After two years of designing spatial computing interfaces, my biggest takeaway: almost every 2D design intuition is wrong in 3D. Drop shadows don't communicate depth when everything has real depth. Buttons don't work when you can reach through them. Typography needs to account for variable viewing angles and distances. We're essentially rebuilding interaction design from scratch.
This is the most important lesson in spatial design, and many teams learn it the hard way. Some specific failures of 2D intuitions in 3D:
The fundamental shift: 2D design arranges information in a frame. Spatial design arranges information in a room. The metaphors, constraints, and affordances are completely different.
Exactly. I've started thinking about spatial interfaces using architectural design principles rather than graphic design principles. Space, light, proximity, and flow matter more than color, typography, and layout grids.
The architecture analogy is profound and practical. Architects have been designing '3D user interfaces' (buildings) for thousands of years. Their toolkit is directly applicable:
The most powerful implication: in spatial computing, the interface IS the environment. You're not designing a tool someone uses in a room — you're designing the room itself.