Special Projects have created a new smartphone interface, using AR, which offers a completely new way to navigate between apps. The 'Magic UX' allows users to create a virtual desktop and pin apps to a physical space.
The virtual desktop addresses the fact that people use approximately 25 apps per week, and a fifth of the time they're on their phones multitasking across three or more apps. The Magic UX can make this mundane experience a fun and unique one.
Inspired by the way in which people naturally place objects on a desk, founders Adrian Westaway and Clara Gaggero Westaway became curious about how a digital organization system might be evolved from established human behaviors in the physical world. Magic UX makes multitasking across several apps a lot easier - with no tapping back and forth to switch between apps; just a single, natural motion. The cognitive load of mundane tasks is reduced, enabling the user to focus on their chosen task without breaking their flow.
"On a smartphone, alternating between tasks can often feel unnatural and disrupt workflow," explained Adrian Westaway, Co-founder and Director of Special Projects. "With Magic UX, we aimed to transfer physical behaviors into the digital world, making the process seamless. As a member of The Magic Circle, I've used the same methods magicians use when creating illusions to ensure we've created an effortless and enchanting product experience."
Magic UX uses the phone's internal motion sensors and is designed to work on any existing smartphone. It can integrate into the core operating system or function within an existing app.
Image: Courtesy of Special Projects