Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2019, Computer Science and Engineering

The development of new data interaction modalities and concurrent advancement in the hardware and database technology has dramatically changed the way users interact with data. Data analysis tasks have now turned into interactive and instantaneous explorations of query-result space. Database systems are not designed to maintain interactive latency while handling the unique and unprecedented workloads posed by the modern interaction modalities. Our work strives to bridge the gap between the end-users and database systems, allowing the users to engage in interactive data exploration without an undue cognitive burden in processing the system feedback. We utilize the user-interaction behavior, the user-interface characteristics, and the human factors that drive the data exploration process to handle the challenges of interactive latency and cognitive overload in different interactive data exploration scenarios. This dissertation presents a middleware component – Flux Capacitor, that insulates the backend from bursty and query-intensive workloads generated by modern web, mobile, touch, and gesture-driven next-generation interfaces. Flux Capacitor uses prefetching and caching strategies informed by the inherent physics-metaphor of UI widgets such as friction and inertia in range sliders and maps, and the typical behavior patterns in user-interaction, enabling low interaction response times while intelligently trading off accuracy when required. We present a data substrate for addressing the unique data management and user interaction challenges posed by Augmented Reality (AR) interfaces for data – DreamStore. The platform incorporates optimizations for AR workload characteristics at various layers of the data stack, treating AR queries as first-class queries. DreamStore provides a user-focus based mechanism to handle visual clutter – a form of cognitive overload and enables interactive latency for user actions through prefetching and caching strategies that utiliz (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Arnab Nandi (Advisor); Srinivasan Parthasarathy (Committee Member); Han-Wei Shen (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science

Master of Fine Arts, Miami University, 2024, Art

The goal of this research was to develop a pathway for improving audience experience within playable theatre by defining and intentionally sequencing audience interactions within this genre of interactive and immersive performance. With the performing arts industry facing a crisis marked by dwindling ticket sales post-pandemic, theatre artists have an opportunity to attract new audiences by producing playable theatre productions that offer audience experiences that are as engaging of the senses and mind as popular immersive entertainment today. The development of the Audience Interaction Taxonomy for Playable Theatre, which defines and describes specific audience interaction modes, allows for the strategic design of the audience experience for game-based performance through sequencing and pacing of such interactions, ensuring heightened psychological engagement and narrative comprehension. Centered around the production of I Wish: A Theatrical Escape Room, an audience interaction model is developed on the foundation of the new taxonomy, designed to reduce cognitive load by limiting concurrent audience interaction modes to two. The study employed a pragmatic qualitative approach, utilizing observations, surveys, and interviews to understand participant experiences and behaviors in this context to refine and build upon the taxonomy and the sequencing of audience interactions. Understanding and defining audience interactions and experience within a playable theatre context is the first step in developing evaluation and design tools so that theatre artists feel empowered to confidently create immersive and interactive performance that delivers the intended audience experience.

Committee: Zack Tucker (Committee Chair); Geoffrey Long (Committee Member); Matt Omasta (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Performing Arts; Theater; Theater Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2016, Instructional Technology (Education)

This study investigated the strategy of embedded questions in educational interactive videos. The educational videos were created and used in two versions: Video with Embedded Questions (VEQ), and Linear Video – a video without Embedded Questions (LV). Video was used as a medium to test the effectiveness of embedded questions strategy. The LV version provided the ability to control the timeline of instructions, whereas VEQ provided the ability to control the timeline of instruction and to interact with embedded questions. Both versions have covered two main topics: battery life reservation, and presentation skills. The VEQ had an embedded multiple-choice questioning system that shows a question up on an over-layered screen, with each of the three answers providing a specific scene as a confirmation feedback whether it is a wrong or correct answer. The dependent variables were comprehension and self-efficacy. Comprehension was measured by assessment scores, and self-efficacy was measured by average percentage from each item in the assessment. The independent variable was having embedded questions system. The methodology was a sequential explanatory approach; a quantitative experiment supported by a qualitative focus group interview. The experimental approach involved dividing the participants (60 graduate students) into a control group exposed to LV version, and an experimental group exposed to VEQ version, and testing them all via assessment designed to measure their comprehension. The findings and discussion are based on theoretical framework of learner control, self-efficacy, and instructional design of VEQ. The results showed a significant difference in terms of assessment average scores and self-efficacy for the favor of embedded questions. Effect sizes were found to be relevant to the usage of embedded questions and levels of self-efficacy; they were irrelevant to the topic of video or participant's gender. The effect size of embedded questions over ass (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Moore (Advisor); Greg Kessler (Committee Member); Danielle Dani (Committee Member); Alan Wu (Committee Member) Subjects: Curriculum Development; Educational Evaluation; Educational Technology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2016, Communication

