Team Members
Sharvari Prasad Raut | Shamala Hebbally Onkarappa | Shubh Bhutani | Rishika Hirachand Shinde | Li Huizhu | Jiang Min | Cheng Yuanbi | Navkant Sondhi
Audio Walkthrough for Busy Reviewers
16-minute deep dive into the research process and design decisions
Overview
We designed an immersive VR experience that raises awareness about marine conservation by combining storytelling, multi-sensory design, and gamified interaction. The project aligned with SDG 14: Life Below Water, encouraging empathy and action towards protecting marine ecosystems.
The Challenge
Traditional media like documentaries raise awareness but often fail to inspire lasting change. Our question was:
How might we use VR to build empathy for marine life and motivate conservation behaviour?
Limited Engagement
Traditional media fails to create lasting behavioral change
Empathy Gap
Traditional media fails to create lasting behavioral change
Action Deficit
Knowledge doesn't translate to conservation behavior
Research
Methods
Surveys
150+ participants
In-depth Interviews
25 users
Observational Studies
Aquarium field research
VR Accessibility Testing
Usability and comfort evaluation
Key Findings
Young adults (18–24, mostly female, tech-savvy) wanted immersive yet educational content.
- had never participated in ecological activities, showing opportunity for first-time engagement.
- 76%
Design Solutions
Three VR Scenarios Across Ocean Layers
Surface Pollution
Collect plastics disguised as jellyfish, learning about microplastic impact on marine food chains
Noise Pollution
Restore whale communication by breaking “noise bubbles” from shipping traffic
Industrial Debris
Rescue an octopus trapped in industrial debris, experiencing deep-sea ecosystem fragility
Gamification · Storytelling · Accessibility
Gamification
Tasks like collecting, cleaning, and rescuing boosted engagement
Storytelling
Perspective-taking (embodying marine species) deepened empathy
Accessibility
Comfort options, adjustable visuals, captions, and clear controller guidance
Ocean Conservation VR Experience - Prototype
A virtual reality prototype that combines education, empathy, and interaction to
raise awareness about marine pollution and inspire conservation behavior.
Usability Testing
Insights from user research and testing sessions
Strengths
- Clear messaging throughout the experience
- Emotional impact of pollution-free visuals
- Engaging gamified tasks and interactions
Feedback
- Improve pacing between scenes
- Enhance graphics quality and realism
- Add immersive background audio
Impact
Users felt inspired to share the experience and saw it as both entertaining and educational.
Outcome
We delivered a VR prototype that successfully meets our core objectives:
Education & Empathy
Combines educational content with empathetic storytelling to create lasting impact on users.
Interactive Experience
Engages users through gamified interactions and meaningful choices.
Pollution Awareness
Raises awareness of plastic, noise, and waste pollution through immersive experiences.
Behavioral Change
Validates VR’s potential to spark conservation-oriented behavior in users.
Future Directions
Roadmap for enhancing the VR experience and expanding its reach:
Enhanced Realism
Upgrade to HD/4K graphics for more immersive visual experiences
Audio Enhancement
Add background audio and expand marine life diversity
Gamification
Expand gamification elements with reward systems
Scale Testing
Expand usability testing with broader, diverse audiences