The Vr Book: Human-centered Design for Virtual Reality

by Jason Jerald

Virtual reality (VR) can provide our minds with direct access to digital media in a way that seemingly has no limits. However, creating compelling VR experiences is an incredibly complex challenge. When VR is done well, the results are brilliant and pleasurable experiences that go beyond what we can do in the real world. When VR is done badly, not only is the system frustrating to use, but it can result in sickness. There are many causes of bad VR; some failures come from the limitations of technology, but many come from a lack of understanding perception, interaction, design principles, and real users. This book discusses these issues by emphasizing the human element of VR. The fact is, if we do not get the human element correct, then no amount of technology will make VR anything more than an interesting tool confined to research laboratories. Even when VR principles are fully understood, the first implementation is rarely novel and almost never ideal due to the complex nature of VR and the countless possibilities that can be created. The VR principles discussed in this book will enable readers to intelligently experiment with the rules and iteratively design towards innovative experiences.

Genres: Virtual Reality, Design, Nonfiction

523 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Preston Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a great reference for understanding core concepts involved in creating VR experiences. To the contrary, the information was very dense with a multitude of terms and definitions that offered limited examples and context. When examples were paired with definition, concepts were quite clear. However, the majority of terms were left to stand on their own. It would be wise for the author to pair many of the complex topics discussed with links to videos as I found myself constantly jumping out of the book to YouTube and other video resources to truly grasp the content.

[Coray Seifert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap. What a deep dive. Chock-a-bock full of value for newcomers to XR or veterans looking to formalize their understanding of the craft. A but aged in terms of technology, but timeless concepts throughout.