Background

Current approaches to designing virtual 3D interfaces are usually adapted directly from the desktop metaphor and the corresponding "window, icon, menu, pointing device" (WIMP) paradigm, creating a user experience gap between virtual and physical reality (Bermejo et al., 2021). This direct adaptation is problematic because interaction in three-dimensional virtual environments requires mapping between traditional 2D input devices and 3D virtual space, which hinders content perception when 3D content is displayed through 2D rendered images (Caputo, 2019).

Unlike standard 2D interfaces on desktops and mobile devices, VR environments lack fixed boundaries for UI placement, making traditional UI design knowledge less applicable (Pandey and Sorathia, 2024). VR presents unique challenges including field of view limitations, user orientation tracking, having no defined reference plane, and depth-related issues that differ fundamentally from flat 2D screens (Kaur et al., 2019). The transition from 2D to 3D increases degrees of freedom from 2 to 6, caused by the simulation of three-dimensional space where users can interact freely, while constant adaptation of viewing point according to head orientation provides higher immersion but also increased complexity (WeiB et al., 2018).

Three-dimensional GUIs lack comprehensive design heuristics, and understanding cognitive workload of such systems requires considering different variables including field of view, physical demand, and mental demand that increase workload in three-dimensional interfaces (Kaur et al., 2020). Well-known screen-interaction guidelines for WIMP or touch can only be transferred into VR conditionally (WeiB et al., 2018). Designing for VR should not mean transferring 2D practices to 3D, but finding a new paradigm that requires designers to expand their expertise to different fields such as psychology, architecture, sound design, lighting design, and physics (Shoikova and Peshev, 2017).

The fundamental differences between 2D and 3D interaction paradigms, combined with VR's unique technological and cognitive challenges, necessitate specialized design guidelines specifically developed for virtual reality user interfaces.