Experience Type: Immersive Storytelling in VR
Role: XR Designer, Production Artist & Developer
Platform: PC-VR
Game Engine: Unreal Engine 5.0.3
Additional Tools: Blender 2.8, Adobe Photoshop
Built on the theme of nostalgia, the project aimed to use VR to give the users an idea of what everyday life was like at the Littlewoods Pools Company in Liverpool, UK. The prototype was an opportunity to give the former employees a chance to revisit fond memories of their time at the company. The prototype was a submission in my postgraduate course in Immersive Media at Liverpool John Moores University in 2023.
The experience allows the user to visit three different spaces, an office space in the Edge Lane building, an office space at the Walton Hall Ave. building, and the canteen at the Walton Hall Ave. building. To add to the atmosphere of the space, spatial audio was also incorporated to emulate the ambience of the respective spaces in VR. In addition to this, recordings of former employees reminiscing about their experience at the company were played, giving the audience a taste of their life as employees of the company.
IDEATION
"Photographs as portals for time travel."
The core inspiration for the experience came from the effect a photograph has in creating a feeling of nostalgia and transporting the individual back in time.
As an outsider, it was important to have a clear understanding of the impact the company had on the lives of the citizens of Liverpool. The client provided access to an archive containing photographs of what a typical day was like at the company as well as the many extra-curricular activities that were organized for the employees.
Above: Following a study of the archive footage, three spaces were selected to be recreated for VR. The spaces chosen were the office space at the Edge Lane Building (M), the canteen (L), and one of the office spaces at the Walton Hall Ave. building (R).
"Understanding the audience and simplifying interaction."
To try and flatten the learning curve of the prototype, the design of the interactions was intended to be simple and effective to ensure the user's experience in VR is not hindered by the complexity of the technology.
Following the concept of photographs as portals into the past, the user uses VR controllers to pick a photograph dissolving the environment into the space featured in it. As the elderly were one of the target audiences, the interaction design reflects simplicity and ease of use, allowing the audience to interact comfortably.
DEVELOPMENT
"Creating presence and nostalgia through immersive technology.”
The experience was programmed and developed in Unreal Engine 5.0.3 using the Blueprints visual scripting system. To ensure seamless performance in VR, the prototype used level streaming to load the levels on command.
UE5’s Grab Component feature was used to make the photographs interactable. A dissolving effect created by YouTuber CGHow was studied and recreated to be used when the virtual spaces materialize around the user when they pick up or let go of a photograph.
"Spatial Audio as an additional layer of immersion."
The Oculus Spatial Audio plugin was activated to enable the use of spatial audio in the Meta Quest 2 VR headset. Spatial Audio gave an additional layer of presence, giving users a sense of the sounds that were heard in the space back in the day.
Above: A setup of one of the sound cues.
Using the Sound Cue feature in Unreal Engine, a setup was created to play random audio clips from a collection of different audio clips of former employees reminiscing about their days at the company. Hence, the user can listen to a different narration each time they pick up the photographs.
USER RESPONSE & FEEDBACK
The prototype was showcased at the Littlewoods Heritage Project Launch Event in Liverpool in June of 2023. The event was attended by former employees of the company, staff members, and students.
Feedback on the experience was positive, with many of the former employees stating how the prototype captured the essence of the spaces and reminded them of their time at the company. Concerning the response to the navigability of the prototype, the audience generally found the prototype easy to use.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Involvement in the project provided an opportunity to explore the art of crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives within an interactive VR experience, leveraging the unique benefits of the medium. From a technical standpoint, the project pushed me out of my comfort zone, challenging me to cultivate new skills as a creative practitioner in the XR industry.