MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

COVID-19 caused lifestyle changes and set new challenges for information access. On the other hand, innovative technologies always enable new opportunities for challenges. This study uses a Virtual Tour environment as a method to benefit online information access on the University of Cincinnati (UC) campus. The quality of information access has a close connection with the community connection, campus decision-making, and research cooperation. Because of the online teaching and COVID-related isolation policy, members of the university need a higher ability of online information access, spreading, and sharing. In the data management and cultural heritage field, The Virtual Tour environment, as a new 3D interactive method, has been widely used with positive results. However, this method hasn't been used in the campus information access context. This study introduces the Virtual Tour Environment into the UC campus context and adopted the Virtual Tour environment in the UC New application prototype design. Two research processes are included in this study. Firstly, an auto-ethnography method is used to generate the framework and principles for further testing. Secondly, I used to research through design as a method and create a prototype to test and collect feedback from users. By using user experience elements theory, I analyze the data that I collect from five layers of the user experience. The result of this work shows how the VTE affects the campus information experience in a systematic way. This result can provide a reference for other designers or schools to improve their information accessing experience in a similar context.

Committee: Brooke Brandewie (Committee Member); Emily Verba Fischer M.F.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design