Connecting with people worldwide has taken an enormous step, thanks to the Metaverse and its architects. These new ways of socializing, gaming, and business are evolving quickly. To understand it better, it’s vital to know how a metaverse world is designed.
What is the Metaverse?
It’s difficult to explain with only one definition since it could be many things. For example, it can be an umbrella term for extended reality, a virtual universe to escape to, or just a sci-fi speculative answer.
The first time the word “metaverse” was used was in 1992 in the sci-fi novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. It was about a story where a person travels back and forth through dystopian realities called the Metaverse.
Another adaptation of the same novel, probably more modern and similar to what the current Metaverse can be, is Spielberg’s Ready Player One movie. A dystopian world where the only escape from reality is getting online into a virtual world where everyone can live a new life as an avatar and fully own it.
It may have originated thanks to sci-fi, but its concept is still vast. The idea of creating an immersive virtual world or space where people can interact with each other no matter how far they are is probably the most accurate definition now.
A great example of this virtual world is an already existing game called Second Life, released during the 2000s. While there were no virtual reality devices then, it still managed to create a whole fleshed world where anyone could create its character and live their life.
How Metaverse Can Change Everyday Life
There are many interactions we do every day that could be done the same way but inside a different world. This could be an amazing opportunity to connect with many people around the globe, share unlimited knowledge, and even visit different 3D cities virtually.
The metaverse world could be the new way of office working. Like a hybrid model, this new way of doing a job would consist of some people present and others doing remote work. However, no matter how far they are, the Metaverse gives everyone a common shared space. A good example is Horizon WorkRoom.
Also, it can become the perfect place for different gatherings, where people can share lessons and recipes and interact with millions. This new way of learning with teachers or instructors from all over the globe while being in the same virtual world has much potential.
The Metaverse will also emerge from the gaming industry since it will inherit many of the basic foundations of game design. Moreover, since its content will also be generated by and for users, this will encourage long-term participation.
How is a Metaverse Environment Designed
There are many steps to designing a virtual world, with different stages and workspaces. Every creation in the Metaverse requires an environment, like a casino, a park, schools, theaters and many other places. That’s where designer architects such as the Exolve team need to aim for and play a very significant role.
It doesn’t matter how they look: it could be a real place like an office, something new like a spacial station or even cartoon style. But it needs to feel comfortable for users, meaning that designers need to pay special attention to other areas to achieve so.
Accessibility for Users
Accessibility to the Metaverse is vital in any good design. Unfortunately, this is very hard to achieve since many factors make it complicated to realize, such as the sickness many users suffer from using VR headsets.
While it is still giving its first baby steps, this presents a perfect opportunity to solve those issues by buying new projects from the start instead of fixing old ones. More comfortable devices and approaches will be necessary to ensure that people will want to stay in these worlds for a long time.
Content and Activities Simplified
Environments must be generated in a way that makes people want to visit or use it. If not enough things to do are provided, they might leave after a while. Something needs to attract them into it to be a successful product.
It doesn’t have to be something extraordinary: just what they do in the outside world. So, for example, watching movies, listening to music, and many more ordinary activities are good options. The difference would be that they do not need a TV, a stereo or many other multiple devices, but just a VR headset.
Designing Digital Goods
Digital goods are another great way to profit within the Metaverse and add more originality to avatars or the world itself. While they would have specific limitations, such as not existing on the real planet, they could still bring advantages.
Fashion items are a good example. Buying a particular piece of clothing in the Metaverse would give the user’s avatar a personal style. This could also lead to brands in the future looking to port their outfits into the virtual world.
Decentralized Payments
Since the Metaverse is an essential part of Web3, it is evident that decentralized payment methods will also take a big part of this.
Paying for the already mentioned digital goods with cryptocurrencies instead of real money would be an excellent idea. Plus, these currencies could be transferred to any other Metaverse.
A current example of Metaverse currency is Mana, the coin used by Decentraland, one of the most famous current virtual worlds.
Focus on Virtual Reality
The improvement of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) devices will be necessary for upcoming years. This will allow users to feel a highly realistic experience that immerses them in the virtual world.
Depth and perspective will be one of the most beneficial researches, able to craft new experiences while keeping users safe and comfortable. Facial expressions will also need to be added to enable users to reflect on their emotions and how it helps to interact with people.
Other gestures, such as improved hand movement, head, body, and voice interactions, shall become an essential part of this new world. This can provide users a new level of comfort, hugely making things easier.
Improved Privacy Measures
Online privacy will be crucial in the Metaverse because it will protect the person behind the VR headset. This should be an integral block of any virtual world-building from the first day.
Preventing cyberbullying is an essential measure, not only one but in future Metaverse projects. Everyone should be able to decide who they want to be with and have the chance to remove people harming them.
Exolve Metaverse Builders Tools
There are many tools that Metaverse builders use to create them. These are some of the software that our Exolve team uses to elaborate these virtual worlds:
3D Modeling
Since Metaverse is a 3D virtual world, it is evident that 3d Modeling takes part in it. The more realistic the Modeling is, the better the Metaverse environment will be. This allows an easier immersion for players. Blender, Houdini, and Cinema4D are some tools used to achieve this.
Interactive Frameworks
Achieving realistic interactions and scenarios is the goal of any designer. Therefore, it’s essential to follow the line when designing good interactions, using the immense library of modular components available, especially with Interaction SDK.
Understanding of the World
Every expert world designer is capable of understanding how the real world works to ensure its creations work with each other. So that is why it’s vital to know about anthropology, architecture, and urban design to design a fully working virtual society.
Storyboard Research
Storyboards are research tools that are also very used in the movie industry. These graphic organizers include pictures that illustrate the scenes displayed during a sequence. It makes it easier for everyone to understand the situation or what actors need to convey.
This perfectly applies to the Metaverse, where creating an immersive experience should be the top priority for everyone.
User Research
Designing a product and finishing it isn’t the end of development. To ensure it is successful, it needs to be adequately tested. This helps to offer a better user experience and allows designers to notice what needs improvement.
Immersing themselves in the virtual world allows developers to notice their creation’s strong and weak spots.
Conclusion
Metaverse design isn’t an easy task that everyone can do. Therefore, not only developing skills are needed, but also an understanding of society and the real world itself.
Architecture teams like Exolve are in charge of shaping the foundations of this vast virtual world and what it can offer through 3d Modeling. After this world creation process, other areas ensure everything is in order and comfortable for its users.
