Investors and consumers have become more interested in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) during the past five years, notably since Mark Zuckerberg’s $2 billion purchase of Oculus (Liu & Nhung, 2022). Sony, Samsung, HTC, and Google are just a few corporations now investing heavily in virtual and augmented reality (Liu & Nhung, 2022). While virtual reality (VR) has been used in academia for over 25 years, with thousands of articles and countless academics contributing to a robust, collaborative community, augmented, reality (AR) is a relatively new field of study. Research into virtual reality (VR) began in computer graphics but has now spread to other fields (Lou, 2017). Videogames enhanced by virtual reality technology are becoming popular now and serve as essential employment tools for researchers in neuroscience, psychology, biology, and others. For example, one of the primary reasons to use VR in research is for flight control studies, which entail complex experiments that can be conducted in a controlled environment in a lab with VR but which, without VR, would require researchers to go explicitly into the field, presumably with limited intervention. Even though it has been around for a while, the field of graphic design has recently experienced a surge in popularity thanks to its role in inspiring cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality.
Investigating how an established field like graphic design has progressed by incorporating cutting-edge tools like augmented and virtual reality. More people are now playing games using virtual reality technology than ever before. These games can also serve as valuable, work-related tools for researchers in neuroscience, psychology, biology, and more. One of the most important uses of VR in research is navigation studies, which need sophisticated experiments that may be conducted in a lab with VR rather than in the field with possibly restricted interaction. For quite some time, researchers have been curious about how studying people’s navigation systems can shed light on how dementia affects their ability to remember things (Lou, 2017). Numerous studies using VR in clinical contexts attest to the medium’s utility in academia, healthcare, and the classroom. Painting-imitating instruction alongside virtual reality was tested in a practical example of graphic design education to determine its efficacy. It has been established that classrooms employing VR as a teaching medium have significantly superior levels of teaching proficiency, attentiveness, and post-class retention of content in comparison to classes employing traditional teaching methods (Lou, 2017). Based on these findings, combining painting-emulation teaching with VR can significantly boost students’ learning outcomes by inspiring them to care about what they are studying.
Virtual reality (VR) integration in the graphic design classroom can help make up for the weaknesses of the traditional method, pique students’ curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, encourage them to apply their imagination and creativity, and build their overall design skills (Lou, 2017). In addition, the widespread availability of open-source virtual reality (VR) experimental and computational tools has lowered the barrier to entry into any discipline. While virtual reality (VR) has been around for quite some time, augmented reality (AR) is a relatively new technology that demonstrates an integrative application model, with education and learning now appearing to be the most researched area. Undoubtedly, augmented reality may aid in the learning process, positively impacting things like retention, comprehension, and interest (Asaad, 2021). Virtual reality’s research and application areas are more defined and well-defined than augmented reality, which is still in its early stages in the scientific community. VR helps visualize a future where virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality is used in classrooms instead of PowerPoint presentations. The designers’ job is to create visual aspects that complement the content and make it easier for the student to understand.
Graphic designers play an essential part in virtual and augmented reality industries. They can reveal the user’s VR experience by gauging factors, including immersion, realism, and proximity to the real world. Virtual reality’s “presence” is a multifaceted psychological impression of “being there,” complete with the capability to communicate and react as though the user were in the actual world (Lou, 2017). Similarly, realism is proportional to the user’s anticipation of the stimulation and encounter (Lou, 2017). The quality of the virtual reality (VR) experience can be improved by matching the offered stimuli to the user’s expectations of the actual world. To the same extent that the user’s actions mimic the virtual environment, the more realistic the simulation is (Lou, 2017).
Virtual and augmented reality is not physical in the traditional sense but can be experienced through a combination of sight and sound. The term “virtual reality” (VR) refers to a technique used in 3D media to give the impression of being somewhere else. Virtual reality creates a simulation through computers and sensory gear like headphones and gloves, aiming to separate the viewer from the outside world or entirely immerse them in the simulated environment (Asaad, 2021). The HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR goggles, and Google cardboard are among the market’s most well-known pieces of virtual reality (VR) technology (Asaad, 2021). Surgeons can plan and rehearse virtual reality (VR) procedures, and the military has utilized VR to simulate specific combat drills in high-risk environments.
Virtual reality (VR) could be helpful in communication design (Laing & Apperley, 2020). It would appear that the communication sector would benefit from adopting virtual reality (VR) innovation because of its reputation as a revolutionary type of media that completely immerses the user and provides them with new insights (Laing & Apperley, 2020).
The use of virtual reality and augmented reality in graphic design, and vice versa has many potential applications (AI). It is the process of endowing a computer or computer-controlled device with cognitive abilities like reasoning and learning. A decade ago, the phrase “cognitive computing” was coined to describe this emerging concept of using computers to help in decision-making in the face of increasing mental demands (Liu & Nhung, 2022). We are already using AI automated systems such as Siri and Alexa (among several others) to aid us with everyday decisions because of the clear benefits of AI as it is now implemented (Liu & Nhung, 2022). Virtual reality technology has come a long way since its conception. So, VR has been getting much press lately, and people are starting to use it more and more. As China has become more powerful as a country, so has the use of zSpace, virtual reality and augmented reality platforms in graphic design. Future industries will be significantly influenced by the usage of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology, which will have a sizeable economic impact (Liu & Nhung, 2022).
