Lenovo ThinkReality VRX Design System: NERDS

Built from the ground up, NERDS (New Extended Reality Design System) is a unique design system used exclusively for Lenovo's AR/VR space. Building UI for AR and VR presents drastically different challenges than one might encounter when working with web or mobile applications.

A 3D space with unpredictable backgrounds provided the Emerging Technologies team the opportunity to figure out what does and doesn't work when it comes to colors, type, and even edges. Using solid black in AR translates to 0 pixels - AKA, it's a fully transparent hex. Using solid white in VR is visually stressing on the eyes. Heavy font weights and thick strokes on icons is imperative for legibility and the elimination of a "vibrating" effect that can occur on thin lines. Sharp corners can look rather threatening in a 3D environment where a panel can be rotated and look like a realistic edge.

On top of numerous other considerations, including several rounds of testing for legibility and color contrast to meet accessibility requirements and goals, the assets for many instances expressed in VR do not exist in your average design system library. Thus, NERDS was born. With the help of my team of interactive designers, prototypers, developers, researchers, and under incredible management, I was able to (one bite at a time) form a newly branded experience that will still look familiar to our Lenovo users, but unique to the experience that is Mixed Reality.