Overview / Usage

I’d like to start this article by thanking Intel and Microsoft for their support and for the support towards this project as part of the Intel Ultimate Coder Challenge. In particular, huge thanks to Eric Mantion, Bob Duffy and Wendy Boswell for their mentoring and support during the process.

This has been a huge learning experience and it has provided a significant boost to this project. While the competition is ending, our journey with Zenva Sky is just beginning and we are looking forward to launching this experience to the general public within a few months.

Methodology / Approach

Initial Iteration (weeks 1 – 3)

We started Zenva Sky with the intention of creating the world’s first VR application to teach coding and computer science. Whilst we had some ideas and mockups of how it was going to work: the user was going to code different interactive elements in the environment in order to solve puzzles.

This concept was developed in a prototype where users could program movement, rotation and scale changes to blocks in a dreamy geometrical environment.

After hitting the end of the road with the first prototype we took a step back and re-thought what we were building, what the goals where and how it would make use of VR as a medium (why would it make sense to do it in VR and not in 2D).

The goals we initially set for our project stayed the same: to teach anyone basic concepts of computer science and motivate people to learn how to code.

The role of the user within the app changed. Instead of interacting with cubes, how about we gave the user the chance to code their own robotic vehicle?

We had narrowed down the basic gameplay and that felt huge. All of the sudden, we started receiving positive feedback from users we tried this with.

The world however looked plain and boring. VR allows the creation of limitless worlds. Why not use this opportunity to show people what’s possible when you learn coding?

A donut-shaped world was developed, settling at last the art style of Zenva Sky (plaster / play dough for the environment, and low-poly for the interactive elements). We created this world in VR using Oculus Medium.

In the realm of digital technologies, winners are usually not those with the most advanced features, but those who provide the best user experience.

We are aware of the importance of first impressions and user onboarding given the impact it has had in our coding education platform Zenva Academy. Whenever we have any bugs in the signup process or any of the first few screens, sales and user engagement plummets.

At Oculus Connect I received a lot of feedback all the way from industry experts to VR enthusiasts, and a constant across all individuals was the need for me to explain how to use the app. That is why this week we shifted our focus to working on a tutorial and onboarding process for the application.

It is key that the user is onboarded the right way and taught how to user the UI. This needs to be not only clear but also engaging. When the user starts the application, they will see two characters (the ones you see in the video and screenshots are temporary “hello world” demos from MagicaVoxel) who will approach them with a mission: to rescue their friend who is trapped at the center of the Donut World.

Technologies Used

Unity, Oculus SDK, Visual Studio

Other links

• Oculus Rift Store
• Blog post with screenshots and videos
• Playlist with footage of the entire journey