This study explores the perspectives of extended reality (XR) designers as they navigate the constantly changing domain of the metaverse and design virtual product experiences and commercial spaces in social virtual reality (VR) platforms. Through a series of semi-structured interviews with 30 designers from diverse backgrounds, we uncover the nuanced strategies and considerations that inform their design processes. Our analysis reveals designer insights under three key themes: 1) the design of peripherals, 2) user navigation strategies, and 3) manipulations of perceptions in the metaverse space design. These findings underscore the complex interplay between ever-changing technological capabilities and requirements and the creative vision that designers provide. Additionally, this study identifies emerging trends and gaps in current research and, thus, offers a foundation for future inquiries into designing virtual product experiences and commercial spaces in immersive virtual platforms. This research contributes to the HCI literature by more deeply explaining XR designers' roles and perspectives in crafting next-generation virtual product experiences in the metaverse, which highlights the potential for innovative design approaches to enhance the optimal flow state in the metaverse during virtual product experiences.
Cılızoğlu et al. (Tue,) studied this question.