A Deep Dive into Next-Gen Virtual Engagement
Basis Health Meets MootUp: Introduction & Background
This case study explores Basis Health‘s journey in navigating the digital-first world, particularly its innovative leap with MootUp’s Metaverse for Events platform. Seeking more than what standard 2D tools like Zoom and Teams offered during the global pandemic, Basis Health aimed to redefine virtual engagement in market research interactions.
“We envisaged a virtual environment that would better imitate a real-world setting and where people ‘see’ each other whilst remaining anonymous.”- An-hwa Lee, Sr. Director Basis Health
Enter MootUp, far from your standard web conferencing tool. As a leading avatar-based 3D platform, MootUp turns virtual meetings into life-like experiences, enabling co-presence and shared moments from anywhere in the world.
About Basis Health
Basis Health, an award-winning international insight consultancy, stands at the forefront of healthcare market research. With a seasoned team boasting an average of over 12 years of experience, they specialize in deriving deep insights from complex health-related data.
Basis Health’s distinct approach involves generating dynamic, story-led outputs that transform research findings into vivid narratives. Their diverse range of outputs, from detailed PowerPoint presentations to immersive VR experiences, demonstrates their commitment to presenting insights in the most engaging and effective manner.
The Objective
In a move to further their innovative research methods, Basis Health chose MootUp for a pilot project. Their objective was to conduct focus groups with healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers within a metaverse environment, enhancing community engagement in healthcare research.
Basis Health collaborated with their recruitment partner MedSurvey to engage respondents interested in participating in the project.
Intended Outcomes (Hypotheses):
- Increased Respondent Engagement
Basis Health hypothesized that conducting market research in the stimulating and novel environment of the metaverse would lead to increased engagement from respondents.
💡Why It Matters: Engagement is crucial in market research as it often leads to more detailed and honest responses. The idea here is that the unique and fun setting of the metaverse, combined with the anonymity it offers, might make respondents more willing to participate actively and share their thoughts openly.
- Suitable Setting for Discussing Sensitive Topics
The team at Basis Health believed that the greater anonymity provided in a metaverse setting would make it a suitable environment for discussing sensitive topics more openly.
💡Why It Matters: In healthcare research, discussions can often involve sensitive subjects. Anonymity can help participants feel safer and less exposed, potentially leading to more honest and uninhibited discussions.
Utilization of a Range of Engaging Tasks and Stimuli
The goal here was to explore the use of various engaging tasks and stimuli during the market research in the metaverse.💡Why It Matters: Diverse tasks and stimuli can make the research process more interactive and less monotonous, which can improve the quality of data collected. These could include interactive activities, visual stimuli, or scenarios within the metaverse that prompt specific responses.
MootUp’s Solution Overview
MootUp was chosen for its broad set of features including video conferencing capabilities and flexibility, crucial for capturing qualitative data in virtual research. The flexibility and scalability enabled Basis Health to adapt the platform to its specific needs and requirements. Some of these features include:
Immersive 3D Spaces. Simulating real-world settings for natural interactions.
MootUp offers the option for users to bring in their own fully designed 3D environments or digital twins as well as pre-built environments. The pre-built 3D environments are fully customizable and are ideal for quickly spinning up 3D spaces that only require branding – they are designed to replicate real-world settings, offering a sense of presence and realism that traditional 2D platforms lack.
This allowed Basis Health to conduct studies in a more natural and engaging environment. Participants could interact in life-like settings, leading to more authentic responses and behaviors.
Ease of Access. No downloads, no installations, no special gimmicks!
MootUp sets itself apart with its exceptional ease of access. As a browser-based platform, it eliminates the barriers of downloads and installations, offering a hassle-free entry into virtual environments. This feature is particularly vital in ensuring the inclusivity and broad reach of the platform.
Here are some key points of why that’s important and what the benefits are:
- Device Agnostic: MootUp can be accessed on any device, be it mobile phones, tablets, computers, and even VR and AR devices. This flexibility allows participants to join from their preferred device, making the platform highly accommodating.
