Inner Voyage
Timeline
4 Weeks | Nov-Dec 2024
Role
UX & Interaction Design, Research Lead
Skills & Tools
User Research, Product Strategy, UI Design
Team
PM - Danny Huang
Art Lead - Ethy Yang
Animation - Fayzan Mirza
Art Lead - Ethy Yang
Animation - Fayzan Mirza
Challenge
How might we apply VR to reshape and disrupt traditional paradigms in healthcare treatment?
Healthcare has long relied on traditional treatment approaches, which often fail to address the complexities of individual patient needs. These methods can be rigid, reactive, and inaccessible, leaving gaps in care for conditions that demand innovation. Virtual reality presents an opportunity to reshape and disrupt these paradigms, offering immersive, personalized, and engaging solutions that bridge the gaps left by conventional methods. By integrating VR into healthcare, we can reimagine how patients experience treatment, creating new pathways for healing and well-being.
Define
INITIAL PROBLEM STATEMENT
Mental health treatments fail to effectively address emotional disconnection and promote positive progression.
Traditional approaches often fail to provide the emotional engagement needed to help patients reconnect with joy and pleasure. VR’s immersive potential can reignite the brain’s reward system, fostering emotional connection and motivation where traditional therapies fall short. This solution supports patients struggling with engagement and progress in conventional treatments.
Painpoints
Treatments fail to adapt to individuals
Barriers make care inaccessible to many
Therapies often lack patient engagement
Focus on symptoms, not resilience
Research
A primary concern was maintaining sensitivity and avoiding counterproductive outcomes. We conducted extensive research on using VR to treat anhedonia and similar conditions, shaping our solutions around this knowledge.
Evidence for VR as a Mental Health Tool,
Chen et al, 2021
Chen et al, 2021
VR sessions reduced anhedonia, depression, and anxiety, improving mood and functional impairments. Positive affect increased in later sessions, demonstrating a learned reward response through VR combined with imaginal recounting.
VR natural experiences for mental health,
Yen & Huang 2024
Yen & Huang 2024
VR users experienced higher happiness, health, and quality of life, with reduced distress and depression. High-immersion headsets enhanced engagement, while VR nature offered accessible solutions for urban populations lacking real outdoor experiences.
Ideation
After research, we formed a clearer idea of the problem.
Revised problem statement
Mental health treatments fail to effectively address emotional disconnection and promote positive progression.
We used our core findings as a foundation to generate potential solutions. First, we laid out the ideal user flow for the experience.
From there we developed the UI elements to guide users through the process.
Products
REDISCOVERING THE JOY WITHIN
A gentle pet dog companion follows at your side, offering quiet support as you explore the serene wilderness together.
AI navigation and pathfinding in action. A NavMeshAgent, combined with custom AI scripts, enables the dog to dynamically locate, pursue, and retrieve the thrown ball, resulting in fluid, intelligent movement across the environment.
A tranquil haven bathed in soft light, the meditation room invites calming virtual therapy. Here, subtle guidance and calming visuals help players rediscover inner peace and rekindle their sense of joy.
Learnings
Gradual Onboarding Eases Cognitive Load
Introducing mechanics step by step prevents users from feeling overwhelmed. Using sequential onboarding helps users acclimate to VR interactions without breaking immersion.
Minimize Discomfort to Improve VR Adoption
VR can be overwhelming for new users, especially when it causes motion sickness or disorientation. Implementing design choices like a vignette effect during movement helps reduce discomfort, making the experience more accessible and enjoyable.
Optimize Interaction Design for Immersion
After launching our demo, I realized that traditional UI elements don’t always translate well to VR. Replacing flat menus with natural interactions—like gaze-based selection or object-based controls—can help maintain immersion and reduce friction.
