Skype for HoloLens

February 2016 • Microsoft

Windows Holographic + Windows 10

My team were responsible for building the companion experience for remote participants and collaborating with the Windows Holographic team for the native app.

After the general dissolution of Skype into the Microsoft Teams family, this product lives on "Remote Assistance for Dynamics 365".

While the holographic version of the application served as a showcase for permitting the user to share their Mixed Reality experience with a third party, many of the design challenges were around how Windows users joining the HoloLens user could interact with a 3D space on a 2D input plane.

Holographic buttons

Within the Holographic UI, care was taken how to consider the use of the Skype brand and 'flat' design within a 3D space.

For example, I created an early prototype in Framer to get a sense of rendering gaze and hover states for call controls on a physical surface while using the Skype in-house icon style.

Motion and hierarchy

Working with the motion design team at Skype, care was taken to produce clear menu structures that would work in both 2D and 3D space, optimised for short distance movements with the users gaze or pointing device:

Collaborators

Austin Lee
Joe Thompson
Mark Swift
Paul Sim