VR for Design: Exploring Long-Term Experiences and Workflows of 3D Designing in Virtual Reality

Paper Title

VR for Design: Exploring Long-Term Experiences and Workflows of 3D Designing in Virtual Reality

Publication Info

• Topic area: Long-term use of VR in 3D design workflows and its integration with non-VR tools.
• Keywords: Virtual reality, 3D design, workflows, Gravity Sketch, experiential design, spatial interaction, hybrid tools, design education, embodied cognition, creative processes.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Prior studies on VR for 3D design focus primarily on short-term use, leaving gaps in understanding its integration into complex workflows and long-term practices.
• Significance: Understanding VR's role in design workflows can inform its adoption in education and industry, where hybrid approaches are increasingly relevant.
• Motivation and related work: Previous research highlights VR’s strengths in spatial interaction and creativity but notes challenges such as precision and usability. Industry applications like Gravity Sketch show promise, but detailed insights into long-term strategies and integration with non-VR tools remain underexplored.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A 12-week study with 55 senior design students using VR head-mounted displays (HMDs) and Gravity Sketch to create interconnected 3D design projects.
• Novelty:
  1. Long-term exploration of VR's role in 3D design workflows.
  2. Analysis of how VR complements non-VR tools across different project phases.
  3. Insights into experiential and embodied aspects of VR design.
  4. Practical recommendations for integrating VR into hybrid workflows.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Participants completed three progressively complex design projects: an object, a character, and an environment combining the first two.
  • Data collection included five questionnaires, design journals, and project submissions.
  • Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was used to interpret qualitative data, complemented by quantitative Likert-scale evaluations.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • VR was consistently rated as a powerful design tool (median score = 6/7) and highly relevant for careers.
  • Participants reported high satisfaction with project outcomes across all stages (median score = 6/7).
  • VR excelled in freehand sketching, sculpting, and early ideation but struggled with precision and complex object manipulation.
• Advantage over baselines:
  • VR provided unique experiential and embodied design capabilities, enabling immersive spatial interactions not possible with traditional tools.
  • Participants leveraged VR for creative exploration while relying on non-VR tools for refinement and assembly.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Participants alternated between VR and non-VR tools like Blender and Unity, combining strengths to optimize workflows.
  • Challenges included technical limitations (e.g., lag, crashes) and inefficiencies in handling large-scale projects.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Study focused on novice 3D designers; insights from professionals could expand findings.
  • Limited to Gravity Sketch; comparative studies with other VR applications are needed.
  • Accessibility challenges in VR remain a significant barrier.

Summary

This study explored the long-term use of VR for 3D design through a 12-week course involving senior design students. Findings highlight VR’s strengths in freehand sketching, spatial interaction, and experiential design, while identifying limitations in precision and scalability. Participants integrated VR into hybrid workflows, combining it with non-VR tools for refinement and assembly. Practical recommendations emphasize treating VR as a complementary tool rather than a standalone solution. These insights demonstrate VR’s maturity as a design medium, capable of enriching creative processes through embodied and immersive practices.