This study explores how user-centered methods can support socially engaged immersive media creation. While immersive projection and interactive media technologies are increasingly adopted in design practice and education, many immersive works emphasize visual spectacle and technical presentation rather than emotional experience and social understanding. To address this issue, this study proposes a framework integrating user empathy, narrative translation, and immersive participation. A graduate-level creative design project, Reclaiming the Light, was selected as the primary case. The project addressed the psychological trauma experienced by abandoned stray dogs and transformed their emotional experiences into immersive narrative scenes through projection, interaction, and spatial storytelling. Students first used Empathy Maps and Journey Maps to analyze the emotions, fears, expectations, and experiential trajectories of the subject. These emotional structures were then translated into storyboards and immersive visual sequences. Kinect interaction, TouchDesigner, Unity, and Resolume Arena were used to create participatory audience experiences within a 180-degree projection environment. Research data included project documents, student reflective feedback, and audience questionnaires. The findings indicate that user-centered methods helped shift the creative process from issue-based expression toward situated emotional understanding, while immersive interaction transformed audiences from passive viewers into participants in emotional and relational engagement.

Authors:
Tzu-wei Tsai, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Tzu-wei Tsai is Professor and Dean at National Taichung University of Science and Technology. Her interests include affective design, immersive media, AI design, and exhibition design.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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