1.Project Description: describe the space you created and the identity you used to guide the design.
For my space that I created, I used several different external assets and Kaplan’s GRE words. I am interested in how VR can be utilized in improving educational learning, and thus I decided to play around with the space that I made in order to create a small prototype of how learning vocabulary can be made easier by placing various GRE words around the space, in accordance to their word groups.
For my space that I created, I used several different external assets and Kaplan’s GRE words. I am interested in how VR can be utilized in improving educational learning, and thus I decided to play around with the space that I made in order to create a small prototype of how learning vocabulary can be made easier by placing various GRE words around the space, in accordance to their word groups.
I decided to use the identity of “abandoned” in order to guide the design. I choose the colors, assets, and texture so that they match the “abandoned” identity. I chose buildings that had somewhat a mysterious feel, rather than any building with a majestic, luxurious-looking façade. In order to create the “abandoned” identity, I wanted to mix nature and human-built objects, and thus, I have placed various rocks and cliffs between the tower and the dome. This is because my image of “abandoned” is usually at the middle ground of nature and man-made, or perhaps, nature is gradually taking over the man-made objects because the objects have been left abandoned for a long period of time.
However, the sense of “abandoned” does not necessary mean that the place is completely dead. Therefore, I placed bushes that are being blown by the wind, and I made the sky color the typical sky color – nothing dark or grey.
2. Process and Implementation: discuss how you built the scene within the development environment and choices you made to stage the space for this particular mode of viewing.
What design decisions did you make to represent the identity (emotion, feeling, mood) and to aim toward the desired effect of it being an alternate world? What guided your composition of the areas in view and what effect were you hoping it might have on the viewer? Feel free to share images or sketches of visual inspiration or reference if you used them.
In order to express the identity of “abandoned” in my design, I decided to unify my scene with dark, gloomy colors for the man-made objects, such as the buildings, tower, and the dome. I accumulated textures that had mostly black, grey, and dark colors so in order to create a mysterious and lonely mood. Even for one building which has a light blue color, there is something about the ratchet texture that makes even the light blue color show its dark side.
I used the below images when brainstorming my idea.
I also chose GRE words which have negative connotations in order to match the identity and the mood of the alternative space that I created.
The following are the word groups that I chose to place in the space:
Group 1: Death/mourning
Bereave, cadaver, defunct, demise, dolorous, elegy
Group 2: Bad Mood
bilious, dudgeon, irascible, pettish
Group 3: Sorrow
elegiac, doleful, disconsolate, lament, dolor, forlorn
As much I want the user to understand and visually memorize the GRE words, I want the user to feel like they are in an abandoned town that is separated from the rest of the world. However, I did not want the user to feel as if they are in a fictional world, and thus I placed objects that are familiar in real life, yet with a feeling of far and distant.
3. Reflection/Evaluation: This should discuss your expectations and goals in the context of the what you felt was achieved with the finished piece.
In the beginning, I was going to compress different scenes with different moods which matched accordingly to the GRE word group. For example, for the GRE word group which roughly all meant “delighted,” I was going to create part of the scene which showed that mood. However, I realized that creating multiple scenes each with different moods was too complicated. Not only that, mixing moods in one space was not a good idea as it would confuse the user. Therefore, I decided to choose to the “abandoned” identity, and bring in various GRE words that had had negative and pessimistic connotations.
If I look at the scene that I have created from the scene view, it seems as if the space is small and enclosed. However, when looking from the actual game view, the scene seems as if it has so much to it. Therefore, I am quite satisfied with the scene that I have created because it fulfills the purpose of trying to help the user visually memorize the GRE words using location sensing.
I would say that one of the challenges I faced in this project was placing the GRE words in the optimal location. Because the GRE words are 2D, whereas everything else is 3D, I had to maneuver the GRE words in a way that they seem as if they are stuck to the building or the rock. It took a quite a bit of time to adjust each and every word because I was trying to place a 2D object with the 3D objects.
