Mobile Screen-based User Interface Design Guideline for Panoramic VR in Shopping Scene

The pandemic has shifted people's shopping behavior towards online resources. Mobile screen-based panoramic virtual reality (VR) appears to be a promising form for future online shopping. However, the existing user interface (UI) design of panoramic VR shopping needs more natural interactions based on a rational standard design guideline. In this article, we first conducted a heuristic study to compare six representative virtual store apps. This revealed a gap between users' requirements and the current design attempts. Thus, a UI design guideline for panoramic VR in the shopping scene was presented. Then, we conducted a verification study with a demo optimized according to our design guideline. Both user experience and interactive efficiency improved as a result of the design guideline. Our design guidelines and discoveries derived from user studies provided references for the design, development, and potential use of dynamic panoramic VR in shopping scene.