Inside this project
Problem & Overview
Microsoft Mesh was originally launched as Microsoft's play for the enterprise Metaverse. Mesh was a platform that enhances remote collaboration in mixed reality. Mesh allowed people in different physical locations, using various devices, to participate and collaborate in a shared immersive space.
Users could choose a 3D avatar to represent themselves and then enter a 3D environment to engage with co-workers, either in Virtual Reality or via a PC. Benefiting from an enhanced sense of co-presence, users collaborate on a shared whiteboard, review 3D assets together or socialize and play games together. Mesh offered two core scenarios but unfortunately neither was gaining much traction or attracting many customers.
Mesh Immersive Spaces
Aimed at productivity scenarios such as conference calls, 3D design reviews and whiteboarding. Accessible via Mesh on Quest VR and partly integrated into Teams on PC, with entry hidden under menu options.
Mesh Events
Focused on social events like new employee onboardings and company all-hands. Accessible through a separate Mesh app on PC and on Quest VR, with confusing brand separation from Teams.
Mesh was clearly a very confusing product — even our internal team struggled to properly define all these moving pieces and the differences between Mesh Events and Immersive Spaces was vague, at best.
The original platform and immersive collaboration experience.
Starting with Research
I worked closely with another designer, two PMs and our user research team to deeply understand what else was limiting Mesh from gaining traction and begin iterating on solutions.
Brand Overlap & Confusion
Users struggled to understand which Mesh-branded experience to use when, where to access each, and how they overlapped with Teams. Many questioned why a separate app existed when Teams already served as Microsoft's collaboration hub.
Customer Usage Patterns
Mesh positioned itself as a platform for both productivity and socializing. Research revealed that customers valued the social aspects far more. Productivity benefits were limited unless users had VR headsets — which corporations were not broadly purchasing.
Key Takeaway
Mesh needed to meet customers where they were (primarily PC and Mac), prioritize social interactions, and be better unified with Teams branding and UX.
Teams App Tray Approach
One idea was to let users add a Mesh 3D app into any ongoing or scheduled Teams meeting. This would function much like Whiteboard, Vimeo, or other third-party apps available from the Teams app tray.
User Flow
- Select App button in Teams menu bar
- Select Mesh from list of available apps
- Mesh confirmation dialog
- Select preferred 3D environment
- 3D environment enabled!
What Worked
- Leveraged existing extensibility frameworks
- Used established UI systems for loading apps into Teams
- Offered flexibility for ad-hoc use
- Reduced upfront planning for organizers
Challenges
- Created discoverability issues
- Made immersive participation feel secondary
- Not integral to the Teams experience
- Didn't align with leadership priorities
I actually liked this idea a lot...
Unfortunately, this add-in approach created discoverability issues and made immersive participation feel secondary rather than integral, which was a core priority for our leadership team.
Immersive Events as a First-Class Teams Event Type
We chose to create Immersive Events as a new event type within Teams to replace all previous Mesh scenarios.
First-class Status
Just like a Teams meeting, town hall or webinar, an immersive event could be scheduled directly from the Teams calendar
Streamlined Entry
Users didn't have to hunt through app trays or navigate multiple brands. Joining was as simple as clicking "Join" in Teams or Outlook calendars
Complete Design System Rebuild
Previously, Mesh's UI was built with the Mixed Reality Design System but we wanted everything about immersive events to feel like a natural extension of Teams, not a bolt-on so I systematically translated Mesh's UI components into Teams' Fluent system. All controls, menus, and navigation patterns were rebuilt, eliminating mismatched visuals and ensuring users interacted with a single, recognizable interface.
UI Transformation
Polished Final Designs
Take a look at some more polished visuals from these designs below:
Positive Reception
We received positive feedback from this design and concluded that it would remove much of the complexity around the product and improve discoverability.
Simplifying Enterprise Immersive Collaboration
Led Product Direction
Directly led product direction for immersive events in Teams, tackling complex systems-level challenges
Top Priority Initiative
Elevated this workstream to the org's top priority, with continued momentum even after transitioning to another project
Leveraged Teams Brand
Leveraged Teams' trusted brand and design language to build user familiarity and drive adoption of immersive collaboration
By unifying the product under the Teams brand and simplifying the user journey, we were confident that users would better understand and more easily engage with Immersive Events—a sentiment validated by positive user feedback. However, the broader impact on adoption remains to be seen, as the fundamental value proposition of immersive collaboration in the enterprise continues to evolve.