Introduction An overview of virtual reality as stated by Garter, ‘virtual reality (VR) provides a computer-generated 3D environment (including both computer graphics and 360-degree video) that surrounds a user and responds to an individual’s actions in a natural way, usually through immersive head-mounted displays. Gesture recognition or handheld controllers provide hand and body tracking, and haptic (or touch-sensitive) feedback may be incorporated. Room-based systems provide a 3D experience while moving around large areas, or they can be used with multiple participants.’ (Garter, 2023). My immersive piece will use the emerging technology of virtual reality to cultivate a 360-degree environment that explores and brings to life the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, specifically her abstract paintings. Research Overview Virtual Reality (VR) Immersive Art Research My evolving immersive art research has uncovered the professional works of Exhibition Hub and Fever, the two company’s work together to produce spectacular virtual reality 360-degree videos. light and music experiences. Together they have produced over 70 exhibitions worldwide. One of these exhibitions being The Vincent van Gogh, immersive experience which can be observed in many cities around the world. The experience uncovers the artists most compelling works, showcasing paintings, art development and reasonings behind his immense dexterities. The videos below explore the immersive experience and also provide first hand insights and reviews from diverse audiences around the world. My project aims to develop a similar virtual reality experience. Further research led me to discovering a past immersive experience that explored the works of Georgia O’keeffe. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum described the experience, ‘Dive into the mind and inspirations of one of the world’s most iconic and revered artists at Music for the Eyes: A New Georgia O’Keeffe Experience at Electric Playhouse in Albuquerque.’ (Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 2022). The collaborative immersive experience featured large scale digital projections, interactive displays and animations of Georgia O’Keeffe’s artworks. The video news article below explores the reasonings behind the immersive exhibition. As an interactive Georgia O’keeffe exhibition has already been developed my project aims to expand on this by incorporating virtual reality, something that wasn’t included in the original experience. My developing Georgia O’Keeffe experience will draw inspiration from the above research to create a new and captivating immersive experience with the use of virtual reality apps including, Open Brush, Gravity Sketch and Tilt Brush. Artist Research – Georgia O’keeffe Georgia O’keeffe is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, known for her contribution in modern art. Her abstract pieces were inspired by her feelings towards life’s experiences as quoted by her ‘I had to create an equivalent for what I felt about what I was looking at – not copy it.’ (About Georgia O’Keeffe, 2023). Georgia O’Keeffe’s substantial archive of artwork includes many different art mediums and pieces from, abstracts, animals, bones, buildings, plants and more. My project will emphasise and focus on O’Keefe’s abstract plants, flowers and landscape scenes. Analysis of Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abstract Paintings The natural forms and shapes of nature were a huge concentration for many of O’Keeffe’s paintings. Which is why I have chosen to analysis the above paintings of a landscape, flower and tree stump. The free-flowing strokes used throughout her paintings are simple and curvy, creating a unique fusion of realism and abstraction. Her use of bright bold colours and scale experimentations contribute to her surreal graphical outcomes that explore space and composition in a unique manner. O’Keeffe’s paintings were almost always painted from a frontal view, colour hues and shading were used to distinguish shapes rather than the paintings being three-dimensional. This technique provides a sense of space and scale of each plant, tree or scene. My virtual reality experience will feature a few different paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe in a large three-dimensional scale which will bring to life her paintings in a walkable and immersive environment. Much like the previous Georgia O’keeffe exhibition explored her paintings and referred to them as music for the eyes, my experience will incorporate soothing atmospherically pleasing music to complement the soft and curvy paintings providing a more emotional outcome and connection within the user. User Experience (UX) Considerations Expanding on the user experience (UX) outcomes and considerations, the target audience for the virtual reality (VR) exhibition will be adults interested in art and history. Those who are potentially new to the world of virtual reality and want to begin their experience in a comforting and calming environment. A space where they can get to know the hardware and experience a slower integration into the software. Without the risk of potential motion sickness and other psychological adaptations users feel when immersed into uncompromising games or simulations. Considering the five user experience principles required for problem solving, the virtual reality experience will be well thought out in terms of the health and safety regulations relating to the users. The five principles include, effectiveness, efficiency, utility, learnability, memorability and safety. These aspects are explored in the diagram below. Miro link – https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVNNezvxE=/?share_link_id=858220233973 Ensuring the experience is effective at meeting