Old Hara Studios
2021-Present: Founder
As founder, I work to design and develop virtual, augmented and mixed reality software for clients working on environmental education. In addition, I also do consulting for businesses on design and technical implementation strategies for products and immersive experiences. I’m also in the process of building a team to develop new games and products such as Waves of Jeju: Return of the Haenyeo and a 360 video YouTube series about climate solutions. Old Hara Studios aims to support the local community and has sponsored events for groups including NC Environmental Justice Network and Cary Environmental Justice League. We also partner with businesses such as LiminalXR, Happy Human Games and Bezel to work toward mutually shared goals.
Oculus (now Meta)
2018-2021: Product Design Prototyper
At Oculus, I developed Unity prototypes for Rift and Quest system software features such as Guardian Setup, Locomotion and Parties in Oculus Home, Library, Store, Browser, Camera & Sharing, Quick Menu and Multitasking. I collaborated with colleagues to influence design of products through independent explorations and frequent sharing of ideas and feedback. As a prototyper with a background in visual arts, 3d animation/vfx and coding, I served as a communication channel between design and engineering teams. I worked directly with product designers and UX researchers to iterate on prototypes and refine interactions to improve usability. I often gave classes to ramp up prototypers and designers as well as assisted with technical support during UX research to ensure a stable experience throughout each study. I also took initiative to lead an internal climate-focused hackathon project with a team of about 15 employees from around the world, successfully completing a prototype and product pitch video.
Meta (now Campfire)
2017 – 2018 : Technical Artist
At Meta, I created prototypes and demos to showcase the potential of the Meta 2 headset to customers. These demos include the Meta Viewer, a tool to help Solidworks users view their exported models in the headset with no prior knowledge of Unity. I created the stage and tool platforms, scripts to place the tool icons in an arc around the platform, as well as a script to control the dynamically updating scale graphic. I also worked to refine visual elements including lighting and shaders in the scene. Other team members helped create the file browser and shelf to display the files that are loaded and available for viewing (not pictured below). The beta version of Meta Viewer was announced at Solidworks World 2018, and I provided technical support for the stage and expo floor demos. Later the app was also released with the Meta SDK.
Avametric ( acquired by Gerber Technologies)
2014- 2017 : AR/VR Developer
I created the design and content for an initial prototype of a Google Tango shopping app, working with another developer during a 3-day event. Due to the success of this work, Avametric was able to continue a partnership for several months with Gap and Google to release DressingRoom at CES 2017. In addition to the initial prototype, I refined graphic elements of the final app shown below such as the rotation control visual, shelf platform and avatar shadow. I also worked to on a script to refine the lighting of the shelf avatars and did extensive quality assurance and performance testing. During this project, I also contributed to research, planning, creating and publishing builds, and assisting other developers with learning 3d graphics and Unity concepts. During CES, I provided technical support for the stage, media and expo floor demos.
Karen Stritzinger 