The model of interactive narrative effects was developed in order to expand upon and enhance previous theories of interactive narrative effects. This was accomplished by synthesizing Green and Jenkins' (2014) model of interactivity effects with elements of Sundar and colleagues' (2015) theory of interactive media effects, with the aim of expanding Green and Jenkins' definition of interactivity and disentangling the presence of an interactivity feature from the various psychological experiences and perceptions of interactivity. Two studies were then conducted to test the propositions of the newly developed model within the context of skin cancer and the Health Belief Model. The first study examined the impact of source interactivity and sourcefulness, while the other examined the impact of message interactivity and perceived contingency. The studies largely supported the MINE's propositions regarding the relationships between interactivity features, perceptions of interactivity, and narrative mediating variables, such as story engagement. Both studies also saw impacts on health beliefs, with perceived benefits and severity being influenced across both studies. The implications of these results for narrative research, interactive media research, and health communication research are discussed.

Committee: Jesse Fox (Advisor); David Ewoldsen (Committee Member); Daniel McDonald (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Engineering and Technology)

Humans live in a 3D reality and experience a 3D world. As a result, 3D computer graphics is a natural way to present digital data to humans. Virtual worlds of great complexity are naturally perceived and understood by the human visual system. This mechanism offers an efficient pathway to transfer digital data from a display into human knowledge. Computing 3D rendering output requires a specific computational complexity for a specific scene. The ever increasing demand to expand a scene's boundaries, add additional details, and enhance a scene's behavior present challenges to both the rendering hardware and rendering algorithms. This work presents a set of novel image-based algorithmic rendering approaches designed for massive concurrent execution on modern programmable Graphical Processor Units (GPUs). These approaches make use of constructs known as billboards and mesostructures, their goal is to render as much interactive detail as possible while maintaining real-time framerates. First, billboards are used to dynamically generate image-based impostors of computationally expensive objects within a scene. These impostors are subsequently rendered in lieu of the original geometry thus reducing the scene's overall rendering time. Impostors are then applied to the real-time visualization of tens of millions of 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data points enabling highly interactive visualizations previously unable to be achieved on commodity hardware. Second, mesostructures are used to dynamically generate a 3D height field on top of an existing geometrical surface via a 2D texture known as a displacement map. This work presents a technique for interactively deforming and colliding with mesostructures at a per-texel level. This technique integrates well with existing physics engines and is able to reduce traditional 3D geometrical deformations (vertex-based) to 2D image space operations (pixel-based) that are parallelized on a GPU without CPU-GPU data shuffl (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Chelberg PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Computer Science

Bachelor of Science of Media Arts and Studies (BSC), Ohio University, 2012, Media Arts and Studies

Examination of the history, development, and future of adaptive, dynamic, and interactive music in video games. Discussions include nonlinear music historical developments, compositional approaches for adaptive music, generative music, testing methods in the compositional and implementation stages, the evolving industry of adaptive music composition, future technological developments in music production and gaming, and adaptive music beyond games. Also included is an appendix of video game case studies, as well as an appendix of professional insight from game industry veterans.

