HILTI aimed to modernize their passive firestop training by introducing a VR experience that lets engineers actively assess layout challenges. The objective was to create an intuitive, guided simulation that fits within a 30-minute workshop slot — scalable across five localized markets.
I initiated the concept and led the interaction design as UX Lead, later taking over as Design Team Lead and Acting Creative Director. Together with the Development Team Lead, I also held Product Owner responsibilities — structuring the agile delivery system, writing tickets, and aligning UX, tech, and 3D teams.
This case required clarity more than complexity — both in the product, and in the way we worked.
When I joined, the project had been in development for over nine months — without structure or a clear understanding of how Hilti planned to use it. I reframed the concept based on the real training context, defined the interaction and learning logic, and led a small team through production. We delivered a working, field-ready product in under five months.
"
The new Firestop Training transforms how engineers learn — it bridges complex regulation with real-world experience. We’ve never had
this kind of retention before.
—
Ralph Zeller
HILTI Community Engineer
HILTI's existing firestop training combined theory with a shared physical wall for hands-on demonstrations. The format showed core principles well, but had systemic limits in learning depth, repeatability, and scale.
Engineers experiencing the first generation of VR firestop training — still shared, still linear.
Source: https://reports.hilti.group/2023/our-stories/firestop-meets-virtual-reality
The challenge: maintain realism and product fidelity.
Give each engineer structured, repeatable layout training
– without adding (logistical) friction.
The shift was from passive demonstration to active decision-making: engineers needed to apply layout logic in a structured, repeatable way. The VR module had to follow real-world flow — observe, assess, apply — and mirror Hilti's planning logic without turning into a software tutorial.
The following concept visual framed that shift early on. It helped align team and stakeholders around a shared understanding of both the problem—and the kind of solution we needed to build.
Key visual from the initial concept pitch — simulating product logic: measure, verify, and check out the correct Hilti product for the job.
We designed the VR experience around a repeatable interaction loop that supports both learning and task completion — even for first-time VR users.
Each scenario uses this rhythm to structure decision-making:
The loop repeats across six scenarios with increasing variation, reinforcing memory through active application instead of instruction.
The result: engineers engage in firestop planning logic through intuitive action — not passive observation.
Engineers repeat this pattern across six scenarios — guided by EVA, using intuitive actions to collect, verify, and apply layout knowledge.
Each scenario is guided by EVA, an AI assistant built into the experience. She structures user attention, interaction, and task completion, transforming abstract planning into embodied decision-making. Flow per scenario:
Here’s how it unfolds in practice — from briefing to layout confirmation:
1)
EVA briefs the scenario using voice cues.
2)
Visual highlights focus the user on key materials.
3)
User collects and verifies data via interactive tablet.
4)
Information is stored and applied at the workstation.
5)
User acts hands-on, sealing the correct location.
To bridge the gap between complex firestop rules
and intuitive action, we translated real-world gestures
into VR interactions — making spatial logic
feel immediate, not foreign.
Many engineers had never used VR before — the biggest challenge was making interactions feel instantly understandable without sacrificing realism.
Tapping an edge instantly reveals its dimensions.
Touching any surface reveals its material.
A quick knock reveals what’s inside a pipe or cable.
The VR module made it easier for engineers to understand which details matter — and why.
Instead of passively memorizing rules, they explored a guided scenario: touching walls, pipes, and openings to collect key information. If something was missed or entered incorrectly, the system reacted immediately — without blocking progress. Once the full picture was gathered, the application suggested matching firestop products based on that input.
The experience didn't try to simulate every site detail. It focused on the decision points engineers deal with: what to check, what to document, and what happens if you don't. Engineers who complete the training receive Hilti certification, recognised as continuing professional education under local regulations across five European markets. The VR module is now part of Hilti's standard blended learning offering, paired with unlimited access to Hilti Academy e-learning.
