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The Collaborative Nature of Designing Narrative VR Applications

Ayers, Abigail E
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1587130850965235

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Fine Arts, Ohio State University, Design.
In virtual reality (VR), users can project themselves into new virtual worlds without the barrier of a screen, minimizing the gap between the physical and the virtual. Because users can exert control over the viewpoint within a VR experience by moving their head or body within the space, designers can no longer predict or assume that every user will experience every step of narrative sequences in the same way. This requires a flexible design framework and process that holds space and accounts for the user’s unique path through the experience. Pulling from frameworks related to game design and learning as well as my own development experiences with VR, this paper aims to define and discuss a VR development framework centered on the contributions of both the user and designer to virtual narrative spaces. Utilizing the game design concept of the magic circle (Salen, Zimmerman, pp. 95), I identify and discuss three primary points (context, interaction, and rules) for designing a narrative VR space using the contributions of both the user and the designer. I discover and formulate this VR development framework through a practice-based design research approach, creating a case study and identifying the construction of the circle through the design process. To test the design decisions made with the case study prototype, I gathered data from users after they completed the prototyped experience, revealing the aspects of the experience users were most attentive to and increased the feeling of presence. This data provided valuable insight into the impact of our design decisions on the user’s experience, and generated new questions about how to lead users through a narrative in VR. From observations and analysis of the iterative design process and user experience data, I concluded that the VR magic circle is a balance based on the designer’s goals for the user, the user’s ability to create unique interactions within the space, and the structure of the VR application. By understanding how the user contributes to the creation of virtual spaces in a variety of application structures, designers can make meaningful design decisions at every stage of the development process and embrace the interdisciplinary nature of virtual reality.
Maria Palazzi (Advisor)
Scott Swearingen (Committee Member)
Dana Carlisle Kletchka (Committee Member)
102 p.
Design
Virtual Reality; VR; Game Design;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ayers, A. E. (2020). The Collaborative Nature of Designing Narrative VR Applications [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1587130850965235

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ayers, Abigail. The Collaborative Nature of Designing Narrative VR Applications. 2020. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1587130850965235.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ayers, Abigail. "The Collaborative Nature of Designing Narrative VR Applications." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1587130850965235

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1587130850965235
402
© 2020, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.