Spatium: The Streamer Revolution

Sponsored by ASUS ROG

Reimagining a future streaming experience that connects streamers and their audiences in a new way.

Overview

Spatium is an XR streaming experience between gamers and their audience, developed for the Armoury Crate (ROG gaming product Connect Center). The design system includes a line of hardware products that enhance the streaming experience for both the gamer and their audience. Providing an interactive and playful environment to help facilitate closer connections between streamers and their viewers.

I served as a UX Designer in a transdisciplinary team working on an end-to-end solution that involved developing a XR streaming experience for ASUS's Armoury Crate Connect Center. A experience that would connect streamers, gamers, and viewers across the globe.

*This project was selected as a finalist and a segment of the project was purchased by ASUS. Please contact for more info!

Role

UX/UI Designer

Skills

Product/Interaction Design

Advanced Prototyping

System Design

Product Strategy

User Research

Team

ASUS ROG Design Team

Devin Lee-Jones (Product

Designer)

Melody Ling (Product 

Designer)

Alex Hao

(Industrial Designer) 

Vin Wu 

(Industrial Designer)

— - Design Brief

— - Opportunity

How might ASUS develop an ecosystem of tools that fascilitate new interactions and experiences between streamers and their communities?

— - Product Definition

This is Spatium, a suite of devices that reimagine the streaming experience between gamers and their audiences.

— - Kit Contents

Spatium Lens

LCoS/DLP AR lens / Bone Conduction Headphone, and TENS Electric Micro current Massage Plate on the back of the head.

Spatium Space

Spacial and User Gesture Tracking, Depth of Field Camera, HD Camera, Infrared Sensor, LiDar Sensor, and Environmental Lighting.

Spatium Tracer

8 diagonally positioned sensors inside the band. Infrared emitter that communicates with Spatium Space on user movements/location.

Spatium Tag

Item tracker that can attach to any objects in the room through a locking mechanism on the back that connects to a sustainable reusable sticker.

— - Project Roadmap / Overview

01 Challenges

Becoming more than a gamer.

— - Key Findings

The Future of Gaming

If you take a look at Twitch. The largest streaming platform for gaming. Something truly shocking is that it wasn't Fortnite, League of Legends, or Valorant that is dominating the platform. But this unique to twitch feature called "Just Chatting".

Streamer Revolution

In this section we found a rising community of gamers, content creators, and entertainers. All reimagining what it means to interact with audiences as a streamer. Here is where we felt a huge untapped market lies. 

MISFIT Gaming Interview Key Quotes

"I like being spontaneous when I'm streaming, because it is always so structured and planned-out during the week. Interacting with my viewers often gives me the ability to do that."

"It's really important to me and to my stream that I can customize my technology to my personalized taste. The setup has to live in my preferred aesthetics."

"When I'm in-between major streamings, I like to play table top casual mini games to relax and interact with friends, just for a more casual experience."

"My viewers are the most important thing to me, I really would not be able to do what I do without their support. If there is anything I can do to create a stronger connection to my audience, I will."

— - Key Insight

Streamers are redefining what it means to be a "gamer" today, and have created a new space for play and interaction.

— - Final User Scenario + Prototypes (Part One)

How does Spatium change the streaming experience?

Prepping for Stream

Aimsey's Favorite holiday is coming, and wants all of her viewers to celebrate christmas with her. She dreams of a winter wonderland for her stream and begins planning for the event.

Spatium System Arrives

Aimsey orders Asus's Spatium streaming system and is super excited to get it set up for her stream.

Spatium Stream Setup

Aimsey dives into the Armoury Crate and setting up all the components for her XR room experience.

02 Challenges

Co-creation, Customization, and User Generated Content.

Customization

We noticed streamers completely customizing their streams through things like digital make up, lighting displays, avatars, and even prototypes to their furniture and chairs.

— - Key Insight

Viewers subscribe and follow streamers based on their unique personalities and gaming styles that distinquish them from others. 

Room Customization

Aimsey is now ready to begin customizing her room with the kit. She places an item tracker on her lamp that she will later turn into a custom room decoration.

Christmas Begins

Aimsey hops back into the Armoury Crate to begin turning her lamp she tagged into a Christmas tree.

Before & After Spatium

Spatium's system begins to create an XR room for Aimsey that she can use as an immersive environment for her stream. 

Ready to Stream

Aimsey is now ready to surprise her vieweres with the Winter Wonderland she has turned her room into.

— - Aimsey's Perspective

03 Challenges

Community Building & Co-Creation.

Co-Creation / User Generated Content

We also noticed the integration of streamer's audiences for more exciting and interactive content. Turning almost anyone into a creator and redefining what it means to be one.

Community Building

There were also thousands of communities that were being developed through these new forms of media and content.

— - Key Insight

Viewers love feeling apart of something bigger than themselves. The thousands of communities built around streamers is what keeps the streams so robust and alive. 

Co-Creation

Here we see one of Aimsey's viewers engage with Armoury Crate's smart AI generator to create a special gift for her room.

Special Gifts

After creating the ornament for Aimsey, her viewer is able to access her virtual room and drop the gift in through a unique access key exclusive to her subscribers where.

Interactive Gifts

Shortly after, the ornament falls into her room, where Aimsey can now interact with the special gift from her viewer.

Persisting States

A viewer sends Aimsey a special gift, a Polar bear that is able to persist in her space and grow with her until the end of the event. 

Community Building

After a day of streaming, her community was able to support her dream of a Winter Wonderland with their very own special touches. Enabling a deeper connection to form between Aimsey and her viewers.

The Future of Streaming...

— - Research Methods

— - Design Criteria

— - Key Stakeholders

— - Target Audience

The Self Expressing Gamer

Bold, Influential, and Entertaining.

The Health Conscious Gamer

Self-aware, Future Focused, and Informative.

— - Ideation Sketching 

Interactive Products

In this process, we realized the limitations of pure physical products for gaming customization, and decided to go in the direction that empowers gamers through digital/virtual assets. We believe this could be done through the hardware support of a line of physical products, including a room sensor to turn streamers' rooms into virtual environments. Coupled with object sensors to enable interactions, and a control bracelet to track motion.

— - Journey Mapping

Stream Day

Developing a Journey map was important in discovering other possible use cases for our system. Through our user interviews with MISFIT Gaming, we were able to gain insight into their planning for content and where our system could support their needs.

— - Storyboarding

Streamer + Audience

We then developed a storyline to place our ideal persona into. From setting up her room in preperation for her stream, towards the actual interactions with her audience during the live stream using our system.

— - User Testing

— - Press