Facilitating Virtual Access to Temples
Company
Personal Project
Role
Spatial Design
The Problem
If you watched the Apple Vision Pro ad this year, there's a scene of someone meditating. It made me think… Is VR meditation a gimmick? Why would you choose VR meditation over normal meditation? In search of a genuine benefit, I found what I was looking for…
Buddhists with mobility impairments face challenges in accessing temples, a vital aspect of their spiritual practice and wellbeing.
Buddhists with mobility impairments face challenges in accessing temples, a vital aspect of their spiritual practice and wellbeing.
Buddhists with mobility impairments face challenges in accessing temples, a vital aspect of their spiritual practice and wellbeing.
Buddhists with mobility impairments face challenges in accessing temples, a vital aspect of their spiritual practice and wellbeing.
Buddhists with mobility impairments face challenges in accessing temples, a vital aspect of their spiritual practice and wellbeing.
So, how can we design accessible experiences
for Buddhists with mobility-impairment?
So, how can we…
design an inclusive experience for Buddhists with mobility-impairment?
Research Process
...to understanding what it takes to designing immersive and accessible experiences
...to understanding what it takes to designing immersive and accessible experiences
...to understanding what it takes to designing immersive and accessible experiences
...to understanding what it takes to designing immersive and accessible experiences
...to understanding what it takes to designing immersive and accessible experiences
User Interviews: Immersive Designers
...to understanding the multi-cultural needs and painpoints when accessing temples and events
...to understanding the multi-cultural needs and painpoints when accessing temples and events
...to understanding the multi-cultural needs and painpoints when accessing temples and events
...to understanding the multi-cultural needs and painpoints when accessing temples and events
...to understanding the multi-cultural needs and painpoints when accessing temples and events
User Interviews: AI Buddhists
...to understand Apple's spatial design principals and how it affects UX design
...to understand Apple's spatial design principals and how it affects UX design
...to understand Apple's spatial design principals and how it affects UX design
...to understand Apple's spatial design principals and how it affects UX design
...to understand Apple's spatial design principals and how it affects UX design
Apple's Design Guidelines
What I
found
What I found
`There is a need to consider principals such as Presence and Ease of Adoption because Accessibility means more than virtual access.
For example, Sakchai has never tried a VR headset before and wants to partake in a ceremonial event.
`There is a need to consider principals such as Presence and Ease of Adoption because Accessibility means more than virtual access.
For example, Sakchai has never tried a VR headset before and wants to partake in a ceremonial event.
Supporting Insights
Supporting Insights
Supporting Insights
Supporting Insights
Supporting Insights
What it meant
What it meant
Design for Presence: Find ways to design a simple and minimal experience so users have the space to practice presence and respect.
Design for Adoption: Design solutions that can be adopted today vs. tomorrow, and find ways to educate users on Apple's new gestures..
Design for Presence: Find ways to design a simple and minimal experience so users have the space to practice presence and respect.
Design for Adoption: Design solutions that can be adopted today vs. tomorrow, and find ways to educate users on Apple's new gestures..
The User Personas became my north star, guiding my ideas and what to focus on
The User Personas became my north star, guiding my ideas and what to focus on
The User Personas became my north star, guiding my ideas and what to focus on
The User Personas became my north star, guiding my ideas and what to focus on
The User Personas became my north star, guiding my ideas and what to focus on
Coming up with Ideas
Coming up with Ideas
This helped me prioritise ideas based on user persona
This helped me prioritise ideas based on user persona
This helped me prioritise ideas based on user persona
This helped me prioritise ideas based on user persona
This helped me prioritise ideas based on user persona
Ranking Ideas
This helped me bring the user experience to life
This helped me bring the user experience to life
This helped me bring the user experience to life
This helped me bring the user experience to life
This helped me bring the user experience to life
User Flow
This helped me improve designs to create a user-friendly experience
This helped me improve designs to create a user-friendly experience
This helped me improve designs to create a user-friendly experience
This helped me improve designs to create a user-friendly experience
This helped me improve designs to create a user-friendly experience
Iterating UI
Testing Equipment
Testing Equipment
This helped me understand the equipment needed to execute spatial design.
