Archives is a VR experience made for Field.studio and Performance Ensemble's 1001 Stories. The VR experience was the culmination of written stories, audio, and video retellings of the local citizens of Leeds. This is a collection of view pieces that can be experienced organically in a virtual world using VR headsets.
Through planning and research, creating the space and how it came together was a challenge, what aesthetic would unite all of these stories under one banner, and what font and palette to use?
Creating a low-fi prototype that would plan how to build the environment allowed me to map out core areas, and how the UI would interact with the environment, as buildings and models act as backdrops for the skyscraper-like stories to be readable, likewise soft lights with minimal bloom would make the ambient lighting readable for VR use
The world and many of its objects use simple textures, as I wanted directional and environmental lights to wash over the landscape. Subtle notes of colour are found on some of the trees, but larger buildings are stripped away.
Creating a low-fi prototype that would plan how to build the environment allowed me to map out core areas, and how the UI would interact with the environment, as buildings and models act as backdrops for the skyscraper-like stories to be readable, likewise soft lights with minimal bloom would make the ambient lighting readable for VR use
The world and many of its objects use simple textures, as I wanted directional and environmental lights to wash over the landscape. Subtle notes of colour are found on some of the trees, but larger buildings are stripped away.
Prototype Version
Final Version
Grid Overview
This direction allowed the stories to stand out, the orbs that contained audio would act as waypoints for the user to pick up. Audio is used heavily, each major quadrant has an ambience playing throughout, and travelling along the roads conjures a windy pressure as if the user is driving along the roads.
The overall experience uses easy functionality of grab objects, locomotion to move around, and smooth user sensitivity to reduce motion sickness. The colour palate is soft creating a calming atmosphere for the user to explore.