Meta Store
Steven co-led the internal creative team responsible for the design and development of the first Meta Store from concept through to opening day in 2022. The project was a massive cross-functional coordination with many teams across the company with Reality Labs leading the charge.
The experience-led retail model was designed around integrated, immersive product demos, where Meta’s AR and VR hardware products best convey the promise of spatial computing. Creative tech, such as real-time mixed reality were developed (depth sensing cameras, live compositing, VR app integrations) and launched by this team to demonstrate the tech to everyday people in a compelling way.
CREATIVE DIRECTION • INTERACTION DESIGN • UI/UX
Objective
Demonstrate Meta’s AR/VR products and unlock the possibilities of spatial computing for everyday people.
The team also sought to develop scalable interactive technologies to deploy globally at future events, experiences and retail.
Concept Renders
Case Study
Our research suggested that the strongest positive driver in a customer’s Intent to Purchase is a hands-on product demonstration. We also discovered the the single most challenging hurdle to driving successful demos is helping a potential customer simply understand “what’s inside the headset”
Concept: Mixed Reality Capture & Cast
We set out to create a system that could demonstrate “what’s happening in headset” with a real-time composited image of demo participant’s physical likeness dropped into a game environment. This composited image would be cast upon a large curved screen to help build anticipation and excitement with viewers.
How it Works
We designed a system to capture two layers of information/content in tandem:
Dynamic depth data of our participant
Standard motion video in real-time.
The depth data provided us with a live cut line that we applied atop the standard motion video. The green area refers to everything outside the cut line.
Test & Iterate
The model required exhaustive training to successfully isolate the participant from their physical environment primarily because of the variability in the moving image behind the participant.
Launch
Zuck was on hand at opening day to kick off the Quest 2 interactive.
Team
Creative Director: Steven Jos Phan
Experience Design Architect: Mike Lim
Head of Design, Meta Reality Labs: Teemu Suviala
Customer Experience Design Lead: Jason Fruy
Delivery Lead: Catie Joos
Interactive Producer: Hannah Gray Dubrow
Program Manager: Lauren Wong
Program Manager: Javier Fernandez
Operations Director: Eduardo Cruz
Creative Agency Partners: Moniker, DeepLocal, MediaMonks, AKQA, Scout House, Gensler, Universal Design Studio
Press
Dezeen — Meta to open first physical retail shop for virtual reality products
The Verge — Meta is opening its first retail store next month
Techcrunch— Meta wants to sell you the Metaverse
Adweek — The first foray into physical retail space for Facebook’s parent company
Protocol - Meta opens first retail store to sell VR hardware
Fast Company - Meta’s first store takes on a basic problem with selling new tech