- No Special Requirements: The platform’s browser-based nature means that users don’t need to install special software or have specific hardware to participate. This is especially beneficial for a diverse group of participants, some of whom may not have access to high-end devices or fast internet connections.
- Global Reach: This ease of access enables participants from anywhere in the world to join seamlessly, crucial for Basis Health’s global market research endeavors.
These features allow Basis Health, for example, to conduct research with a wider, more diverse population, essential for obtaining comprehensive and globally relevant insights in healthcare.
3D Full-body Avatars
Representing users from head to toe, allowing for comprehensive customization.
MootUp’s 3D full-body avatars enable participants the option to choose how they want to be represented in the real world but also the option to interact with others in a life-like manner, using gestures, moods, dances as well as two-player actions.
The key features and their benefits include:
A study on the emerging technology of avatars found that they can help users who are typically reluctant to speak up in real life feel more comfortable speaking and participating in the virtual space.
Other benefits include:
- Co-Presence: The avatars enhance the feeling of being in the same space with others, fostering shared experiences and more natural interactions.
- Connection: By representing participants with avatars, the platform increases feelings of community and social interaction, which is particularly beneficial in virtual events where many attendees have never met.
- Engagement: The use of avatars combats virtual meeting fatigue, allowing users more control and creating a more interactive experience compared to traditional video calls.
- Self-Expression and Inclusion: A wide range of customization options for avatars enables users to express their personality and feel more accurately represented, encouraging participation even from typically more reserved individuals.
- Trust: Avatars help in building trust among participants by providing non-verbal cues and fostering familiarity, which is crucial in discussions where participants have not met in person
This aligned well with Basis Health’s objectives- allowing them to test and prove even more accurately the theories they had regarding immersive metaverse environments.
“most respondents felt comfortable expressing their honest opinions in this environment, which is important for market research. “
Metaverse Avatar Customization
Enabling anonymity and comfort for sensitive topic discussions
MootUp’s metaverse platform provides full-body 3D avatars, can be customized in terms of appearance, including facial features, skin tone, hairstyle, and clothing. This level of customization allows participants to create an avatar that represents their identity or, conversely, an entirely different persona for anonymity.
This helps reduce apprehension often associated with discussing sensitive health topics. It also adds a layer of comfort and personal expression, which can be crucial in encouraging open and honest dialogue.
At the same time, the ability to represent diverse identities and backgrounds through avatars aligns with Basis Health’s goal of inclusivity in research. It ensures that a broad spectrum of participants feels represented and comfortable in the research setting.
In addition, options of creating your avatar would further enhance the experience (e.g. hairstyle choices, clothing options, built etc.)
Avatar Interactivity and Expressiveness
Facilitating engagement through virtual gestures and activities.
In MootUp, the avatars aren’t just customizable in appearance; they are also designed to enable rich non-verbal communication. Users can express themselves through a diverse range of gestures and body language, enhancing the realism and depth of interactions in the virtual space.
Key aspects of this feature include:
- Expressive Gestures: Avatars can display various moods and perform actions like dances, adding a lively and expressive dimension to the virtual environment.
- Two-Player Actions: Interactive actions such as high-fives, hugs, and handshakes are possible, facilitating a sense of camaraderie and connection among participants.
- Non-Verbal Communication: The ability for avatars to exhibit body language and gestures allows for a more nuanced form of communication, mirroring the complexities of real-life interactions.
Basis Health’s reports indicate that respondents enjoyed interacting with each other, e.g., the high 5 or hugging options- expressing interest in seeing even more two-player user interactions.
I found it engaging because I can see all the participants in the same room and doing activities together. Even though there was a time lag in terms of transporting and navigating, I found it engaging to see others with head gestures. It kept me interested and made me feel more comfortable talking in a group setting. It was more comfortable to open up and engage in. – Consumer, UK
MootUp’s Metaverse platform includes a fully integrated gamification system, allowing the creation of gamified experiences within the virtual environment. This isn’t about so much like playing a video game but more about applying game-design elements to engage and motivate participants.
Here are the benefits of gamification in metaverse experiences, in a nutshell.
- Engagement and Motivation. Gamified elements can significantly increase participant engagement and motivation, making the experience more compelling and interactive.
