Meta VR
Unlocking growth with improvements to onboarding for families.
Nearly half of VR users are sharing accounts instead of creating personal profiles. I led the design and strategic planning for a 3-phased initiative to address significant drop off and streamline onboarding for families with cross-device profile management solutions.
org
Engagement / Family & Multi-user Experiences
role
Product Designer
year
2025
VR
VR
Experimentation
Interaction design
Interaction design
Product strategy
Product strategy
Prototyping
Prototyping
Onboarding
Onboarding
Visual design
Visual design
Design systems
Design systems
Stakeholder management
Stakeholder management
What we achieved
What we achieved
+18k
+18k
Monthly active users
Monthly active users
increase in top-line monthly active users post-experimentation.
increase in top-line monthly active users post-experimentation.
+108k
+108k
Monthly active users annually
Monthly active users annually
increase in top-line monthly active users in 2025 (projected).
increase in top-line monthly active users in 2025 (projected).
+126
+126
Headsets added daily
Headsets added daily
multi-user headsets with multiple monthly active users. (projected).
multi-user headsets with multiple monthly active users. (projected).
Challenge
Challenge
Nearly 50% of VR users share profiles in headsets because onboarding is complex, sharing apps is confusing, and they're unsure if personalized profiles are necessary. This behavior hinders growth, personalization, and the social graph in VR.
Nearly 50% of VR users share profiles in headsets because onboarding is complex, sharing apps is confusing, and they're unsure if personalized profiles are necessary. This behavior hinders growth, personalization, and the social graph in VR.
Business impact
Business impact
We're losing growth opportunities because families don't understand how or why to create individual profiles.
51%
share accounts to share apps and purchases.
44%
say it's easier than adding accounts.
43%
weren't aware they could switch accounts.
Approach
Three phases, three platforms—building a scalable onboarding system
Three phases, three platforms: building a scalable onboarding system
Led design for a cross-platform experience simplifying onboarding across VR, mobile, and web. We tackled three key themes through iterative phases:
Unclear how to use profiles = Misunderstanding the intended profile mental model.
Onboarding friction = Complexity adding new profiles, cross-device set-up friction.
Discoverability & awareness = Unintuitive entry points, unclear communication of benefits.
Led design for a cross-platform experience simplifying onboarding across VR, mobile, and web. We tackled three key themes through iterative phases:
Unclear how to use profiles = Misunderstanding the intended profile mental model.
Onboarding friction = Complexity adding new profiles, cross-device set-up friction.
Discoverability & awareness = Unintuitive entry points, unclear communication of benefits.
PHASE 1
Quick wins
Fixing critical friction in 3 weeks
PHASE 1
Quick wins
Fixing critical friction in 3 weeks
The strategy
Analyzed the funnel with Data Science to identify drop-off points, then ran a brainstormed to identify solutions with Engineering, ranging from quick fixes to ambitious ideas. Prioritized with PM based on impact.
What shipped in the first 3 weeks
• Added switch user panel for easier profile switching
• Contextual messaging encouraging users to switch after successfully adding a profile
• Removed unnecessary, blocking security requirements
Impact
Reduced friction at key points while we began to build a more comprehensive cross-platform solution.
The strategy
Analyzed the funnel with Data Science to identify drop-off points, then ran a brainstormed to identify solutions with Engineering, ranging from quick fixes to ambitious ideas. Prioritized with PM based on impact.
What shipped in the first 3 weeks
• Added switch user panel for easier profile switching
• Contextual messaging encouraging users to switch after successfully adding a profile
• Removed unnecessary, blocking security requirements
Impact
Reduced friction at key points while we began to build a more comprehensive cross-platform solution.
PHASE 2
Mobile profile management
One-tap invites to drive VR adoption
PHASE 2
Mobile profile management
One-tap invites to drive VR adoption
Strategy
Build a net new profile management system entirely on mobile to drive growth and leverage network effects. Users can manage headsets from their phones and send invites instantly, removing friction from the critical moment of adding themselves, family, and friends in VR.
What shipped
• Share-to-invite links: Generate and send invite links via Horizon Mobile notifications or SMS.
• One-tap invites for supervised profiles and family: leverages Meta's supervised account data.
• One-tap invites for people you've shared headsets with: leverages past device sharing data.
• One-tap invites for people you've played with: leverages social graph and gameplay data.
Strategy
Build a net new profile management system entirely on mobile to drive growth and leverage network effects. Users can manage headsets from their phones and send invites instantly, removing friction from the critical moment of adding themselves, family, and friends in VR.
What shipped
• Share-to-invite links: Generate and send invite links via Horizon Mobile notifications or SMS.
