Designing OWN, The Inner World as a Virtual Space: By and For Introspection

Nurturing the inner world of emotions, thoughts, and self is essential to our well-being. However, the abstract and invisible nature of the inner world makes it difficult for people to sense and manage. Then, what if people build their own virtual world where they can introspect inner sides? This pictorial presents the creation process of ‘OWN’, a personal virtual space where users, the OWNers, can explore and interact with their inner world. As part of the co-creation process, each OWNer expresses a personal narrative about themselves and their surroundings, allowing psychologists to gain an in-depth insight into their world. The psychologists’ analysis of the OWNer’s inner state suggests various elements that the designer visualizes as space in the virtual world. By designing OWN with expressive activities, OWNers were able to reflect more deeply on their lives. OWN then became a virtual oasis where OWNers could relax, reflect, and improve themselves.