Humans have an innate and simple preference for verbal communication. That is why it should not be a shock that virtual assistants operated by voice have become so popular in our homes (Liu & Nhung, 2022). It is unnecessary for users to “operate” the system using their hands or motions because they may speak to it instead. For instance, the iPhone’s virtual assistant Siri makes it possible to send money to a friend via PayPal with only a single command (Laing & Apperley, 2020). Hotels can tour the premises to give you an idea of what to expect from your stay. Virtual reality can potentially improve luxury vacations (for instance, honeymoons or luxury resorts). Rather than watching a film or gazing at flat images of a site, the user can experience it firsthand (Asaad, 2021).
Many people, including doctors, scientists, and patients, can benefit from healthcare systems. Imagine if individuals suffering from anxiety or anorexia might benefit from virtual reality treatment. Teaching future doctors how to handle hypothetical scenarios in medical school would be incredibly beneficial (empathy training, for example). Virtual reality is already being used in the medical field. The capacity to deliver truly immersive experiences with virtual reality technology has the potential to revolutionize the entertainment industry. Video games and movies are becoming more and more interactive, allowing players and viewers to shift from a passive to an active role. In the future, consumers will have extremely individualized interactions with tales (should they wish to). Perspective selection in media like video games and films will always open up fresh ways to interact with the content.
Virtual reality (VR) can render varying degrees of detail, particularly useful in the early stages of building design. To better understand massing and spatial interactions, architects can design a fully immersive experience. Users may see how natural light would change the feel of the proposed area by moving the windows around. Virtual reality (VR) is a standard tool for cutting-edge fine artists (Asaad, 2021). There is already a substantial global community of multimedia artists working on immersive experiential art. Often, special education children do not benefit from using textbooks and other conventional forms of instruction. Students’ attention and participation have increased since the advent of VR.
When most people hear the term “virtual reality,” the first thing that comes to mind is gaming. In March 2020, the Entertainment Software Association claimed that 73% of the 169 million U.S. gamers owned a gaming console, and 29% of those gamers owned a VR-capable system (Lou, 2017). Before ordering pricey prototypes, VR makes it easy for designers and engineers to experiment with different vehicle builds and designs. VR has helped the auto industry save millions of dollars by minimizing the need for prototypes (Asaad, 2021). Using VR in marketing helps businesses give customers a taste of what they may expect from their products. People now actively seek virtual reality (VR) experiences from companies like Toms Shoes and The North Face, shifting the power dynamic between consumers and these companies.
Companies like Bank of America have purchased 10,000 VR headsets, and Walmart provides VR training to its 1,000,000 employees. Virtual reality (VR) allows users to gain knowledge through hands-on experience in a safe environment; it is reliable, cost-effective, and scalable (Lou, 2017). Some virtual reality (VR) platforms, including Virtual Speech, offer instruction in “soft skills,” or interpersonal and business abilities. They combine online instruction with virtual reality (VR) and simulation practice, preparing students for real-world situations in settings ranging from boardrooms to concert halls. Because of the enhanced recall that comes from firsthand experience, VR training has become increasingly popular (Lou, 2017).
360-degree videos (examples on YouTube) are one-way virtual reality (VR) used in the entertainment business to provide viewers with a more immersive experience and help them feel more connected to the story and the characters. For instance, in Disney Movies VR, you may attend red-carpet events and see an interview with the stars of “The Jungle Book.” Companies like Flipside XR have demonstrated that virtual reality has the potential to radically alter the production of media content (Asaad, 2021). Flipside’s real-time animation and motion capture tools let artists make interactive animation shows or broadcast live animation performances through virtual reality (VR) and more conventional platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Live (Liu & Nhung, 2022). People from all around the world may get together in the same virtual room, thanks to VR. Once in virtual reality, or “the metaverse,” groups of people can experience shared activities like going to a movie theatre, dining at a virtual restaurant, strolling along a virtual beach, or attending a virtual performance. Meta’s Horizon Worlds and AltspaceVR are the only two major firms in the VR industry that are already creating social networks. Not only may users of Horizon Worlds go on virtual world adventures together, but they can also make their immersive content, such as VR hangout rooms, for themselves and their coworkers (Asaad, 2021).
The reality technologies of augmented reality and virtual reality supplement or entirely replace the user’s actual surroundings. With augmented reality (AR), real-world objects and information are supplemented with computer-generated imagery (CGI), typically through a smartphone’s camera. If you have never tried it, virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows you to replace your physical surroundings with computer-generated ones. With augmented reality (AR), a digital overlay is superimposed on a user’s view of the physical world to provide helpful information and new insights into the latter. Industrial augmented reality apps, for instance, may provide on-the-spot troubleshooting advice whenever a user points their device at a piece of malfunctioning machinery. With virtual reality, the user’s environment is wholly simulated in place of the real one. Since everything in these worlds is made up, they are usually blown out of proportion.
Asaad, R. R. (2021). Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies: A closer look. Virtual reality, 1(2).
Laing, S., & Apperley, M. (2020). The relevance of virtual reality to communication design. Design Studies, 71, 100965.
Liu, L., & Nhung, M. T. (2022). The Application of VR/AR Technology in Graphic Design Based on zSpace. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 2022.
Lou, M. (2017). A Virtual Reality Teaching System for Graphic Design Course. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 12(9).