Committee: Eddie Ashworth (Advisor); Arthur Cromwell Dr. (Other) Subjects: Communication; Composition; Mass Media; Music; Technology

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Communication Studies

The current research project called upon a two-study design to examine college students' use of socially interactive technologies (instant messaging programs, online social networking websites, blogs, and text messaging applications on cell phones). The first study was implemented to examine the frequency and form of college students' use of socially interactive technologies. The second study investigated whether the informal interactive written discourse typical of socially interactive technologies is permeating college students' more formal writing. Using this two-study design, college students' responses from a media use questionnaire were collected for Study I and examined in tandem with results from a quantitative content analysis of two formal messages written by students during an experimental computer laboratory session for Study II. The current investigation was couched in a framework based on the communication competence and social cognition literatures. These disparate fields were called upon together within an ecological schema provided by the theory of affordances to focus on the ways internal and external factors might contribute to communication outcomes in formal writing situations. The first study's results revealed that socially interactive technologies are generally popular among the college students in the current sample. Results from Study I also revealed that among the students in this sample, college grade point average and levels of need for cognition were negatively related to the frequency with which students use certain interactive media. The second study's results revealed that frequent use of socially interactive technologies in general, and certain formats in particular (text messaging and instant messaging), was consistently associated with the use of particularly informal written communication techniques. Specifically, problems with formatting as well as the inclusion of a nonstandard orthography and grammatical mistakes were all s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Melissa Spirek PhD (Committee Chair); Stephen Croucher PhD (Committee Member); Thomas Mascaro PhD (Committee Member); Ronald Shields PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

ABSTRACT With the advent of smart mirrors in fashion retail stores, in line with the digitalization of shopping journeys, customer experiences have developed. This research investigates how the Context Congruency in Smart Mirrors affects customer Decision-Making and Satisfaction with Virtual Try-Ons in stores. This study shows that interactive features like customization content in smart mirrors could enhance customer shopping experiences. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the effect of context feature utilization in smart mirrors within clothes shopping environments while customers virtually try-on, on their ease of decision-making and improving satisfaction. Using mixed method, the Study utilized designed experiment for control and test groups to examine this research statement and gathering qualitative and quantitative comprehensive data. The findings of the methodology phase show that utilizing context in smart mirrors enhances customer satisfaction and decision-making in fashion stores. The test group that was exposed to virtual try-on by using context customization has the feedback of a high level of engagement and confidence in their selection rather than the control group that had only the regular smart mirror experience. The thesis demonstrates the positive effect of contextual customization implementation in smart mirrors. Recommended ideas for utilizing of the context feature to the smart mirrors, some design research was carried out. To identify the interactive mirror features associated to the adding context feature, benchmarking was conducted with the research topic-related participants. Then, new feature ideas were defined, and by aggregating those, card sorting was concluded. Lastly, by analyzing collected features and defining design opportunities, final interaction scenario ideas are provided. The research shows the importance of integrating contextual interactive features in digital experiences. Applyin (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Matthew Furber M.F.A. (Committee Member); Emily Verba Fischer M.F.A. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Design

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2024, Computer Science

Knowledge Graphs (KGs) leverage structured data (entities and their relationships) to create a richly interconnected world. However, to fully explore these intricate connections, sophisticated exploration tools are essential as manual exploration can become overwhelming. Applications for KG exploration span many use-cases: social network analysis, corporate intelligence, and medical research. This research improves the InK Browser (Interactive Knowledge Browser), a modular, web-based tool for KG exploration, facilitated by flexible views. The goal is to enhance user understanding and this is tested through a user study. Flexible views are made possible by applying complex constraint definitions against data instances. When data points (and their relations) match a data shape, the flexible view provides an adaptive perspective of that data. The InK Browser already provides a flexible view for geospatial data (a map) and metadata (semantic and type information), as well as search functionality. This research has added a new functionality in Flexible Views, a KG summarization that is utilized within the InK Browser by the dynamic creation of SPARQL queries made from shortcuts of the used schema. This functionality aids the challenge of navigation and comprehension of KGs.

