Apple Vision Pro introduces a radical shift in how we think about user interfaces. Instead of screens and tap targets, you're working with depth, gaze, gestures, and spatial positioning. Designing for visionOS is not just about porting an app — it’s about rethinking interaction.
So, what does UI look like in a 3D environment, and how can developers and designers start building effectively for Vision Pro?
1. From Flat Screens to Spatial Layouts
🔹 UI is no longer 2D: visionOS apps float in space, with interfaces anchored to physical positions or following the user's gaze. Your design must consider distance, comfort, and contextual depth.
🔹 Think in layers: Apple encourages multi-depth interfaces — background, content, and controls can live on different planes for clarity and immersion.
2. Principles of Spatial UI in visionOS
🔹 Stay anchored, but not static: Elements can be fixed to a physical space (e.g., desk-level floating panels), or follow the user (like system elements). Use wisely to avoid disorientation.
🔹 Respect real-world ergonomics: Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines suggest placing primary interactions within 45° of the user's forward gaze and keeping actions at a comfortable arm's length.
🔹 Visual hierarchy still matters: Just like in flat apps, you need contrast, scale, and grouping — but now with Z-space to help organize information intuitively.
3. Interactions Beyond Taps
🔹 Eye-tracking is the cursor: Users look at something to focus. It’s fast and natural, but requires careful placement and generous target areas.
🔹 Gestures replace clicks: Pinch, tap in mid-air, or use two-handed interactions. But don’t overcomplicate — gesture fatigue is real.
🔹 Voice is now central: Siri and speech commands should be more deeply integrated into your UX flow than ever before.
4. UI Patterns That Work in Spatial Environments
🔹 Floating panels: Use translucent materials and blur effects for lightweight, non-intrusive UI layers.
🔹 Spatial menus: Toolbars and controls that surround the content, not block it, feel more intuitive in 3D space.
🔹 Passthrough-aware UI: Users still see the real world — your app must blend in, not fight it. Avoid blocking key views unless intentional.
5. Start Without Hardware? Yes, You Can
🔹 Use the visionOS simulator in Xcode: Apple offers spatial previews to help developers test placement, scale, and interaction models — even without the headset.
🔹 Test gestures on-device later: For fine-tuning input methods, you’ll eventually need access to Vision Pro hardware, but early UX logic and UI prototyping can start today.
Summary
Designing for Vision Pro isn’t just “AR for iOS.” It’s a whole new UX paradigm where spatial layout, depth, and natural input rule. Whether you’re designing productivity tools, immersive media, or micro-utilities, start thinking in layers, light, and interaction zones — and build experiences that belong in the room with your user.
