ARcane Trails VR
Institution
Birmingham City University
Industry
Tourism
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Unreal5
Role
Date
January 2025
Time Frame
12 weeks
Introduction
"ARcaneTrails" was an AR and VR prototype aimed at encouraging tourism, cultural awareness and acceptance, and bringing new life to oral tradition. It relied on a variety of AR and VR tools to create a walking experience tied to specific locations and the folklore surrounding them. My contribution to the project was a full-length, interactive VR prototype using footage from a local forest and a script I wrote and recorded about a selected folktale. Below are some still frames of the interactive elements (menus, movement selection, etc.) as well as a short video of the intro sequence.
Challenges
This project featured a number of challenges including technological, safety, cultural authenticity and sensitivity, and a relatively tight deadline.
Process
Background Research
In order to tackle the challenges of the project, my partner and I opted to build the bases together and then divide and conquer with my focus being the VR experience. However, both systems were built using the same research into equipment limitations, folklore tourism, oral traditions, and the specifics of immersive storytelling. This led to a deep understanding of the importance of translating "dying" arts like oral tradition to new technology like VR and AR.
Define Needs
Immersive Storytelling
GPS-based folklore narrative tied to physical locations (AR)
Ease of Use
Minimal learning curve
one-handed use on phone (AR)
Support for offline use (pre-download maps + stories)
Safety + Comfort
UI must not block terrain visibility (AR)
Include varied intensity so a user can select correct intensity
Cultural Authenticity
Well-researched + cultural sensitivity on stories
Exploration Motivation
Immersive + encourage curiosity + foster connection to place & culture
Brainstorming & Wireframing
Having played a fair amount of VR experiences, I used my prior knowledge to guide the building of a storyboard for this VR experience. I opted to tell the story of an Eastern European tree spirit, the Leshy, which is said to live in forests much like one that I could readily access and scan.
From the storyboard, which showed the "big moments" of the experience, I wrote a rough script that would act as the basis for the narrative part of the experience.
Prototyping
With the recent announcement of Apple's liquid glass effect and a desire to make the UI as unnoticeable as possible while still being accessible, we opted for a modified liquid glass that featured transparency with added contrast.
For this experience, I used a combination of a 3D capture of a nearby forest and models available through Fab to build the visual base then used sound effects from my personal collection for binaural sound design during the experience.
Testing
Once the prototype was built, I conducted testing with 8 participants using System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) to evaluate overall experience.
Iterating
Based on user feedback, the prototype was altered and prepared for another round of testing.
Repeat
Sketches
Experience Sneak Peek
Prototype: Menu Experience
Testing
Testing was performed with 8 participants between the ages of 21 and 61 with a median age of 33. Participants were made up of 1 nonbinary person, 3 men, and 4 women. With 2 of the participants being VR novices, 3 being VR beginners, and 3 being intermediate users.
Overall SUS = 90.31
Insights from UEQ:
Performed overall with users sharing the experience was fun and novel
Did best with younger, more experienced users but others enjoyed it but felt it was less usable
Results
This experience was definitely a great opportunity to make something fun and meaningful. I learned so much about accessibility in immersive technology and would love to support a project like this one and bring it to users everywhere.