the needs of the user, the target audience will be at the forefront of the experience. Providing a thorough design experience for Georgia O’Keeffe fans to explore is paramount to the success of the immersive environment. A possible interactive onboarding sequence at the beginning of the experience will ensure user efficiency, providing them with how to instructions or an introduction to the experience will fulfil this requirement. Limited interactions and in experience options will ensure the integrity of the design utility, making it easy for the user to navigate the scene and avoid confusion, resulting in longer play time. Incorporating learnability and memorability will ensure the user can easily return to the application without having to relearn the system and scene navigation. Finally, extensive consideration for ethics and safety throughout the experience is extremely important for emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR). Considering dangers and ethical problems will ensure the user trusts the application and feels safe using it. Below are some persona maps that explore, goals, needs, frustrations,

Introduction This blog post will explore immersive art using Open Brush and Gravity Sketch to develop a diorama. Working within a group we will develop a strong concept that allows us to develop and showcase our immersive art skills, that consider VR implementation. A series of video captures will communicate the exploration of different apps and the development process of the final diorama. Lee Down introduces VR immersive art as, ‘The technology typically uses a combination of visual, auditory, and haptic feedback to create a sense of immersion and presence in the virtual environment. In the art world, virtual reality technology can be used to create exhibitions that go beyond the traditional gallery experience.’ (Down, L. 2023). VR art has become a popular experience in the world of art galleries, for instance the Vincent van Gogh virtual reality gallery experience which can now be seen in cities all over the world. Group Design Concept The VR immersive art, design concept we decided to expand on involves creating a diorama each that explores aspects of the passing seasons. Developing a visual story that explores each season will aid in developing a dynamic and interesting unique art scene that is fully immersive. Concept Art Direction within the Group – Goals Ellie – Develop a diorama that explores aspects of Spring. Rana – Develop a diorama that explores aspects of Summer. Amber – Develop a diorama that explores aspects of Autumn. Lucy – Develop a diorama that explores aspects of Winter. Storyboard – Autumn Inspired diorama The narrative of the autumnal diorama can be seen in the storyboard below. The meticulous arrangement of events captures the essence of an autumn evening. The strategically placed tree line serves as a natural frame to draw the user’s eyes into the middle where a warm and cosy bonfire is burning. Nestled close by is a rustic Tipi evoking feelings of autumn camping adventures, made of natural materials, scattered around are rich orange pumpkins, symbolizing the harvest season and contributing to the rich earthy colour palette. Together these elements tell a narrative of autumnal bliss and cosy evenings sat by the crackling fire, creating an appreciation for the fleeting beauty of autumn. Open Brush Immersive Art Diorama Design Development – Autumn I decided to first experiment with Open Brush, the software provided me with many different tools, shapes and settings to play with. I was able to alter the background and lighting settings to form a more autumnal environment for my diorama to sit in. I then went ahead and experimented with adding in a platform and forming the base of my diorama. I quickly learnt that open brush is best used with long strokes, the software is less precise and encourages more free flowing drawing techniques, with this in mind I decided to paint a single tree with more abstract details. I used swirling motions to create a reference to a tree about to lose its orange leaf’s. Once I had finished painting the tree I added in a bonfire with lots of orange flames, smoke and embers. The embers brush helped make the bonfire look as though it is actually alight. The motion brushes available in Open Brush aid in designing a more three-dimensional space with the addition of movement. The series of videos below explore my experimentations throughout Open Brush. Gravity Sketch Immersive Art Diorama Design Development – Autumn The second diorama follows the original storyboard more closely and was developed using Gravity Sketch. The software provides the user with more control over their creations and actions throughout development. There are lots of different tools and brushes to help the user form a more realistic design outcome, in comparison to the freer flowing interface of Open Brush. The video series below explore the diorama design development process in Gravity Sketch. Final Diorama Comparison Open Brush and Gravity Sketch are both excellent immersive art software’s, each offering a unique user experience and approach to creativity. Open Brush with its free-flowing and illustrative nature, provides artists with a canvas that encourages spontaneous design expression. The strokes are unrestrained, fostering a sense of freedom and allowing for a more abstract outcome. On the other hand, Gravity Sketch leans towards more realistic design approach providing the artist with more control and precision. Its controlled environment enables the artists to craft intricate details with high levels of realism. When it comes to capturing movement, Open Brush takes the creative lead with its wide verity of motion brushes, making it a preferred interface for dynamic design, in contrast