Mixed Reality Effects

Problem

Capture attention while communicating and coordinating with family with little additional effort.

Insight

Competitor Effects experiences are engaging but often one-sided. For our target audience of families we felt we needed to take a different approach.

Inspiration

Multi-player video games allow for a shared immersive experience that we hoped to mimic and apply to Alexa Communications experiences.

Solution

Immersive Worlds, Avatars and Art Styles that are easily applied to both sides of Alexa Communications experiences.

Process

This project was handed off to me from a designer who was leaving the team after an initial pass at the designs had been completed.

After receiving executive feedback I redesigned the Effects menu system to simplify application of Effects by consolidating the categories.

The new design received executive approval and we moved forward into development with the updated design.

This project went through an extended Beta period to test out the quality of the Effects themselves as well as the usability of the menu system.

In 2021 Mixed Reality Effects launched to the public in Alexa Video Calls and Drop in on Echo Show devices.

Over the years we've added additional Worlds, introduced new Effect types (Avatars) and extended Mixed Reality Effects into other Communications experiences.

My Role: I took over as UX lead for the Mixed Reality program after another designer left the team. I worked on updates to the initial launch experience, and then continued to support the program as we added additional Worlds, new Effect types and extended the enhancements into other Alexa Communications experiences.

Stakeholders: SVP of Amazon Devices, VP of Device Design Group, Director for Alexa Communications, Mixed Reality Product Manager, Creative Director for the Mixed Reality Program

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Solution

Results

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

Customers who use effects have calls that last twice as long.

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

Since launch, we have seen that once customers start using Effects, their overall engagement with Alexa Communication features increases. Customers complete more actions each month after they begin using the effects in calling.

I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.

When the 3D Characters launched they quickly became the most used Effects with Brad the Bread remaining one of our top Effects nearly a year later.