ADA

Inspiration

According to a survey conducted by the Womankind Worldwide and the School of Politics and International Studies POLIS, 89% of women who responded have witnessed another woman being subjected to online violence and abuse and 50% of women who responded to the survey had experienced it themselves. The reality is that women lack safe spaces on XR.

We are an all-women-of-color team, each bringing unique backgrounds and perspectives. Having all experienced challenges with safety in VR, we were inspired to address this issue. Our goal was to create a safe and inclusive third space designed exclusively for women, non-binary, and female-identifying individuals.

The result is ADA, a Meta Horizons World created by women, for women.

What it does

ADA is an XR safe haven exclusively for women to explore, learn, and connect in XR, free from judgment or toxicity. Upon entering, you’re greeted by Lovelace, our virtual guide, who leads you into a welcoming lobby with warm light decor and lounge spaces.

Outside of the lobby, you have two options:

1) You can explore 4 educational portals: health, decentralized finance, safety, and women’s history. We chose these topics specifically to highlight what we believe women should know, but aren't necessarily taught in school or in life. For example, in the health portal, you might learn how to do a breast self-exam or you could practice self-defense techniques in the safety portal! Both would be examples of an interactive quest.

2) You can also enter 3 entertainment hubs: a shopping area for rewards, a quiet area with private pods, and a gaming area for simple fun.

How we built it

We created ADA in Meta Horizons World. We switched between two mediums to build: either in headset or on desktop. The headset let us step directly into the environment and experience it the way users would. This made it easier to fine-tune things like the layout, lighting, and overall vibe. At the same time, the desktop was our go-to for more precise tasks, like placing objects, managing assets, and fixing issues quickly.

For interactive features like triggers and sound playback, we worked with code bases, often implementing them directly through the headset. This helped us avoid the small errors that can happen when typing on a desktop. We also recorded audio using the headset’s built-in recorder because the sound quality was better and felt more natural for the immersive environment we wanted to create.

Switching between the headset and desktop became central to how we worked. The headset gave us the user perspective we needed, while the desktop let us refine and edit with speed. This back-and-forth helped us build something that felt both polished and truly engaging.

Challenges we ran into

One of our biggest challenges was learning the Meta Horizon World platform. The majority of our team had never used Meta Horizons, both as a user and world-builder. We spent a lot of time learning the basics and getting a feel of the controls, but it was worth it. Another of the e big conceptual challenges we faced was deciding whether to use the Meta SDK in Unity or Horizon Worlds. Both platforms came with their own unique advantages, so we had to carefully weigh our options to make sure they aligned with our overall vision. Another tricky decision was choosing between text prompts and human voices as triggers. Ultimately, we went with human voices because they felt more immersive, though we’re planning to refine this approach based on user feedback.

Our goal was to create a relaxing, inclusive space—something that avoided the feel of traditional “women-only chat rooms” while also steering clear of overwhelming users with too much information at once. To strike that balance, we designed separate areas for relaxation and learning, allowing users the freedom to engage at their own pace.

On the design side, one of the tougher parts was finding the right balance between simplicity and interactivity. Developing portals that felt engaging but not intrusive, was particularly challenging. These portals are still a work in progress, and we’ve been actively drawing on feedback from women in XR forums to make continuous improvements.

From a technical standpoint, testing and debugging turned out to be more complex than expected. We ran into some issues with the audio features and VR movement mechanics, both of which needed extra attention to ensure everything functioned smoothly. These hurdles have definitely helped us pinpoint areas for improvement as we continue refining the experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far and deeply moved by the overwhelming warmth we’ve received from people who feel connected to this project. This emotional connection adds a much-needed layer often missing in VR, especially when tackling issues like online abuse and the vitriol faced by women and non-binary individuals. A late but exciting addition to our concept was a self-defense room, which we successfully integrated with life-sized dummies, haptics, and sounds to create an immersive and engaging experience. We carefully iterated on the self-defense class, fine-tuning trigger placements to ensure the interactions felt intuitive and comfortable. For instance, we paid close attention to voice triggers—considering whether Lovelace should speak immediately when someone approaches or allow for some distance to give users time to orient themselves and avoid a claustrophobic feeling. Beyond the educational resources, we also prioritized making the space feel relaxing and inviting. To encourage women to return, we created areas where they could simply sit, recollect their thoughts, and engage in social activities if they didn’t feel like learning at that moment.

What we learned

It was inspiring to learn from pioneering leaders in XR, such as Paige from Women in XR, and gain valuable market research insights from the Women in Horizon Worlds Facebook Group. Through our discussions and research, we discovered that many women in the Facebook group expressed a lack of community to address critical safety topics, such as what to do in unsafe situations, how to protect children in XR spaces, and how to create dialogue around often-overlooked topics like postpartum depression, menopause, and mental health in XR. I realized that true online third spaces for women, non-binary individuals, and women-identifying individuals are virtually nonexistent. This project taught us the importance of building interconnections and fostering a genuine sense of community. People are always searching for safe, inclusive spaces, and there can never be too many of them. We are truly excited to bring this project to fruition, as it reinforces our belief in the power of XR to create meaningful, supportive, and empowering experiences for underrepresented voices.

What's next for ADA

We are committed to continuing the growth and development of ADA to ensure it receives the resources it truly deserves. Our vision includes expanding the world by creating additional lands and environments, conducting thorough research, and implementing robust safety features to keep our audience safe and comfortable. We aim to strengthen the sense of independence for women by empowering them with tools and knowledge, such as comprehensive financial literacy programs that enable women worldwide to take control of their finances and become their own banks.

We also plan to enrich the educational experiences by archiving and celebrating women’s history and achievements. By making the history portal more interactive, we hope to inspire younger generations to learn about the incredible contributions of women throughout time. In the health portal, we envision addressing critical yet often stigmatized topics, such as postpartum depression, and creating a supportive space for women to discuss these issues. Additionally, we will enhance the self-defense classes by incorporating real-time, instructor-led demonstrations to equip women with practical, actionable skills for their safety.

This is only the beginning for ADA. The possibilities to create a more inclusive, empowering, and transformative platform are endless, and we are excited to bring these ideas to life for our community.

Built With

• metahorizonsworld
• metaquest
• metaquestpro