Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The sketching possibilities in VR are getting increasingly more available for people without
in-depth programming and computer skills. Previous research has shown that using VR in the
sketching process by landscape architects increases the understanding of spatiality, reduces the
cognitive load, enhances communication, and gives confidence to the user. To understand the field
a literature study was undertaken and interviews were conducted. To get new practical insights an
applied sketching session was performed and documented. The hardware used was Oculus Quest
2 and the software was a plug-in for SketchUp called VRSketch. The method used for the applied
sketching was inspired by auto-ethnographic studies where one interacts within a given environment
while at the same time observing and documenting ones own reactions to that environment. In this
study the environment is VR and the activity being performed and observed is sketching in VR. An
open mind to all sorts of results was kept to make the most out of the methodology. This method
compliments past studies and whilst it doesn’t give results which necessarily reflect what other people
would experience, it indicates directions for future research. Some of the results were consistent
with previous studies and others need further research. Future investigation could explore: having
multiple users in a VR setting at the same time, exploring the possibilities with different levels of
abstraction, the different types of intuition, to use a checklist to get started but not to get creative,
and to generally expand the academic discourse as technology advances.