1.) Quill – Oculus Rift
This is one of my favorite AR/VR experiences thus far! I thoroughly enjoyed using Quill (again) – I had the opportunity to use it for a short period both at a conference and in class. I love the concept of giving artists/creators tools to create more art and the ability to visualize/animate designs in realtime was an incredible feat! My favorite part of the application was the ability to visualize ideas instantly and how it gives the creator a better sense of space. However, similar to other applications like Quill (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Etc.), there is a steep learning curve. It would take several tries to learn how to expedite the process and be able to use the product in a real-time/efficient manner. Otherwise, I would use Quill again and hopefully get better at it. In the near future, I hope to create a VR/AR application that will allow creators to “create” art or something new with my own VR/AR world.
2.) Notes on Blindess – Samsung Gear VR
Notes on Blindness is also a very interesting and enjoyable experience. I’m very interested in film and creative storytelling, so the idea of a short film/narrative in a VR/AR format was very intriguing. The visuals were a stunning experience, I loved the visual imagery created by the lights and it really “played” with my senses. The audio was a huge part of the film and I thought that it was really well done. My one critique is that in some scenes Notes on Blindness was a bit dim (I get that its about blindness) but for such an ironic piece, I felt myself wanting more light in some situations just so that I could read the text or get an idea of the space they are trying to portray a bit better. Maybe that’s what the creators wanted us to feel??? Otherwise, I enjoyed this VR/AR experience as well, and I could also see myself doing something similar for a future project – creative/digital storytelling via a VR/AR format.
3.) Star Chart – Oculus
The Star Chart on Oculus was beautifully done, but probably one of my least favorite experiences. Some key elements that I appreciated were the fact that the night sky alters based on the user’s location. So technically, had I tried the application in various locations – the night sky visuals would change as well. I think this feature is an ingenious one, but my biggest critique is that the progress for the user is quite finite. Granted there are countless stars in the sky, the application only shows first-tier and second-tier stars/galaxies. Once the user has “explored” enough the interface becomes a bit monotonous. Star Chart is a great resource for space and astrology fanatics, but in terms of user experience and development, it leaves the user with more to be desired.
Reflection:
I genuinely enjoyed my first experiences with a variety of AR/VR applications – if I were to create my own, I would probably do something a bit more user and consumer-centric potentially through digital storytelling, a lifestyle based app, or even on that follows current trends. A prime example that I would do is an iteration of my least favorite experience, Star Chart. Currently, there is a tremendous millennial and Gen Z focus on horoscopes and astrology, and I would incorporate all the great facets of Star Chart and make it more user-friendly and story-driven – connecting them more with other “players” rather than a singular user experience. My iteration would give daily updates, horoscope predictions, and interactivity in a more dynamic sense.