Nespresso AAA Farm

This in-store VR experience used spatial storytelling, localized voice acting, and varied interactions to teach Nespresso’s AAA sustainability values. Set on a Colombian coffee farm, it guided users through a hands-on, emotionally resonant learning journey.

Role

VR UX Designer

Target Hardware

Oculus Quest

Industries

Sustainable Agriculture / Coffee Farming

Date

Jul 2020 - Jan 2021

Problem

Nespresso needed an emotionally resonant way to showcase ethical farming and sustainability in flagship Nespresso stores. It needed to:

  • Visually depict real impact of AAA practices.

  • Be accessible in multiple languages.

  • Function within the limitations of Oculus Quest hardware.

My Role

Led UX and spatial design across the experience.

  • Defined the user flow, interaction mechanics, and scene transitions.

  • Directed the integration of narrative, UI, and haptics into a cohesive educational journey.

  • Collaborated across design, audio, and development teams.


Created and delivered:

  • A master design document containing scene blueprints and object placement logic.

  • Interactive system mock-ups in ShapesXR.

  • Playtest reviews and QA iteration notes.

Process

Discovery:

  • Reviewed a prior 'Phase One' POC feedback, and examined user constraints for seated and room-scale modes.


Design Exploration:

  • Sketched early interaction flows and kiosk UIs grounded in spatial ergonomics.

  • Built ShapesXR prototypes to test panel positioning, text legibility, and FOV comfort zones.


Experience Architecture:

  • Created persistent-world spatial design: users can see previous zones from their current location.

  • Defined a narrative-driven journey through scenes like Biodiversity, Nursery, and Depulping Station.


Interaction Design:

  • Designed a stylized, touch-and-select map interaction scene.

  • Introduced contextual guidance and fallback mechanics for dropped items.

  • Varied interaction design through optional and less conventional moments, such as raising your hand to attract a butterfly, or playing with a dog.

  • Included gaze-based interactions, such as identifying specific trees in the jungle, and a “magic window” sign that revealed a 3D historical version of the farm when looked through.


Iteration & QA:

  • Conducted internal VR playtests and captured functional/animation feedback.

  • Adjusted flow and trigger logic to maintain pacing and immersion.

Solution

Delivered a 12-minute interactive VR experience across 10+ spatially connected scenes.


Users could:

  • Engage in a range of embodied interactions: picking and sorting coffee cherries, watering plants, turning cranks to depulp beans, interacting with butterflies, glimpsing the past through a 'magic window', and share a coffee-toast with the farmer. Each moment was designed to reinforce sustainability principles through intuitive, hands-on learning.

  • Hear authentic voice performances in multiple languages.

  • Follow a guided narrative via an interactive logbook and expressive NPC gestures.


Built with:

  • Persistent spatial layouts

  • Gaze-and-reach-based UIs

  • Ambient and localized soundscapes

  • Optional interactions (e.g., dog play, coffee sharing) to enhance immersion

Outcome

Final build successfully deployed via Immerse platform.

Rolled out in English, French, and German markets.


Positive outcomes:

  • Successfully navigated performance constraints on Oculus Quest hardware.

  • Met interaction fidelity targets.

Reflection

Challenges Faced:

  • Balancing scene fidelity with Quest’s GPU constraints.

  • Coordinating animation, voice-over, and interaction logic across distributed teams.


Learnings:

  • Prototyping in VR (via ShapesXR) accelerated spatial iteration and reduced late-stage revisions.

  • Grounding interactions in environmental logic enhanced learnability.

  • Designing for presence and memory was critical.


Impact:

  • Strengthened skills in multi-modal interaction design, cross-team collaboration, and VR UX documentation.

  • Combined immersive technology with education, narrative, and usability at flagship Nespresso stores.