2021-2024
Senior Product Designer
Personal Space Team
Meta Horizon
Enable users to personalize their virtual homes with photos & memories
Personalizing Virtual Homes to Drive Engagement
META HORIZON
Scaling Horizon Worlds:
NUX, Personalization & Systems
From 2021 to 2024 I led design strategy for Meta Horizon Worlds Personal Space (NUX) & Design Systems teams, driving increased adoption, engagement, and retention.
I reimagined onboarding to help new users explore and connect, developed a scalable virtual space personalization system, and refined design systems critiques to elevate craft & quality across VR, mobile, and web experiences.
A key initiative was designing the VR Frames feature, empowering users to make their virtual homes feel personal, strengthening their sense of belonging and increasing retention.
META HORIZON WORLDS
Reaction video from @spacehexo_vr
Making Virtual Homes Feel Like Home
Horizon Worlds needed to boost engagement and retention in virtual homes.
Through research we discovered that users wanted to express their identity through customization.
My goal: Design an experience that enables users to customize their virtual homes, and drive engagement and retention.
CONTEXT
Shaping the Vision & Driving Execution
I led the design vision and strategy of the VR Frames project to align with user needs and business goals.
By prototyping the product experience with native VR development tools (Meta Horizon World Builder) I was able to support research sessions and accelerate engineering efforts.
I also drove cross-functional collaboration across multiple teams, ensuring smooth execution of the project.
MY ROLE
Homes Felt Generic, Engagement Was Low
Users felt that their homes looked like everyone else’s and didn’t feel unique to them.
Low retention rates signaled that homes weren’t compelling enough.
Users wanted to personalize their virtual homes to represent their identity and interests.
USER PROBLEM
A Dynamic & Interactive Personalization Feature
Designed customizable VR Frames, letting users display their Meta Horizon personal media.
Added interactive elements, such as portals to worlds where photos were taken.
Implemented content moderation tools, keeping the experience safe and inclusive for users of all ages.
SOLUTION
Increased Engagement & Validated Personalization
Drove higher engagement, proving that personalization fosters deeper connection.
Aligned with retention goals, reinforcing the value of meaningful home design.
IMPACT
Balancing Vision With
User Needs
Ensuring personalization felt valuable, not just a decorative add-on.
Maintaining a seamless user experience, while introducing new interactive elements.
Delivering a high quality, crafted user experience with limited resources.
CHALLENGES
Message me at hello@natecooper.io
Curious about my previous work, check out my LinkedIn
Or hop back to the homepage
Want to learn more about this project?
👋 THANKS FOR STOPPING BY
Personalization
is a Growth Lever
Users engage more when they feel ownership, making customization a powerful tool.
Balancing creativity with moderation is crucial in social VR spaces.
Reframing limited resources as creative constraints can lead to interesting opportunities.
LEARNINGS
Meta Horizon
Personal Space Team
Senior Product Designer
2021-2024
META HORIZON
Personalizing Virtual Homes to Drive Engagement
Enable users to personalize their virtual homes with photos & memories
Reaction video from @spacehexo_vr
CONTEXT
Making Virtual Homes Feel Like Home
Horizon Worlds needed to boost engagement and retention in virtual homes.
Through research we discovered that users wanted to express their identity through customization.
My goal: Design an experience that enables users to customize their virtual homes, and drive engagement and retention.
META HORIZON WORLDS
Scaling Horizon Worlds: NUX, Personalization & Systems
From 2021 to 2024 I led design strategy for Meta Horizon Worlds Personal Space (NUX) & Design Systems teams, driving increased adoption, engagement, and retention.
I reimagined onboarding to help new users explore and connect, developed a scalable virtual space personalization system, and refined design systems critiques to elevate craft & quality across VR, mobile, and web experiences.
A key initiative was designing the VR Frames feature, empowering users to make their virtual homes feel personal, strengthening their sense of belonging and increasing retention.
USER PROBLEM
Homes Felt Generic, Engagement Was Low
Users felt that their homes looked like everyone else’s and didn’t feel unique to them.
Low retention rates signaled that homes weren’t compelling enough.
Users wanted to personalize their virtual homes to represent their identity and interests.
SOLUTION
A Dynamic & Interactive Personalization Feature
Designed customizable VR Frames, letting users display their Meta Horizon personal media.
Added interactive elements, such as portals to worlds where photos were taken.
Implemented content moderation tools, keeping the experience safe and inclusive for users of all ages.
LEARNINGS
Personalization
is a Growth Lever
Users engage more when they feel ownership, making customization a powerful tool.
Balancing creativity with moderation is crucial in social VR spaces.
Reframing limited resources as creative constraints can lead to interesting opportunities.
IMPACT
Increased Engagement & Validated Personalization
Drove higher engagement, proving that personalization fosters deeper connection.
Aligned with retention goals, reinforcing the value of meaningful home design.
CHALLENGES
Balancing Vision With Business Realities
Ensuring personalization felt valuable, not just a decorative add-on.
Maintaining a seamless user experience, while introducing new interactive elements.
Delivering a high quality, crafted user experience with limited resources.
Reaction video from @spacehexo_vr
MY ROLE
Shaping the Vision & Driving Execution
I led the design vision and strategy of the VR Frames project to align with user needs and business goals.
By prototyping the product experience with native VR development tools (Meta Horizon World Builder) I was able to support research sessions and accelerate engineering efforts.
I also drove cross-functional collaboration across multiple teams, ensuring smooth execution of the project.
👋 THANKS FOR STOPPING BY
Want to learn more about this project?
Message me at hello@natecooper.io
Curious about my previous work, check out my LinkedIn
Or hop back to the homepage