to Gravity Sketch which makes it harder to create a sense of motion and fluidity. Ultimately when thinking about my final design proposal of creating an immersive art gallery the choice between the two interfaces relies heavily on which artists works I decide to recreate. Open Brush caters to those who want to create an expressive motion driven experience, whilst Gravity Sketch excels in realism and control. The final choice will be discussed in the proposal. Group Reflection Reflecting on our collective creative endeavour to craft individual seasonal dioramas helped each of us express our own creativity authentically and at our own pace. This group approach helped each of us meaningfully showcase our evolution of developing new software skills. However, upon amidst our pursuit of creative freedom we encountered a communication problem, leading to the mix up of our assigned seasons. Consequently, we found ourselves with two winter dioramas whilst lacking the production of a vibrant summer scene. This unintended mix up serves as a valuable lesson on the importance of coordinated planning and communication within a group project. Whilst our diverse winter scenes still showcase artistic skill, the lack of a summer diorama lets the overall seasonal diorama idea down. Moving forward we can harness this experience and refine our collaborative techniques and communication skills, ensuring a more balanced and thought out final group design series. References Down, L. (2023) Virtual reality and the future of Art Exhibitions, Arts, Artists, Artwork. Available

Introduction to AR (Augmented Reality) using Zapworks and Unity WebGL This blog post aims to explore augmented reality (AR) using Zapworks and Unity WebGL. Adam Hayes described Augmented reality (AR) as ‘an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli and delivered via technology. It is a growing trend among companies involved in the metaverse in mobile computing and business applications in particular.’ (Hayes, A. 2023). The video below shows examples of how Augmented Reality (AR) can be seamlessly embedded into our everyday lives. Differentiating against Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality is a more accessible platform as it doesn’t require a VR headset, this means that more people can access the software readily through their mobile devices. Part 1 – Designing an AR (Augmented Reality) Experience The first part of the task was to follow a set of instructions on concept implementation in Unity. A downloadable set of assets was used to develop a 3D augmented reality experience that could be viewed by scanning a QR code on a smartphone. Changing aspects of the Unity interface by installing plugins and packages brought the AR experience to life. The series of screenshots below explore the development of the Augmented Reality workshop part 1, Part 2 – Uploading and Publishing AR (Augmented Reality) Creation The next step was to build and update the augmented reality creation ready for web upload using Zapworks. After building the AR file, I had to convert it into a zip file so that it would upload as one package to the web. The series of screenshots below explore the development of the Augmented Reality workshop part 2, Part 3 – Adding Animated Assets The final step was to add animated assets to the Unity scene and export the build in the same way as the previous step and reupload the final zip file to Zapworks. The series of screenshots below explore the development of the Augmented Reality workshop part 3, Experimenting with Zapworks and Unity’s WebGL to design AR (Augmented Reality) After I had followed the initial tutorials I went ahead and sourced a three-dimensional asset to use in my own Augmented Reality experience. I chose a Fiat Abarth from the online gallery SketchFab. I ensured to download the correct file type of gITF and imported the vehicle following the previous steps into Unity. I then uploaded the zip file to Zapworks and tested the experience on mobile. The series of screenshots below explore the development of the Augmented Reality workshop part 4, Reflection Embarking on the Augmented Reality (AR) design journey using Unity and Zapworks presented many challenges and learning experiences. The process highlighted the great potential of AR technology and also underscored the complexities of designing using the software. The frustration of technical hurdles provided a setback and unexpected challenge when it finally came to testing the final design. The technical hiccup required troubleshooting and going back through the initial set up steps to ensure I hadn’t missed anything. Despite attempting to rectify the issue by adjusting the camera angles within unity and fiddling with the settings, a resolution to my troubles remained elusive. The obstacle highlighted the importance of understanding the complexities of AR development and interfaces. It prompted a reflective examination of the intricate details that played into changing the software and importing different packages. Moving forward I am committed to refining my mistakes and finding a solution to my encountered problems. References Google AR & VR (2022) Make the world your canvas with the Arcore Geospatial API, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udoSz_UBUdc&t=39s (Accessed: 26 November 2023).  Hayes, A. (2023) Augmented reality (AR) defined, with examples and uses, Investopedia. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/augmented-reality.asp (Accessed: 26 November 2023).  UniBlendFollow (2023) 1964 – abarth 595SS (rigged): Mid-poly – download free 3D model by UniBlend (@blended-universe), Sketchfab. Available at: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/1964-abarth-595ss-rigged-mid-poly-2dc606b906bb43a4b1a50330aa96ee78 (Accessed: 26 November 2023).