Committee: Cogan Shimizu Ph.D. (Advisor); Hugh P. Salehi Ph.D. (Committee Member); Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Engineering and Applied Science: Mechanical Engineering

Multi-robot systems are a promising solution for object transportation as they have huge advantages over single-purposed robots - they are more versatile, less specialized, and more resilient to system failure while they can be scaled in numbers to meet operating requirements. As humans continue to explore further into our universe and domestic needs continue to grow with an increasing population, more robots will be required to complete more jobs. Most importantly, this current philosophy does not consider environments without human intervention or teleoperation. In projects such as NASA Gateway where “galactic pitstops” may not have a human aboard for many months, faults or incomplete tasks would endanger any mission relying on consistent uptime. Tasks such as moving a simple object from an initial position to a target region, such as staging materials, must be completed by a reliable robotic system to save mission critical resources and time. However, when scaling numbers, multi-robot control and communication becomes complex as either monitoring technology or environmental cues must be deployed to enable coordination. In order to make the multi-robot system not only resilient, but also independent from environmental cues and hence universally deployable out-of-the-box, we propose a purely emergent interaction model based on touch between the individual mobile robots and contact with a manipulated object. This is realized with an attractor dynamics trajectory planner coined as “convergence” and a contact controller referred as “adherence” is benchmarked in a simulated non-prehensile object transportation task. The outcomes from this project include the “convergence” and “adherence” algorithms and how they behave as a coupled dynamic system, a Gazebo and Robotic Operating System (ROS) simulation, documentation and analysis of emergent behaviors from the coupled dynamic syste (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tamara Lorenz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Ali Minai Ph.D. (Committee Member); Nikita Kuznetsov Ph.D. (Committee Member); Manish Kumar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Robotics

Master of Sciences (Engineering), Case Western Reserve University, 2023, EECS - Computer and Information Sciences

With the advent of mixed reality in devices like the Hololens, there is great potential to create and better integrate artistic and social user experiences with these devices. In this thesis, a web user interface along with a Hololens application called Museotify is created on top of the Interactive Commons' CWRUXR framework. This application connects to the Cleveland Museum of Art API to create an unlimited number of unique, user controlled galleries of 2D and 3D artworks for multiple participants in a given session. Executed in real time, the various additional features of the application help to explore the intersection of art and mixed reality by collecting feedback from various students and faculty at CWRU that tested the application. The results of their feedback is synthesized along with existing research on mixed reality user experience to better inform and enhance design choices and production for future mixed reality app development.

Committee: Orhan Ozguner (Committee Chair); Mark Griswold (Advisor); Yinghui Wu (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science

MFA, Kent State University, 2023, College of the Arts / School of Art

Maybe She's Born With It, Maybe It's Neurodivergency is an homage to my lived experience as a Queer-Neurodivergent individual navigating a world that was not made for me. It challenges the hegemonic notion of ‘normalcy' and opens up a dialogue about the oppressive structures that we live within and are confined by. I impart the meaning of the grid as a symbol for neurotypicality, white supremacy, heteronormativity, and patriarchy. Alongside the grid is a hieroglyph of my own creation, a tight yet explosive gestural mark, a visual metaphor for my neurodivergent physical, mental and emotional discomfort. Combining these seemingly oppositional forms, I disrupt the grid visually and physically through a variety of print and papermaking processes. Through an interactive installation, the work calls attention to the importance of embracing intuition, relinquishing control, and audience participation in contemporary art— providing a platform to challenge the status quo both within the conventional art world and beyond.

Committee: Leigh Garcia (Advisor) Subjects: Fine Arts; Gender Studies; Mental Health

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

Specialist in Education, Miami University, 2022, Educational Psychology

Due to an increase in mental health needs in students, schools and state educational agencies are turning towards Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs in order to teach students needed social and emotional skills. However, there are many barriers to successful implementation of programs, one of which can be discrepancies in staff perceptions of readiness for change in their school system. In order to consider readiness for change, schools can use the Interactive Systems Framework (ISF) as a framework to administer a Readiness for Change assessment. Staff at a Midwest alternative school were sent a virtual survey that assessed different themes of Readiness for Change (e.g., motivation, general capacity). Survey results were analyzed to examine differences in the perception of readiness for change based on a staff member's role at the school and prior SEL experience. Survey results found a moderate average level of Readiness for Change among staff members. Results failed to find a statistically significant difference in Readiness for Change based on staff member's role at the school. And finally, results failed to find a statistically significant difference in Readiness for Change between staff members with prior SEL experience and staff members lacking SEL experience.

