Pop-up VR Museum

Project duration: June 2020 - Ongoing
My role: Design and development of the application for my Doctoral Research
Funded by: EU-Horizon-2020 funded SPICE project
In collaboration with: Lily Diaz-Kommonen (Principal Investigator), Leena Svinhufvud (Leading the Design Museum Case Study), Wiebke Spieker (3D modelling and environmental design), Jiaxin Tao (Exhibition Design)
Links: Design Museum website

The Pop-up VR Museum is a virtual reality (VR) application wherein its users can access, interact, and engage with a digitized/virtual artifact collection belonging to the Design Museum in Helsinki. In the virtual experience, users can immerse in artifacts from the Design Museum and collect them as well as read and listen to stories contributed by others. As a case study application in the SPICE project, the Pop-up VR Museum was co-designed with researchers from Aalto University, museum professionals, and through engagement with individuals and communities belonging to senior citizens, rural dwellers, and asylum seekers. Evolving versions of the prototype have been presented at museum events, senior-care centers, and churches.

Key Design Decisions Made:
  • The experience focuses on engaging users by emphasizing the unique characteristics of the design object, including its form and function. It provides a fresh perspective that is particularly effective in a VR environment. Key features include:
    • Avatar selection
    • Reading stories
    • Listening to stories
    • Immersion within the object
    • Collecting objects
    • Contributing one's own story
  • The seated experience is augmented with a table to enhance accessibility, particularly for senior citizens or individuals with limited mobility, such as those using wheelchairs.
  • The Natural User Interface (NUI) is designed for minimal interactions. Users simply move their controller to select actions, eliminating the need for buttons entirely.