_{Designing for Resilience in Mobile Augmented Reality}

Context

As augmented reality transitions from novelty to everyday utility, its performance becomes highly dependent on environmental conditions.

Unlike traditional interfaces, AR systems operate within uncontrolled physical contexts: lighting, contrast, glare, and perceptual strain directly influence usability.

The core question was no longer:

“Is this interface usable?”

But:

“Under what real-world conditions does this experience degrade?”

This research was conducted in partnership with Essilor to examine how luminance variations impact mobile AR perception.

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My Role

Research Lead – Experimental UX Study

I designed and executed a controlled experimental study to isolate the impact of environmental luminance on:

• Visual discomfort
• Legibility
• Perceived usability
• Ease of interaction

The goal was to separate interface design variables from environmental stress variables to understand where breakdown occurs.

Core Problem

Mobile AR interfaces are evaluated in ideal testing conditions.

But real-world use introduces environmental strain:

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• Bright outdoor light
• Low-contrast environments
• Reflective surfaces
• Visual fatigue

Without understanding environmental thresholds, interface performance may appear strong in controlled environments but fail under real-world stress.

Research Design

This was a controlled experimental study, not exploratory research.

Key components:

• Manipulated luminance conditions across defined brightness levels
• Measured subjective discomfort
• Measured objective legibility performance
• Assessed perceived usability under varying environmental stress

The study was structured to isolate luminance as the independent variable, removing confounding interface factors.

Key Findings

1. Environmental Stress Degrades Perceived Usability Before Functional Failure

Users reported discomfort and reduced confidence even when tasks remained technically completable.

Perception deteriorated before mechanics did.

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2. Legibility Thresholds Exist

Beyond certain luminance levels, text clarity and interface readability degraded significantly.

Not gradually, but at identifiable breakpoints.

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3. Visual Discomfort Influences Usability Ratings

Higher luminance stress correlated with:

• Increased discomfort
• Reduced perceived ease of use
• Lower overall usability scores

Environmental strain directly impacts user perception.

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Strategic Insight

This study reframed usability evaluation.

It demonstrated that:

Usability is not only about interface structureIt is about environmental resilience.

When designing AR systems, success requires asking:

• Under what physical conditions does perception degrade?
• At what thresholds does discomfort alter behavior?
• How can interfaces adapt to environmental variability?

Impact

• Contributed empirical evidence to mobile AR usability research
• Identified luminance thresholds affecting discomfort and clarity
• Strengthened evidence-based design considerations for AR systems
• Reinforced the necessity of context-aware UX evaluation

How This Shapes My Work Today

This research permanently influenced how I approach product strategy.

User experience does not exist in isolation.

It exists within:

• Environmental constraints
• Cognitive load
• Perceptual thresholds
• System stress

When evaluating a product, I don’t just ask:

“Is this usable?”

I ask:

“When does this break — and how do we design for resilience?”

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