Committee: Kristy Brann (Advisor); William Boone (Committee Member); Paul Flaspohler (Committee Member) Subjects: Educational Psychology; Psychology; Teaching

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2022, Computer Science and Engineering

The internet and mobile devices allow us to consume digital data at every corner. We also encounter data in the real world between these interactions with the virtual world. When we see movie posters, pass street signs, or fill out a medical form, we observe data in the real world instead of the virtual world. The rise of augmented reality (AR) technologies allows us to consider how we can improve interactions with this real-world data. For example, consider a restaurant-goer who wishes to find which items are popular on the menu they are looking over. Currently, the person must look up the ratings online themselves. In this thesis, we propose methods that enable the person to view the menu with their mobile device and query for the menu item ratings by interacting directly with the real-world view of the menu. The work in this thesis enables systems that capture real-world data through an AR device, enhance the real-world data with data from remote sources, and allow a user to query real-world data in augmented reality interactively. The first part of this thesis describes a visual querying grammar and the implementation of a system for querying tabular data in the real world. The second part of this thesis showcases a declarative framework for developing applications that join real-world data with data from remote stores.

Committee: Srinivasan Parthasarathy (Advisor); Arnab Nandi (Advisor) Subjects: Computer Science

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2022, Music

Throughout the United States, various state music education associations have created a list of trombone solos for their solo and ensemble contests. While the lists are accessible, more detailed knowledge about each solo is limited. Items such as range, rhythm, tempo, or duration are unknown without looking at a copy of the sheet music. In addition, the difficulty level for many solos fluctuates from state list to state list. The purpose of this document is to develop a rubric system that classifies solos into a unified category for states and organizations, along with providing ways to bring new solos to their respective lists. Forty-five solos were selected for a process of examination with the developed rubric system. Additionally, this document also demonstrates how the interactive database, www.trombonesolos.com, allows visitors to learn about these selected solos, compares these solos to other solos of similar difficulty, and presents a platform to add more solos for future reference and contest performance.

Committee: Sterling Tanner (Advisor); James Akins (Committee Member); Bruce Henniss (Committee Member); Shawn Wallace (Committee Member) Subjects: Music; Music Education

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Engineering and Applied Science: Civil Engineering

High strength structural steel (HS3), which in this context is being defined as steel with a yield strength greater than 65 ksi (450 MPa), has gained popularity worldwide in the building industry due to its superior strength to weight ratio, and satisfactory ductility and toughness. However, the use of HS3 steel for design as a structural member in the United States has been limited in part because of limitations and a lack of guidance within the AISC Specification. This study aims to evaluate the local buckling behavior of HS3 stub columns of grades 100 ksi (690 MPa), 120 ksi (800 MPa), 140 ksi (960 MPa) subjected to axial compression. This study also throws light on the interactive buckling behavior of 120 ksi HS3 columns subjected to axial compression. Finite element models were developed and validated in ABAQUS from preexisting experimental data to capture the local buckling behavior and interactive buckling behavior of HS3 wide flange stub columns. A parametric study was conducted to investigate the effect of section slenderness on the local buckling behavior of the column. Three initial column sizes were used, and the web slenderness and flange slenderness were varied. The ultimate load capacity of these columns was investigated, and numerical results were then compared with the current local buckling design method in AISC 360 (2016) Specification for conventional steel. It was found that the design method in the AISC Specification nearly predicted the nominal strength of the HS3 column and can be used the design of HS3 wide flange columns of grade 100 ksi, 120 ksi and 140 ksi, respectively. During study of interactive buckling in 120 ksi built-up columns, it was found that the design method in the AISC Specification slightly overestimated the ultimate load capacity of the column specimen.

