Transforming boating education by offering a safe, low-pressure training experience through a virtual reality simulation. Empowering both new boaters and seasoned captains to build confidence, sharpen skills, and navigate with assurance before hitting the water.

Brunswick - VR Training Simulator

Project type: Spring Co-Op

My role: UX Designer

Team: 1 product manager, 2 designers

Tools: Adobe illustrator, Figma, Miro

Skills: Information architecture, competitive analysis, user journeys mapping, wireframing, prototyping, interaction design

There's a clear gap between real-world boating and structured skill development. Freedom Boat Club lacks a centralized platform for tracking progress, leaving users without a sense of improvement or direction. Captains are unable to focus on specific skills or revisit trainings based on past performance, making consistent growth difficult to acheive.

Problem

Freedom Boat Club offers a personalized, immersive, training experience that helps boaters strengthen their skills in a safe, simulated environment. By combining VR with real helm controls, users can practice real world scenarios tailored to their needs.

*I specifically designed the pre-VR experience to guide users in clarity, helping them set goals and get the most out of their time in the simulator

Solution

  • View Recent Activity: Users see a dashboard showing recently completed trainings at a glance

  • Tap for Training Details: Tapping a training reveals the completion date, a summary of the session, and the skills mastered

  • Get Personalized Recommendations: A "Recommended for You" section highlights in-progress trainings and suggests new ones based on user progress

  • Filter Training History: Users can filter past trainings by date range, duration, and training type

  • Track In-Progress Training: The “In Progress” tab displays all trainings currently being worked on

  • Review Completed Sessions: The “Learning History” tab shows all completed trainings for easy reference

  • Browse All Trainings: Users can view a complete list of available trainings in the system

  • Filter by Preferences: Trainings can be filtered by location, training type, and topic for easier exploration

  • Preview Training Summary: Clicking on a training reveals a description and what to expect from the session

  • Choose Your Mode: Users can select Assisted Mode for real-time guidance or Free Drive Mode to practice independently without assistance

scroll to see more features and final prototypes!

RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

To begin, I conducted some market research to understand the virtual reality space today. I split this research into 3 categories:

Market Research

Visuals/Immersive Experience:

General VR Training Simulators:

Sensory Integration:

IDEATION & ARCHITECTURE

Creating a user journey map was essential for identifying pain points and understanding potential highs and lows across the VR experience.

User Journey Map

Creating a user flow was important for understanding how users transition from the Ipad interface into the VR experience

User Flow

Mapping out the information architecture helped me determine the most intuitive flow of screens and identify key elements to include before users entered the simulation

Information Architecture

Initial Designs & Feedback

Lofi Sketches

Onboarding Process (Guest Version)

Onboarding Process (Returning User Version)

Midfi Wireframes

Midfi Wireframes & User Testing

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

Final Screens

  • Upon logging in, returning users are directed to a dashboard showing Recent Activity and Recommended Trainings

  • Each recent activity module can be expanded to view training name, completion date, and skills mastered

  • A button at the bottom right allows users to view their past trainings completed

  • Clicking View Past Trainings opens three tabs: In Progress, Learning History, and Saved Trainings

  • Filters at the top allow users to sort by date range, training duration, training type (self-paced, instructor led, etc.), and completion status

  • Trainings dynamically update based on selected filters

  • Users can explore trainings and filter by location, training type (VR simulation, article, etc.), and topic (anchoring, docking, etc.)

  • Results are updated dynamically in real time based on selected filters

  • After selecting a training, users are taken to a preview page where they can view what is to be expected from the training

  • Next, users will see VR safety guidelines and headset usage tops before continuing

  • Users can then choose between Assist Mode (with highlighted pathways and hints) or Free Drive (no guidance, allowing independent practice)

  • After completing the VR training, users return to the iPad interface

  • They can review their docking path, momentum, collisions, and total docking time

REFLECTION

This project was my first time designing for a completely different industry, boating and marine technology. When I learned that I’d be working on a VR experience, I was definitely intimidated at first. However, as the project unfolded, it became one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable design challenges I’ve worked on.

I collaborated closely with another designer to make sure the pre-VR screens fit seamlessly into the overall VR training ecosystem. I also had the chance to step into the VR environment myself and test the physical helm controls, which gave me a deeper understanding of the all in all user experience.

Throughout the process, I learned how valuable it is to work closely with engineering teams and continuously iterate on designs. Feedback from our design manager was also instrumental in refining usability, and reinforced how much great design comes from collaboration and constantly testing.

Final Thoughts