteration:

  • ShapesXR used to prototype interaction flow and distraction sequencing.

  • Iterative builds reviewed with developers, sound engineer, and QA.

  • Frequent adjustments made to timing, visual logic, and emotional impact.

Audio and VO Strategy:

  • Managed VO and audio delivery.

  • Scripted, timed, and tested VO lines to align with UX triggers.

  • Introduced ambisonic spatial audio for immersive realism.

Scene & Narrative Flow:

  • Designed environment (tight alley, blocked view, night setting) to heighten pressure and reduce development time.

  • Timed distractions (e.g., flashing car lights, phone rings, falling package) to misdirect user focus before simulated crash.

Interaction Design:

  • Implemented single-button input model for simplicity.

  • Designed ghosted hand prompts, tooltip instructions, and snap-to-target interactions.

Testing & Feedback Loops:

  • Coordinated with QA for user testing and fine-tuning visual/audio pacing, documenting feedback in JIRA.

Solution

A seated VR demo in which the user navigates the startup of a delivery van, faces escalating distractions, and experiences a collision.

Key Features:

  • Gaze-tracked UI and single-button interactions.

  • Realistic dashboard with distractions (e.g., packages, calls).

  • On-rails fail-state scenario using timed distractions to elicit user error.

  • Spatially accurate sound design simulating build up and post-crash effects.

  • Emotional pacing via visual/audio misdirection and crash timing.

UX Outcomes:

  • Strong emotional resonance: participants described feeling genuine discomfort post-crash, which aligned with the desired effect.

  • Realism praised by Amazon execs and stakeholders.

  • Setup enabled voluntary replays and behavior reflection.

Outcome

Project Delivery:

  • Final APK shipped on time and deployed at Amazon Ignite.

  • No critical bugs reported in final QA pass.

Impact:

  • VP of Routing & Planning voluntarily replayed demo to “do better”.

  • Stakeholders proposed turning the demo into a 3-module training suite.

  • Sparked Service Club pilot with hazard training expansion initiative.

Success Indicators:

  • Full design-to-delivery within three weeks.

  • High praise for emotional and immersive training effectiveness.

Reflection

Notable Challenges:

  • Balancing emotional impact with user comfort (avoiding VR nausea).

  • Syncing visual, spatial, and narrative elements under tight deadlines.

  • Working across teams handling both creative and technical design layers.


What I Learned:

  • Direct-from-VR prototyping (ShapesXR) ensures accurate spatial and pacing design.

  • Emotional UX relies on precise timing and environmental cohesion.

  • Sound design is a primary driver of cognitive immersion and empathy.

  • Constraint-driven design can produce focused, impactful experiences.