Introduction This blog post aims to explore immersive prototyping and experiences through a range of development tasks exploring different software. Each exercise will make use of immersive design principles, including User Experience (UX). A discussion of design considerations regarding the use of a 360-degree canvas will enrich my knowledge of immersive design. Examples of 360 Immersive Design – Initial Research The research below provided me with inspiration and prior knowledge of immersive user experience (UX) principles to consider when designing my own experiences. The use of narratives, sound and lighting effects enhance each of the 360VR experiences, therefore depicting a more realistic experience when wearing a VR headset. The use of 360 immersive videos can also be used to experience real life situations as observed in the 360 images below of Hull and surrounding areas. This type of 360VR experience could be useful for people who are unable to physically visit places. Link to 360 immersive video/image – http://www.360cities.net/image/queen-victoria-square-hull-1#335.49,16.32,70.0 Link to 360 immersive video/image – http://www.360cities.net/image/humber-bridge-at-sunrise#329.98,7.58,83.9 Week 1 – Exploring the 360 3D VR Camera in Maya Setting up the 3D workspace settings and VR Camera in Maya The below screenshots show the process of setting up the VR camera settings in Autodesk Maya. Ensuring the camera setting are altered before designing an experience guarantees that the correct versions of renders are exported at the end. Maya 360 Cinema Experience – Design Development The below screenshots explore the design development process behind the final 360VR cinema experience in Autodesk Maya and Premier Pro. Narrative for Immersive Design The below storyboard, effectively communicates the goals of the final 360VR story sphere/video. What makes an effective VR story?  An effective VR story/experience embraces reality as we know it. The artificial experience heightens the feeling of presence and the user feels as though they are really there, exploring a spatial environment that otherwise wouldn’t be an attainable real-life experience. There are multiple user experience factors to be considered when designing an effective and immersive VR experience, a few of these include, human centered design approach, perspective, and plot. The human centered design approach The human centered (HCD) design approach considers three aspects including desirability, viability, and feasibility. Desirability – Refers to the user experience and the three levels of emotional design, visceral, behavioural, and reflective design. Andreas Komninos articulates Don Normans three levels of emotional design in an article that refers to visceral design as animalistic influences of the human mind. These influences are almost uncontrollable emotions or actions. Behavioural design refers to the controlled aspects of human action. Conscious decision-making investigates suitable outcomes, most likely to prove effective overtime, with little to no effort. Reflective design refers to human reflection of conscious thoughts. Learning new concepts, systems and generalisations about the world, (Komninos, 2023). User experience can also be described as pragmatic and hedonic which refer to the utility and usability of a product or service and the pleasures of use, (Tong et al., 2022). Viability – refers to the aspect of designing a product or service that is not only desirable but also realistically obtainable practically and financially. Viability is also closely related to filling in gaps in the market. It is extremely important to evaluate whether there is a genuine need or demand for the product or service. It is vital to understand the market, target audience and competition. Feasibility – refers to the practicality of design. It involves assessing and concluding weather the product or service can be realistically developed, produced and maintained with consideration to technical limitations such as hardware and technology. POV perspectives & 360 plots Point of view and perspective is crucial in virtual storytelling as it directly affects the user and their experience. In 360 storytelling it is important to allow the viewer to look in all directions, this aids in depicting dynamic scenes/narratives. Link to final 360 VR Immersive Cinema Experience – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RZ7uf8FEiHg 360 Immersive Cinema Experience – VR Video Taking into consideration the elements discussed above I have developed a 360VR cinema experience using Autodesk Maya and Premier Pro. Throughout the video the viewer experiences sounds related to a cinema experience, including laughter, whispering, popcorn and drinks cans. These audio considerations aid in creating a dynamic scene. The cinema design uses dome lighting systems that have been altered, intensity and colour wise, to create a darker and more cinematic experience. This concept could be used in real life to give users a chance to experience the cinema that otherwise couldn’t due to health or social restrictions. 360VR Cinema Experience – Scope Limitations Limitations encountered when developing the 360VR video include my limiting Maya knowledge. I would have liked to add figures and a film into the scene to aid in creating a more realistic experience although I couldn’t figure out how to do this. If in the future I have more time to spend on this task I will learn how to implement these limitations. Exploring Maya MASH Networks Following Introduction to Mash Canvas Tutorial The below screenshots show the process of developing the MASH animation in Autodesk Maya and Premier Pro from the Canvas tutorial. Basic Mash Animation The below animation of crystals exploding towards to camera could be used throughout VR experience to communicate explosions in many different scenarios. MASH allows you to create quick animations that use instanced networks. These animations can be easily edited and manipulated using the different nodes available in Autodesk Maya. Abstract Tunnel Effect The below screenshots show the process of developing an abstract tunnel effect using MASH networks in Autodesk Maya. This effect could be useful when designing surreal virtual reality (VR) experiences. This effect could be used to communicate going ‘down the rabbit hole’ in an Alice and Wonderland VR experience. Week 2 – Exploring WebVR Spaces Initial Inspiration Pinterest Board – https://www.pinterest.co.uk/AriGraphicDesign/emerging-technology/spaces-inspiration-framevr/ Upon entering the FrameVR experience I was prompted to create an account and an avatar. Once I had completed the initial signup steps I was placed into a world of