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Work With Me

Research-grade thinking for teams building immersive & learning experiences.

I'm an augmented reality researcher, a senior lecturer and a software builder. Organisations bring me in when they need all three at once: to decide whether an immersive idea is worth building, to find out whether people actually enjoy using it, or to build a classroom that students don't skip.

Book a discovery call ↓ Read the case studies →
128participants across my three published AR user studies
150K+learners on the MOOC platform I led at the University of Moratuwa
4 yearsas Technical Lead & Senior Software Engineer at 99X
Sony · Nianticindustry partners on my AR research at HIT Lab NZ
01

Three ways I can help your team

Each engagement is fixed in scope, runs for a few weeks, and ends with something your team can act on — not a slide deck that gathers dust.

For organisations exploring AR/VR

XR Opportunity Sprint

Decide whether an immersive idea deserves a budget, and what the smallest convincing version looks like.

2–3 weeks → For teams with a build

Immersive UX & Playtest Evaluation

Find out whether players feel present, comfortable and engaged — with evidence, not opinions.

3–6 weeks → For colleges & training providers

EdTech & Engaged-Classroom Advisory

Turn courses into interactive lessons and platforms that students choose to show up for.

2 weeks – ongoing →
Offer 01

XR Opportunity Sprint

For: tourism operators, museums and cultural sites, retailers, training providers and game studios considering AR or VR.

Most immersive projects go wrong before a line of code is written: they pick a use case where a phone screen would have done the job, or they bolt AR on as decoration. In two to three weeks we work out whether your idea deserves a budget, what the smallest convincing version looks like, and how you'll know it worked.

Built on three years designing and evaluating multiplayer location-based AR with Sony Interactive Entertainment, a Niantic developer accelerator grant, and co-founding NavitaZ VR Labs under the MIT Global Startup Labs programme. Read the case study →

What you get

  • Use-case assessment — where AR/VR genuinely beats a screen for your people, and where it doesn't
  • Experience concept with an interaction flow grounded in published design guidelines
  • Technology recommendation — WebAR or app, Unity, OpenXR, Niantic Lightship, device reach
  • Prototype plan and build estimate your team or vendor can act on
  • Evaluation plan so the pilot produces evidence, not opinions
Duration2–3 weeks
FormatRemote + workshops
You receiveReport + walkthrough
Scope & feeAgreed up front
Discuss a sprint →
Offer 02

Immersive UX & Playtest Evaluation

For: XR start-ups, game studios and product teams with a prototype or a live AR/VR experience.

You have a build. Is it comfortable? Do people understand it? Do they feel present, connected and engaged — or motion-sick? I design and run studies that answer those questions with evidence your designers can act on, using the same methods I publish at IEEE VR, ACM VRST and OzCHI.

Built on three published user studies with 128 participants on remote multiplayer AR, a 36-participant study on trust in shared AR (ACM SUI 2024), and a VRST 2026 paper on how display type and camera perspective shape VR presence and motion sickness. See the design playbook →

What you get

  • Study design matched to your question — lab study, in-the-wild playtest, or a comparison of design variants
  • Established measures of presence, simulator sickness, player experience, workload and usability, plus behavioural and interview data
  • Session protocol and recruitment, including safety for players moving through physical space
  • Analysis with prioritised recommendations — what to fix first, and why
  • A findings session with your designers and developers
Duration3–6 weeks
FormatIn person or remote
You receiveReport + session
Scope & feeAgreed up front
Discuss an evaluation →
Offer 03

EdTech & Engaged-Classroom Advisory

For: private colleges, training providers, universities and EdTech teams.

Students don't skip a class that feels like play and gives them something real to build. I design and build the lessons and platforms that make that happen in my own postgraduate teaching — and help institutions do the same, without trading rigour for engagement.

Built on YooBees, the learning platform I built for 228 students from 24 countries; four postgraduate courses rebuilt as 39 interactive lessons, labs and study packs; the MOOC platform I scaled to 150,000+ learners; and ICT Campus, the bilingual online school I founded. Read the case study →

What you get

  • Course redesign into interactive, browser-based lessons — simulations, labs and knowledge checks
  • Engagement mechanics that reward persistence: races, badges, leaderboards, daily challenges
  • Academic-integrity tooling such as attendance fraud detection, and lecturer analytics
  • Responsible AI in teaching and assessment — clear rules, prompts and in-class tools
  • Platform build or review — React, TypeScript, Next.js and Firebase
Duration2 weeks – ongoing
FormatAdvise, build, or both
You receivePlan, lessons or platform
Scope & feeAgreed up front
Discuss your courses →
02

How an engagement runs

Discovery call

Thirty minutes, free. We talk through your goal, constraints and timeline. If I'm not the right fit, I'll say so and point you to someone who is.

Written scope

A short proposal: deliverables, timeline, fee and what I'll need from your side. Agreed before any work starts.

Working sessions

Regular sessions with your team, with progress you can see every week — not a reveal at the end.

Handover

Everything written up so your team can carry it forward without me, and I stay reachable for questions afterwards.

03

Why a researcher who also ships

Evidence

Methods, not opinions

The study designs and measures behind my papers at IEEE VR, ACM and Elsevier, applied to your question and your users.

Delivery

Built by someone who builds

Four years as a technical lead in industry, and products live today: ICT Campus, PathFinder and HouseScout.

Clarity

Explained so it sticks

A lecturer's habit of making complex findings clear to designers, executives and funders alike — in plain English.

04

Other ways to work together

Events

Keynotes & talks

Signature talks on multiplayer AR, spatial computing and workplace conflict, plus a ready-to-use speaker kit.

Speaking → Teams

Workshops & training

Hands-on sessions built from my postgraduate lessons: security, Agile, data, AI-assisted building and more.

Workshops → Free resource

AR Design Playbook

Four evidence-based principles for AR that connects people across distance, with a printable checklist.

Read the playbook → Academia

Research collaboration

Joint studies, grant partnerships, thesis examination and co-supervision in AR, XR and HCI.

Get in touch → Press

Media & expert comment

Journalists and producers: topics I comment on, a short bio and headshots.

Media page → Students

Free guidance

Study, research and career questions — a free 30–45 minute consultation for students and early-career researchers.

Book a free session →
Discovery Call

Tell me what you're trying to achieve.

A free 30-minute call to see whether I can help. Share a little about the project and I'll reply personally by email with times that suit you.

  • No account or sign-in needed
  • Happy to talk under an NDA
  • No obligation — if I'm not the right fit, I'll say so
Based inChristchurch, New Zealand
Works withTeams in NZ and worldwide
Emailyasassriofficial@gmail.com
I'm on New Zealand time (NZST/NZDT); I'll convert to yours.
FAQ

Before we talk

Do you work with organisations outside New Zealand?

Yes. Most engagements run remotely, with working sessions over video. I'm based in Christchurch and can work in person anywhere in New Zealand; travel further afield is by arrangement.

How are fees set?

Each engagement is scoped in writing, with deliverables, timeline and a fixed fee agreed before any work starts. The first discovery call is free and carries no obligation.

Is this work connected to the University of Canterbury or Yoobee College?

No. Consulting, workshops and speaking are my own independent practice. They don't speak for, and aren't offered on behalf of, the University of Canterbury, HIT Lab NZ or Yoobee College of Creative Innovation.

Can we talk under an NDA?

Yes. I'm happy to work under a non-disclosure agreement, and to sign one before you share project details.

I'm a student. Can I still get help?

Of course. Students get free guidance on study, research and careers through the consultation booking on my platform, and there is a separate free advice form for anyone planning a master's or PhD in New Zealand.