This helped me understand the equipment needed to execute spatial design.
This helped me understand the equipment needed to execute spatial design.
This helped me understand the equipment needed to execute spatial design.
This helped me understand the equipment needed to execute spatial design.
360 Video & Audio Recording
This helped me understand how VR design is different to conventional design
This helped me understand how VR design is different to conventional design
This helped me understand how VR design is different to conventional design
This helped me understand how VR design is different to conventional design
This helped me understand how VR design is different to conventional design
Apple VR Headset Tracking
This helped me understand the capabilities of 3D and designing for mixed reality
This helped me understand the capabilities of 3D and designing for mixed reality
This helped me understand the capabilities of 3D and designing for mixed reality
This helped me understand the capabilities of 3D and designing for mixed reality
This helped me understand the capabilities of 3D and designing for mixed reality
3D Scanning
Speaking to AI Buddhists helped evolve my ideas before jumping into prototyping.
Speaking to AI Buddhists helped evolve my ideas before jumping into prototyping.
Speaking to AI Buddhists helped evolve my ideas before jumping into prototyping.
Speaking to AI Buddhists helped evolve my ideas before jumping into prototyping.
Speaking to AI Buddhists helped evolve my ideas before jumping into prototyping.
Testing on AI
Testing on AI
Using ChatGPT, I simulated over 20 Buddhists (from different cultures) with mobility impairment, and ran focus group sessions to sharpen my ideas.
Using ChatGPT, I simulated over 20 Buddhists (from different cultures) with mobility impairment, and ran focus group sessions to sharpen my ideas.
"For someone in my situation, this is a beacon of hope…. However, Buddhism is as much about community as temples. I missed that sense of connection in your solution. Can we virtually meet others, share, or group meditate?"
"For someone in my situation, this is a beacon of hope…. However, Buddhism is as much about community as temples. I missed that sense of connection in your solution. Can we virtually meet others, share, or group meditate?"
- Maria, 25, Buddhist from Colombia
- Maria, 25, Buddhist from Colombia
Desired Outcome
Desired Outcome
Accessibility to Buddhist Temples
Accessibility to
Buddhist Temples
+
Accessibility to Buddhist Communities
Accessibility to
Buddhist Communities
=
=
Connection to Faith and Personal Identity
Hypothesis: exploring the diverse cultural expressions, history, and communities of Buddhism, by visiting Temples around the world,
improves an individual's sense of connection to their faith and personal identity.
Prototype
Discover Community Events
Discover Community Events
Explore upcoming events happening in Temples around the world.
Explore upcoming events happening in Temples around the world.
Access Live Events
Access Live Events
Experience live ceremonies and community events around the world.
Experience live ceremonies and community events around the world.
Discover Temples
Discover Temples
Visit and explore Temples around the world from your home.
Visit and explore Temples around the world from your home.
Access Temples
Access Temples
Experience fully immersive virtual reality tours of Temples from your home.
Experience fully immersive virtual reality tours of Temples from your home.
Access History
Access History
Study Religious history and culture, and how it evolves over time.
Study Religious history and culture, and how it evolves over time.
Learn History
Learn History
Study real artefacts from around the world, scanned in 3D.
Study real artefacts from around the world, scanned in 3D.
Real User Feedback
Real User Feedback
Learnings
Learnings
After three months of practicing spatial design, and filming over 20 temples across Asia, I gained invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities of designing mixed reality experiences.
Proposed Improvements:
Usability testing: test on Buddhists to gain insight on their experience and what to improve
Accessibility principals and WCAG guidelines to designing further inclusive experiences
Rigour on real user research and user testing on accessibility, e.g. using the System Usability Scale (SUS), keyboard-only testing and assistive-technology testing
After three months of practicing spatial design, and filming over 20 temples across Asia, I gained invaluable insights into the challenges and opportunities of designing mixed reality experiences.
Proposed Improvements:
Usability testing: test on Buddhists to gain insight on their experience and what to improve
Accessibility principals and WCAG guidelines to designing further inclusive experiences
Rigour on real user research and user testing on accessibility, e.g. using the System Usability Scale (SUS), keyboard-only testing and assistive-technology testing