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The Oculus Go Wasn’t Designed for Black Hair
A Black virtual reality programmer designed a prototype to fix it
“The stretchy and versatile strap system was not stretchy and versatile enough for Black hair, a subject matter that is as personal as it is political for Black women. Even if I had experienced the hardware issue myself, I was not prepared for how significant it would be when running my study. When I’ve struggled to put on a headset over a high bun of braids, I temporarily take down the braids. I’m in no position to do or ask that of another woman even if she is a participant in my study. I personally know how time-consuming it can be to get braids or head wraps tied (and what lies beneath a headscarf may be extra personal). Further, a good number of participants didn’t just have big hair, they had hijabs as well, and these, more than any other updo, cannot be removed.
Suddenly, I’d stumbled upon a design challenge I couldn’t resist. It made me ask the question how can I design a VR strap system that is versatile enough for all manners of Black hair?” — Arwa Michelle Mboya
Read Arwa Michelle Mboya’s game-changing story in its entirety below.