• One-tap invites for supervised profiles and family: leverages Meta's supervised account data.
• One-tap invites for people you've shared headsets with: leverages past device sharing data.
• One-tap invites for people you've played with: leverages social graph and gameplay data.
Design decisions
One-tap for adding suggested profiles, two-taps for invited users to accept in-app
Primary users (headset owners) can add suggested family members with a single tap, maximizing conversion. Secondary users (friends and family invited to headsets) get in-app notifications or SMS instead of email. This reduces friction and keeps the experience native.
Evolved device detail page for discoverability
Redesigned the mobile device management screen to surface "Manage profiles" as a clear entry point, improving discoverability.
Design decisions
One-tap for adding suggested profiles, two-taps for invited users to accept in-app
Primary users (headset owners) can add suggested family members with a single tap, maximizing conversion. Secondary users (friends and family invited to headsets) get in-app notifications or SMS instead of email. This reduces friction and keeps the experience native.
Evolved device detail page for discoverability
Redesigned the mobile device management screen to surface "Manage profiles" as a clear entry point, improving discoverability.
PHASE 3
VR Welcome Screen
Establishing the multi-user mindset
PHASE 3
VR Welcome Screen
Establishing the multi-user mindset
Strategy
Establish the profile mental model by making "Add profile" the first thing users see when putting on the headset. This shifts profiles from hidden setting to core feature, optimizing for platform maturity and long-term growth.
What we're testing
Add profile as primary CTA: Avatars provide quick visual identification. The "+" button is prominent on the initial screen, signaling that multiple profiles are expected and encouraged.
Clear age-based categorization: Adult/teen vs. child profiles are differentiated upfront, helping set the mental model for families and ensuring age-appropriate experiences.
Seamless supervised profile flow: Parents can add kids without leaving VR, with safe login and easy profile creation in one flow.
Suggested profiles: One-tap adds for family members and people you've played with, leveraging existing social connections.
Strategy
Establish the profile mental model by making "Add profile" the first thing users see when putting on the headset. This shifts profiles from hidden setting to core feature, optimizing for platform maturity and long-term growth.
What we're testing
Add profile as primary CTA: Avatars provide quick visual identification. The "+" button is prominent on the initial screen, signaling that multiple profiles are expected and encouraged.
Clear age-based categorization: Adult/teen vs. child profiles are differentiated upfront, helping set the mental model for families and ensuring age-appropriate experiences.
Seamless supervised profile flow: Parents can add kids without leaving VR, with safe login and easy profile creation in one flow.
Suggested profiles: One-tap adds for family members and people you've played with, leveraging existing social connections.
Design decisions
First screen in headset
Avatars enable quick visual identification when switching profiles. Emphasizing the add profile CTA on the initial screen boosts growth and makes it immediately clear that more profiles can be added.
Age category inputs vs. email first
Categorizing by age (adult/teen vs. child) helps establish the mental model for families and ensures personalized, age-appropriate experiences from the start.
Add profile CTA design
A simple, icon-based button (similar to Netflix's profile setup) designed for familiarity and easy discoverability.
Suggested profiles vs. minimalist design
Suggested profiles boost MAU growth by simplifying the process of adding family members to just one tap.
Design decisions
First screen in headset
Avatars enable quick visual identification when switching profiles. Emphasizing the add profile CTA on the initial screen boosts growth and makes it immediately clear that more profiles can be added.
Age category inputs vs. email first
Categorizing by age (adult/teen vs. child) helps establish the mental model for families and ensures personalized, age-appropriate experiences from the start.
Add profile CTA design
A simple, icon-based button (similar to Netflix's profile setup) designed for familiarity and easy discoverability.
Suggested profiles vs. minimalist design
Suggested profiles boost MAU growth by simplifying the process of adding family members to just one tap.
OUTCOME
Transforming how families use VR
Beyond the numbers, this work fundamentally shifted how Meta thinks about the VR experience. Profiles went from a buried setting to a core part of the platform, setting the foundation for future multi-user features and establishing VR as a naturally shared device.
OUTCOME
Transforming how families onboard and use VR
Beyond the numbers, this work shifted how Meta approached the VR onboarding experience. Profiles went from a buried setting to a core part of the platform, to fully manageable on mobile, and setting the foundation for future multi-user features and establishing VR as a naturally shared device.
Thanks for stopping by!
If you're interested in working together or seeing a deeper dive of my work, I'd love to connect.
Contact
Contact
Thanks for stopping by!
If you're interested in working together or seeing a deeper dive of my work, I'd love to connect.
Contact
Contact