- Data and Analytics: The system collects valuable analytics and generates reports, providing insights into participant behavior and engagement levels.
The engaging nature of gamification aligns with Basis Health’s goal to create more interactive and enjoyable research experiences, which can lead to more authentic responses and participation.
- Interactivity
MootUp’s platform allows for a high level of interactivity between avatars and the environment. Participants can engage with the environment and have natural encounters and conversations, similar to real-world interactions.
Some of the benefits of this include:
- Realistic Experiences: This feature creates more lifelike and realistic virtual experiences, enhancing the quality of interactions and discussions.
- Enhanced Engagement: The ability to interact with the environment keeps participants more engaged and involved in the research process.
They [participants] enjoyed the experience, liked creating an avatar, and felt MootUp was intuitive to use. Interacting with other avatars and using a variety of stimuli seemed to keep participants engaged.
Building the Metaverse: The Implementation Process
The implementation of MootUp by Basis Health was planned to ensure a seamless and efficient virtual focus group experience for healthcare respondents. The process entailed the creation and utilization of a unique Metaverse environment tailored to their specific research needs.
Key Steps in the Process:
- Creation of the Basis Health Metaverse:
Basis Health’s Metaverse comprised six interconnected 3D environments, each designed to facilitate different aspects of the focus group sessions.
- Setup of Workshop Environments
Three distinct workshop environments were set up, each with its own lobby area. These separate spaces were designed to cater to different discussion themes or groups, ensuring a structured and organized workflow.
“We really liked the space templates with the flexibility of amending and updating them as needed. “-An-hwa Lee, Sr. Director at Basis Health
- Participant Invitation and Onboarding:
Invitations were sent out via email, directing participants to their dedicated spaces. The initial point of entry for all participants was the lobby.
In the lobby, participants received an introduction to the platform. This included guidance on how to navigate the Metaverse, use the features of MootUp and an overview of the general terms of participation.
- Transition to Designated Workshop Rooms
Following the introduction, participants could move to their respective workshop rooms, each tailored for specific discussion topics or activities.
- Communication Features in Each Space
Both the lobby and workshop spaces were equipped with video and audio conferencing capabilities. This allowed for a blend of presentation-style communication and interactive discussions
The setup of distinct spaces aligned with Basis Health’s objective to conduct structured and in-depth discussions, while the ease of navigation and comprehensive onboarding process ensured high participant engagement and comfort.
Quote: “once we understood the basics of the platform it was quite straightforward to set up the world for our needs. We really liked the space templates with the flexibility of amending and updating them as needed. “
Results and Impact
The deployment of MootUp for Basis Health’s market research yielded several key achievements, demonstrating immersive metaverse platforms’ effectiveness in enhancing the quality and depth of research in the healthcare sector.
- Enhanced Engagement Levels. Did the metaverse setting led to increased engagement among respondents?
Participants showed a higher level of engagement, attributed to the novelty and interactivity of the platform as well as the ability to choose and customize their avatars and use them for life-like interactions.
- Openness in Discussions: Is the metaverse setting effective in fostering open discussions on sensitive topics?
The anonymity afforded by avatars facilitated more open conversations on sensitive healthcare topics.
Feedback: Users appreciated the immersive experience, finding it a refreshing change from standard virtual meetings.
- Effectiveness of Research Methods: How were the gamified tasks and stimuli received?
Engaging tasks and stimuli were well-received, positively impacting the quality of research findings.
- User Experience Feedback: Did the metaverse experience enhance the ultimate user experience?
General Feedback: Participants enjoyed the experience, particularly the creation of avatars and the intuitive nature of the platform.
Interactions: Features like high-fives and hugs were popular, with suggestions for a broader range of interactions and avatar customization options.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
Basis Health’s experience with MootUp successfully demonstrated that the metaverse offers an engaging space for respondents, enriching discussions and fostering openness beyond the capabilities of 2D solutions.
“I believe that for a full immersive experience the use of VR headsets might need to evolve further and come down in cost considerably to allow market research respondents to use them.”-An-hwa Lee, Sr. Director for Basis Health