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Imagine the moment when you come to the theater for a concert, lecture or performance. The anticipation builds as you walk through the brightly lit lobby with your ticket in hand. You climb the stairs and the doors open, revealing a grand scale of space, whispering spectators and an illuminated stage. When you find your seat, the lights go out, the curtains are drawn, and the opening music begins. The show is about to start.
Events are defined by their rituals, the sense of growing excitement, and the development of the narrative. From the moment you walk up to the entrance until the final applause dies down, a well-designed theater will convey a sense of common cause and purpose. Historically, people have been very good at building these places in the real world – spaces that enhance the quality of our public experience. And build them virtually as many as possible.
As virtual reality steadily enters the mainstream — and most recently, news of two new headsets from Meta and Sony, both of which aim to expand the adoption of virtual reality — is critical for designers to create virtual spaces that recognize our humanity. As someone who designs virtual places used by tens of thousands of people, I want to share the lessons my team and I have learned so that other designers can create experiences that last long after the headset is turned off.
The rationale for a virtual event space is similar to the actual venue, as is the design process. Often our design teams bring in architects to make sure we learn from real principles.
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“There are features related to the audience, the show and the setting – it’s just that the audience is made up of avatars, and the setting is virtual,” said architect Christopher Daniel, who designed both real and virtual performance venues. “We have the opportunity to use the characteristics of the Konzerthaus in Berlin or the theater in Buenos Aires and avoid physical constraints to create virtual places that are both dreamlike and real.”
But remember, virtual spaces have different needs. We found that virtual audiences need more space between seats to feel comfortable. The line of sight from the seats to the stage must take into account the fact that the audience is both indoors and in different physical environments around the world. This means that avatars tend to move around more frequently and less erratically than in physical locations. To prevent other spectators from being distracted, we often make each level of seating higher than the actual space, and the seats are more widely spaced.
Creating a compelling virtual experience is an exercise in world building. Whether the environment is entirely fantasy or reality-based, the sense of “reality” is a huge factor in its immersive potential.
We experience virtual worlds up close, which means that every environment requires attention to detail. From the type of stone chosen to the cut and texture of the wood – think mahogany or red cedar, not just “brownwood” – the high level of craftsmanship will make your space a place people want to return to.
The most compelling virtual spaces are multi-sensory, so the judicious use of audio elements is key to transporting viewers to new worlds. There are many methods to consider, including ambient audio, spatially anchored audio, and audio feedback that rewards certain interactions, or a combination of each.
Regardless of your approach, effective spatial audio can add physicality to spaces as well as deepen compelling visuals. The sound of waves crashing in the distance or the sound of seagulls flying overhead can bring a space to life, so think about how your landscape can affect the soundscape.
Virtual reality poses new challenges for creative people: when you can do anything, how do you choose where to start?
The initial research phase is the key to a deeper understanding of the use of space and the target audience. How do you want your guests to feel? How will this space serve them? Or surprise them? The goal is to keep artists, UX designers, and technologists open to inspiration during this stage while keeping the audience and purpose of the event front and center.
It is also important at this stage to set limits and define what the environment is not. We often use Miro and Pinterest boards to highlight elements to avoid — low ceilings, light panels, ornate chrome — so as not to create something generic or bland. This process helps the creative team eliminate ambiguity, build a common visual vocabulary, and articulate any assumptions.
With every VR event, we tell the story from start to finish, like a real show. In order for the participants to get a sense of how the story is progressing, it is helpful to provide cues inspired by the basics of screenwriting, such as the classic three-act structure.
For example, the beginning of each event should serve as your first act, including stage setup and instructions. Invite your guests, show them around and provide initial information that will inspire them to explore further. It is important to gently guide the participants, many of whom may be new to VR, from the beginning, before gradually adding complexity.
This escalating action should end with the main theme or performance of the event, generating a variety of reactions from the audience. It’s also important to let guests know what to do when the main event is over by providing clear next steps to exit the venue and move on.
Like most technologies, virtual reality is evolving at an incredibly fast pace. Designers today face the challenge of optimizing the experience within the limitations of current typefaces, while also preparing for the next evolution. In the future, we will face more serious problems. For example, artificial intelligence will soon generate not only concept art, but also entire virtual worlds.
But designing spaces based on storytelling will continue to be a hallmark of the individual. As we venture into the metaverse, let’s not forget our humanity.
Michael Ogden is the chief creative officer of virtual reality company Mesmerise, where he oversees Atmospheric, the company’s in-house creative lab.
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Post time: Dec-05-2022