Committee: Rachel Chicchi Ph.D. (Committee Member); James Swanson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Alireza Asgari Hadad Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2021, Chemical Engineering

Interactive textbooks generate big data through student reading participation, including animations, question sets, and auto-graded homework. Here, animations are multi-step, dynamic visuals with text captions where records of students' clicks confirm usage and view time. These multi-step animations divide new content into small chunks of information that engage the student, require attentiveness and interaction, and align with tenets of cognitive load theory. Animation usage data from an interactive textbook for a chemical engineering course in Material and Energy Balances (MEB) is studied. This thesis uses MEB zyBook data collected across five cohorts between 2016 and 2020. Two metrics capture animation usage: 1) fraction of students watching and re-watching animations, 2) length of animation views. In addition to variation across content, parsed by book chapter, five animation characterizations investigate student usage for different types of visuals (Concept, Derivation, Figures and Plots, Physical World, and Spreadsheets). In addition, pre- and post-surveys for one cohort in 2021 assessed students' attitudes about engineering and animations. The three important findings of the animation view data are 1) student animation usage is very close to or greater than 100% for all chapters, 2) median view time varies from 22 s for 2-step animations to 59 s for 6-step animations - a reasonable attention span for students' cognitive load, 3) Median watch time by characterization ranged from 40 s for Derivation to 20 s for Physical World. Finally, student attitudes about engineering and animations found small, positive shifts that were not statistically significant between pre and post surveys.

Committee: Matthew Liberatore (Advisor) Subjects: Adult Education; Chemical Engineering; Educational Technology

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Designing Interactive Experience to Facilitate Conversations, Create Empathy and Change Attitudes on Race. Racism is in the fabric of United States' history and continues to divide people today. In 2020, our country has experienced social unrest after the death of several black people at the hands of police officers, a pandemic that has led to social isolation, and division in terms of politics, and numerous inequities based on race and ethnicity. Diversity and Inclusion training, dialogue facilitators, and physical card games have been used to have conversations around race; however, Covid-19 has inspired the researcher to develop an interactive digital format that can used to facilitate conversation while being socially distanced and to bring people together across long distances. This interactive experience has been formulated using design methodologies and processes, including user experience and interface design and informed knowledge from sociology and race experts including dialogue facilitators, race scholars and seminal research. Critical Race Theory tenets and Heuristic Evaluation principles will provide frameworks for the interactive experience content and user interface, respectively. The interactive experience has proven beneficial in facilitating conversations that cannot take place in-person, provided perspectives that challenge the dominant culture, and created empathy between white and black students, suggesting that it is an effective tool for facilitating conversations, creating empathy, and changing attitudes on race over time.

Committee: Ashley Kubley (Committee Chair); Tia Sheree Gaynor (Committee Member); Matthew Wizinsky M.F.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2021, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

The past few years have seen an increase in the use of virtual reality (VR) among designers in an attempt to create interactive projects to embrace technological innovations and adapt to the challenges of the digital era. While there are studies that examine the advantages of VR in presentations, meetings, and visitor's experiences with it, there aren't many studies examining the experience of designers who are responsible for the interactive space and narratives. The aim of this paper is to explore the practices, experiences, and perceptions of designers on the use of VR technology during exhibitions. The perceived advantages and challenges of such technologies and their requirements for the technology to be implemented in the field of design with virtual interactions are being discussed. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of interviews with a number of designers based on a live example, DAAPworks, an exhibition that takes place every year at the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (UC DAAP). It has been converted into a virtual platform in Behance due to the pandemic (Covid-19) in the year 2019. A working prototype of the exhibition has been created for this thesis to establish a starting point for the Virtually Interactive DAAPworks project. The ultimate aim is to offer a more critical and methodological examination and assessment of the use of VR for design exhibitions and to provide suggestions for designing and developing virtually interactive spaces in the future.

Committee: Ming Tang M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Muhammad Rahman M.Des. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design