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

Amazon wanted to explore whether immersive training could help delivery drivers better understand the kinds of distractions that lead to incidents on the road. The demo needed to walk a careful line: it had to trigger a genuine emotional reaction, but without portraying drivers as careless or painting Amazon in a negative light.


This was a proof-of-concept for execs, to be shown in the middle of a busy conference. We had three weeks to build and deliver this from scratch. Because of the time constraints, full driving mechanics were off the table so we had to keep things simple.

Most users would be first-timers in VR. So we needed to tell a powerful story, using the fewest possible inputs.

My Role

I led UX design, interaction flow, and scene logic. This included:

  • Prototyping core flows in ShapesXR and directing scene rhythm and pacing

  • Designing the spatial audio and VO experience, including scripting and timing

  • Collaborating with a sound engineer to align emotional tone and delivery

  • Defining interaction triggers and state-machine logic for Unity integration

  • Reviewing builds with QA, audio, and devs, iterating on visuals, VO sync, and timing

  • Running stakeholder walkthroughs to validate interaction clarity and emotional pacing

Process

A Focused Sprint

We commenced with a three-day internal sprint in ShapesXR to get a working feel for the narrative rhythm. I mocked up the alleyway environment and started iterating on how distractions could be layered in a believable, escalating way: delivery pressure, radio music, other drivers, clutter, the mobile phone, and a loose package. The goal was to simulate pressure and set the user up to be distracted right before a critical crash moment.


Interaction and Spatial Flow

With our target audience and scenario in mind, I kept the inputs simple (one button max), with ghosted-hand prompts and tooltips guiding the user forward. This let us keep cognitive load low, and keep things immediate for users. The crash moment is set up to take the user by surprise and make them feel responsibility for the incident, even though there is no way to avoid it. The design carefully manages the build-up of distractions and pressure to achieve this.


Audio and Emotion

I briefed and worked closely with the audio engineer, writing VO for the phone call to set the whole narrative up. We layered in ambient sound, and a host of crash and post-crash sounds for the final moments, to drive up the emotion.


Build, Review, Adjust, Repeat

We went through multiple build iterations, tuning the timing of events so the distractions didn’t feel random, but inevitable. I reviewed builds with QA and logged detailed notes in JIRA on visual pacing, trigger sync, and user comfort. I adjusted input timing, feedback affordances, and visual hierarchy to tighten the emotional arc without overstepping into melodrama. Critically, I also set up the starting UI and UX to ensure the user was correctly orientated in their seat before playing.

Solution

The result was a seated VR demo that places the user in the driver’s seat of a delivery van, starting their route. Users encounter a series of escalating distractions until they miss a critical hazard and collide with a moped.

Key Features:

  • Layered distractions within a narrative designed to misdirect focus and steadily escalate tension

  • Ambisonic spatial audio to create immersive realism and support emotional pacing

  • Gaze-based and tactile interactions using a single-button input model for ease and accessibility

  • A variety of visual cues to guide first-time VR users

Outcome

The final build was delivered on time and deployed at Amazon Ignite without any critical issues. From kickoff to completion, the entire design and development process took just three weeks.


The impact was immediate. The VP of Routing & Planning replayed the demo voluntarily, saying he “wanted to do better.” Stakeholders proposed expanding it into a full three-part training suite, and the experience went on to spark a Service Club pilot focused on hazard awareness.


Feedback consistently highlighted the emotional resonance of the experience - several participants described genuine discomfort following the crash, which aligned exactly with the intended effect. The project was praised for its immersive realism and its effectiveness in driving behavioural reflection.

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

This project reinforced the value of prototyping directly in VR. ShapesXR let us fine-tune pacing and full flow design early, which paid off later. It also sharpened my sense of how sound design drives immersion: voice, ambience, and audio cues played a huge role in building emotional weight. More than anything, it showed how constraint can be a strength: narrowing scope helped us focus on what mattered most.