From fear to fun: Exploring design concepts in VR

Deep down in the underground of Haukeland Sykehus in Bergen, a new light rail stop is currently taking shape. Unfortunately, underground stops seem to scare the life out of people: Some people feel trapped, others are afraid of assault, and some are simply afraid of the dark.

So how can we make people feel safe in underground stations? And is it possible to test out different concepts in order to see the effect, before construction has even begun?

Through a number of workshops, I challenged the concept of underground stations, and carried out user tests in VR in order to collect user feedback. Numerous questions appeared in this process, among these:

• What are you actually testing, when doing user tests in VR?

• Does a VR experience have to be truly immersive in order to comprehend a concept?

• And does it really make sense to prototype a building?

If you are as curious as me, when it comes to interaction design, user research, exploring more or less far out design concepts, and user testing in VR, then come to my talk!