Chuanshi: VR Diary

A virtual reality archive for a home that can no longer be returned

Overview

Chuanshi is an interactive VR diary of my childhood living on the Chuanshi island off the east coast of China. In this project, I recount distant, fragmented memories to explore the malleability of space in VR and examine how the body relates to, inhabits and interacts with the digital representation of a physical space. I designed, prototyped and programmed this solo project.

Client
Thesis project

Duration
Sept., 2020 - May, 2021

Roles
Designer, Prototyper, Developer

Tools
Unreal, Blender, Figma

The Problem

The project "Chuanshi" aims to explore the intersection of memory, physical space, and digital representation through an interactive VR diary of childhood experiences on Chuanshi Island, off the east coast of China. The challenge lies in creating an immersive virtual environment that captures the nostalgic yet fragmented nature of the creator's memories while addressing technical and design constraints.

Background

I was born on Chuanshi, a secluded island in the East China Sea, and spent my formative years there before embracing a peripatetic lifestyle. As I drift through the world, my heart remains tethered to Chuanshi. In a year marked by fear, loss, and uncertainty, I created this project as a refuge—an intimate space for meditation, contemplation, and the pursuit of a sense of belonging. With limited archival materials at my disposal, I drew upon a collection of my early childhood memories to craft an immersive VR experience. In this virtual realm, visitors can explore a digital reinterpretation of my family home and gather fragments of my family history scattered throughout the virtual space.

Ideation

Based on brainstorming and exploration, I have decided that the tone of my project will be nostalgic yet distant, with visual keywords emphasizing fragmentation and distortion. The water theme of the island complements these choices perfectly.

Interaction Design

I recorded several audio stories and scattered them in the virtual space. The project starts with visitors spawned in front of a calendar and hearing me recounting the day I left the island. It serves as both an intro and a tutorial for the visitors to get familiar with the navigation system. As they start moving around in the house, they will realize the colored objects are trigger points for the audio stories and the sound fades as they move away.

3D Design

I modeled the house and several 3D objects in Blender based on family photos and my memory of the physical environment.

Solution

Results

Reflections

  • My goal for this project is to become familiar with Unreal and conceptualize a project from 0 to 1, leaving limited opportunities for me to focus on details. Given more time, I would design an onboarding system, particularly for first-time VR players, to help them become accustomed to the navigation.

  • The underwater effect can lead to lagginess in VR and isn’t the most performant feature. I would like to explore ways to maintain the visual effect while optimizing the application.

  • I have also considered additional features that could enhance the underwater theme further, such as a swimming or floating simulation for users and physics to allow objects to float in the water.

Exhibition

Chuanshi was curated for the Perfect World exhibition at FOUR-D in New York in August, 2021.