Audience engagement in immersive installations

Abstract

Immersive installations can be defined as real-world spaces where walls and floors are covered with moving projections, combined with surrounding sounds and light, to create an immersive and multi-sensory environment [1]. Visual Arena is a platform that brings together multiple stakeholders from the XR industry, and they have observed a growing interest in exploring immersive installations in Gothenburg. This thesis is a part of Visual Arena’s feasibility study on audience engagement within such installations. The project was guided by design thinking and followed an iterative design process proposed by Visual Arena, inspired by to the well-known double diamond framework. It includes four phases: empathize, frame, experiment, and deliver. The approach resulted in the creation of a high-fidelity prototype in collaboration with Visual Arena’s partner network to facilitate the development of an immersive installation. Visitor feedback indicated that visuals, sound, and interactions contributed to a sense of engagement and immersion. While the onboarding areas helped visitors engage with the theme, they were less effective at preparing users for interactions within the immersive installation. Only a small subset of visitors identified a clear narrative, which may be a consequence of the less prominent storytelling due to technical challenges and time constraints. As a result, conclusions regarding the impact of narrative on user engagement remain ambiguous. Future work should further investigate the role of storytelling in immersive installations and evaluate the technical feasibility of implementing such installations.