Happy New Year!
With a new year comes new goals, both professional and personal. Each year, I find myself embarking on a new journey to learn something new. Something that'll be both fun and challenging. As we all entered the latter half of 2020, we were met with an emergence of XR innovation. Although I've been in this space since 2019, I still find myself learning something new that I can apply to the latest app I'm creating or an area of XR development that I've been meaning to dive more into.
Well, this year is no different! And something tells me that you may have also found yourself in a similar situation where you're interested in exercising your creative muscle to learn more about XR development. When I first started out in XR, I had no clue as to where to start. Thankfully, the XR community was able to chime in to help set me on a path for learning. However, what I've learned over the past two years is that entry into this space is pretty much unlimited. And it can sometimes be overwhelming if you don’t come from a programming background.
As I reflected on my past two years in XR development, I found myself wondering: If I could go back in time to change one thing about how I got started with XR, what would it be? For me personally, that would be a clear lay of the land of what exists in this space. I was initially thrown into a very narrow path for learning which has inadvertently placed me into a box of which platforms and tools I used for creating AR and VR apps. The problem with this approach is that I limited myself and didn't have a clue as to what other directions my learning journey could have taken. Had I been given a more broad introduction to what's available with regards to tech stacks and devices, I likely would have found myself exploring alternative means of creating earlier on rather than 2 years after getting started with XR development.
For 2022, I set out to be the guidance I wish I had when I started out with XR. Rather than place those who want guidance onto one set path, I wanted to give a lay of the land as best as I could so that others could be exposed to the various possibilities of creating for XR.
Lucky me, the Microsoft Reactor and Mixed Reality team has come together to help bring such a series to life. This year, our teams have come together to bring you a 10-part series dedicated to helping you get started with your XR development journey. Created with the true beginner in mind, this series has been curated to guide you along your journey in getting started with XR featuring sessions for both developers and non-developers alike.
We'll be hosting events on a bi-weekly basis featuring members from the Spatial Computing Cloud Advocacy team. The first two events for January have been scheduled and we're looking forward to having you come hang out with us live!
Episode 1: Paths into XR Development
Date: Tuesday January 11
Time: 9AM - 10AM PST
Come learn the lay of the land for getting started with XR development. We'll explore programming languages, engine options, device options, low code/no-code solutions, and general advice for getting started!
Episode 2: Plan & Design Your XR App
Date: Tuesday January 25
Time: 9AM - 10AM PST
So, you have a great idea for an app but now what? Before heading into development, there's a lot to consider to ensure your app experience is well thought out and accessibly sound. Come learn techniques and tips on planning and designing your future XR app.
Join us for our biweekly Microsoft Reactor series where we'll explore a different area of XR development. Be sure to register for the Journey into XR Development series events as they're announced!