INFO

Abstract

A VR experience designed to cultivate a mindful relationship with nature through a sense of togetherness

We aimed to foster a mindful relationship with nature by immersing users in a playful VR environment. Through expert interviews and user testing, we gathered insights to guide the design process. The results suggest that feeling a sense of togetherness (copresence) with nature may enhance mindfulness and help users recognize its agency.

Timeline

May 2022 - Present

Role

Unity Developer, Designer, User researcher

methods

Expert Interview, User Study (Mixed-methods: Self-report Surveys, Semi-structured Interviews)

tools

Unity, Maya, Figma

collaborators

OVERVIEW

Problem

Amid growing environmental crises, humans are increasingly disconnected from nature. Virtual Reality (VR) offers a way to bridge this gap, yet clear guidelines for designing VR experiences that foster genuine, mindful connections with nature are still needed.

Research Question

How can immersive VR environments be leveraged to help foster mindful relationships with nature?

Research Goals

Study 1: Existing interventions

Conduct expert interviews with animal specialists to gather insights on effective strategies for designing VR nature experiences

Study 2: Measuring the designed impact

Conduct a user study to measure the impact of the designed experience on users' perception of nature and their sense of connection.

Initial Design Goals

Based on the literature review, we established the following design goals to assist players in connecting with nature in VR:

Create an authentic nature experience

Develop a multi-sensory environment with realistic visuals and soundscapes that immerse players in nature

Help players perceive the agency of nature

Depict virtual animals as sentient beings that interact meaningfully with players to highlight their complexity

DESIGN

Creating an authentic nature experience in VR

We focused on building a multi-sensory, immersive environment that closely resembles real-world ecosystems.

Designing for immersive nature

The virtual setting, modeled after the African Savanna, includes natural sights and sounds that react to user movements, while animals like Kelly the elephant display realistic responses to the user's presence. Subtle haptic feedback, such as ground vibrations from Kelly’s footsteps, further enhances the sense of immersion. For visual fidelity, we sourced realistic 3D models and animations of wildlife from the Unity Asset Store₁.

Three phases in Eyes of the Wild‍

Onboarding helps players adjust to the environment and controls.

Encounter immerses players in interactive wildlife exploration with guided narration.
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Recollection offers a reflective look back at key moments from the journey.
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Perceiving the agency of nature

We leveraged the concept of copresence in VR—"the feeling of being together"—to help users experience a sense of equality with virtual nature.

For the sense of copresence, we carefully designed the behavior of virtual elephants to convey attentiveness and responsiveness, aiming for an authenticity that reflects their real-world counterparts. This approach allows users to perceive the animals as sentient beings, fostering a more meaningful connection.
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To further augment copresence, other animals in the surroundings contribute to copresence by exhibiting similar avoidance behaviors, such as African cape sparrows flying away as users draw near.

EXPERT INTERVIEW

We conducted expert interviews with 9 wildlife-related professionals₂ to answer:
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"What established methods and interventions can inform the design of VR experiences aimed at fostering mindful human-nature relationships?"

The interview focused on three key areas:

Experts’ experience in building bonds with animals
Evaluation of the Eyes of the Wild prototype
Discussion of potential future applications for the project

Findings

The interview data was transcribed and thematically analyzed by the two researchers using Atlas.ti for deductive coding. Below is an overview of the key insights derived from the expert interviews:
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Closing the psychological Barrier
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Experts frequently noted the psychological barrier arising from a human-centered view that perceives wildlife as objects, "companions," or "sources of entertainment" rather than as independent, sentient beings.
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Through Closing the Physical Barrier
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Experts emphasized the importance of physical presence in fostering connections with wildlife, noting that "if people don't see something with their own eyes, they're less likely to care about it" (P9).
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Incorporating Playfulness

Playful interactions can enhance the user experience and deepen emotional connections with wildlife. Experts highlighted the value of spontaneous encounters in creating memorable moments.

Eyes of the Wild was evaluated positively, with experts noting that it effectively reflects tactics they use to foster connections with wildlife, such as creating immersive environments and emphasizing animal individuality. Also, experts appreciated the VR experience's ability to simulate natural habitats and realistic animal behaviors, making users feel genuinely present with the animals.
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However, experts also noted areas for improvement in designing copresent moments to support mindful relationship-building:

Interactions should always be wildlife-initiated to reinforce animal agency
Dynamic boundaries to promote a respectful distance that aligns with real-world interactions
Refine playful elements to deepen engagement without compromising authenticity

Improvements to Eyes of the Wild

Based on expert feedback, Eyes of the Wild was refined to enhance the authenticity and depth of copresent moments. Routine behaviors were added at the beginning to create a more natural lead-up to the interaction phase.

Key improvements for copresence include more playful moments such as:
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Waiting for You

Waving Trunk

Breathing Together

USER TESTING

Using the iterated version of Eyes of the Wild₃, we conducted a between-subject user study (n = 32) to compare two conditions (copresence vs. baseline) and examine:

"In what ways does the perceived sense of copresence affect user experience?"
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Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions and experienced the VR environment using a Meta Quest 3 headset tethered to a computer.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of user experience, we collected both quantitative data through pre- and post-test self-report surveys and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews.