In 2022, LIV patented a volumetric capture and reconstruction technology that allows users to record RGB and depth data and reconstruct it into 3D on standalone devices such as Quest.

1. Iterative prototyping helped uncover user needs and refine immersive social interactions in VR.
2. Raw volumetric content proved engaging and valuable to users.
3. Pivoting to an in-game camera (LCK) drove adoption: 2,082 apps and 72M hours recorded in six months.

The goal of this case study is to showcase an iterative process of finding product–market fit for our revolutionary volumetric technology. These learnings were essential in pivoting toward a product that, within its first six months, was integrated into 2,082 apps and generated 72 million hours of recorded content.

My role was Product Designer across all prototypes.

We tested three major prototypes with users to identify the strongest product direction:

1. Messages
2. Calls
3. Spatial Video Platform

The messaging prototype was a simple concept that we tested one-on-one in online calls with 15 heavy VR users. In parallel, we distributed a Google Form through our existing Discord channel to better understand users’ social connections in VR. In total, 42 participants completed the questionnaire.

Research goals: We aimed to validate and understand:

• Whether users already have friends in VR
• What topics they want to share with those friends
• Pain points they experience when trying to reach friends in VR
• Whether volumetric content adds a unique and valuable interaction format

✅ What worked well

• Users enjoyed the experience and highlighted the “wow” factor of seeing a hologram for the first time.
• The product intent was immediately clear: sending holographic/volumetric video messages in VR. Users did not perceive the experience as “flat.”
• Participants agreed that this approach felt easier than existing communication methods, mainly Discord via desktop views, XSOverlay, and virtual keyboards.
• There was strong initial excitement and interest in using volumetric messaging, even at the prototype stage.
• Recording and playing messages were perceived as intuitive and easy.
• Users saw potential for habit formation: they imagined using volumetric messaging whenever they enter VR, helping them maintain immersion.
• Many participants said they would prefer holographic messages over voice messages because they feel more personal and expressive. Non-verbal communication was seen as a key added value.

⚠️ Challenges and limitations

• Some participants noted that the product only has value if they already have people to communicate with.
• Adoption friction: users were reluctant to ask friends to download another communication app, and most interviewees felt they lacked the influence to drive adoption.
• Risk of novelty fade and long-term retention issues.
• Users reported a limited need for communication from within VR (“once or twice a week”).
• Asynchronous conversations were perceived as less meaningful than live interactions; real-time communication was seen as more valuable.
• Strong competition from Discord: volumetric messaging would not replace Discord but rather become an additional channel. Discord is associated with immediate responses, while volumetric messaging depends on headset availability or notifications.

Based on previous learnings we hypothesize that while in a VR app, having conversations with people that aren’t in that specific app or “game instance” is valuable.

We created a prototype for calling friends and shared it with a test group of 20 participants who already knew each other. We observed organic usage within the group and conducted weekly surveys to capture ongoing feedback and behavior patterns.

✅ What worked well

• The “World Size” avatar mode created a strong sense of presence, making conversations feel more natural and immersive.
• Users saw clear value in having calling functionality built directly into VR.
• Participants identified benefits of live calling compared to Discord.
• All participants expressed interest in trying the early-access prototype with their own networks, highlighting the value of group calling.
• The feature was particularly useful for users in different games, but less valuable when they were in the same game (e.g., VRChat).
• Without prompting, several participants expressed interest in seeing the game environment alongside the avatar.
• Some participants noted that live calling resolved pain points they experience in VRChat.
• The tool was perceived as effective for quick conversations and voice memos.
• No performance impact on games was reported.

⚠️ Challenges and limitations

• As a standalone app without an overlay, the product offered limited value.
• Some users struggled to understand when they should use live calling.
• No participants indicated they would have long conversations within VR using this tool.
• The product was implicitly positioned as a competitor to Discord.
• Depending on the game and user intent, participants might prefer in-game communication tools—for example, spatial audio, proximity-based voice, or immersive social interactions.
• The findings reinforced that this product is not a driver for VR adoption, but rather a utility for users who are already in VR.

The results of the previous prototypes did not build strong conviction that we had found the right product direction. Therefore, we pivoted toward using volumetric technology to build a spatial social platform.

Today, most VR content is consumed in a 2D format. But what if users didn’t have to lose immersion—and could instead experience content with the same level of presence as the creator

To explore this direction, we conducted two rounds of testing:

1. We first tested volumetric video content in isolation.
2. We then added social features and enabled early creators to record and share their own content.

First, we wanted to understand whether volumetric content in its raw form had inherent value—without editing, just recorded volumetric gameplay.

We designed a simple testing experience: 20 videos recorded by our team were shown to users in a fixed sequence. After each video, an in-app form prompted participants to evaluate:

• Content
• Format
• Quality
• Length

A total of 145 devices submitted ratings. On average, each user watched and rated 14 out of 20 videos. This was a strong result, especially considering that users were required to submit a rating to continue, the videos were not edited, and the volumetric mesh quality was imperfect.

Encouraged by the results of the previous test, we shifted from curated content to user-generated content. We built a lightweight platform where users could browse and consume videos created by early creators. We then evaluated organic usage against predefined success metrics.

During the testing period, we did not hit any of our target metrics. While conversations with users revealed some promising signals, the concept was not yet fully viable.

🛠️ Areas for improvement

• High expectations: Users expected many standard features of a social platform that were missing in the early-stage prototype.
• Content quality: Better quality videos and editing features are needed to make the content more engaging.
• Ease of use: Installing the mod to record videos was cumbersome, and uploading content required using a web browser.
• Creator incentives: Creators had to be paid to produce content, limiting organic growth.

⚠️ Deeper challenges

• App fragmentation: Users found having a separate app to consume content cumbersome; they wanted the experience integrated into Meta OS so they could remain in-game.
• Platform limitations: We cannot access OS-level features, so integrating the platform at the system level is not possible. The only option would be to distribute it as an SDK within individual games—but embedding a social platform inside a game would likely be unwelcome by studios, as it could distract users from the core gameplay experience.

quote from user research interview

quote from user research interview

The idea of not trying to be just another app on the app store was a major aha moment for us. We pivoted from building a standalone platform to getting into games first with a tool that developers actually needed to distribute their games organically: an in-game camera.

These prototypes laid the foundation for our camera product, LCK, which has been a major success. In its first six months, the tool was detected in 2,082 VR apps and recorded 72 million hours of content.