JourneyVR: Designing for Continuous Workflow Experience in Virtual Reality

Paper Title

JourneyVR: Designing for Continuous Workflow Experience in Virtual Reality

Publication Info

• Topic area: Interaction design for immersive virtual reality workflows.
• Keywords: Virtual reality, workflow management, journey metaphor, spatial interaction, immersive environments, user experience, task continuity, narrative design, multitasking, embodied cognition.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Current VR systems suffer from fragmented workflows and high switching costs due to reliance on traditional app launchers, which disrupt immersion and hinder fluid multitasking.
• Significance: Addressing these issues is critical as VR expands into productivity, education, and collaboration, where continuous workflows and sustained engagement are essential.
• Motivation and related work: Previous research has explored 2D interfaces in VR and spatial arrangements for task switching but has not re-envisioned workflow-level continuity. The journey metaphor, widely used in education and storytelling, has not been applied as a general interaction model for managing diverse tasks in VR.

Solution

• Proposed approach: JourneyVR, a metaphorical interaction model that organizes tasks as a spatial and sequential journey, transforming fragmented workflows into coherent narratives.
• Novelty:
  1. Introduction of the journey metaphor to reframe VR workflows as spatially connected, narrative-driven experiences.
  2. Development of a two-phase system: Journey Map Construction (task planning) and Journey Execution (immersive task performance).
  3. Iterative evaluation demonstrating enhanced experiential continuity, user satisfaction, and design insights for sustained engagement.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Tasks are represented as islands and transitions as bridges in a World-in-Miniature (WIM) interface.
  • Users construct a Journey Map by arranging and connecting tasks spatially.
  • The map expands into an immersive environment where tasks are performed sequentially, with spatial transitions reinforcing narrative continuity.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • JourneyVR significantly improved ratings for continuity, intention to use, and satisfaction compared to a traditional app launcher.
  • 75% of participants in Study 1 preferred JourneyVR, with higher ratings for Attractiveness and Novelty.
  • Expert evaluations highlighted high satisfaction (mean = 5.67/7) and usability of features like the mini-map (mean = 6.33/7).
• Advantage over baselines:
  • JourneyVR outperformed the app launcher in fostering a sense of narrative flow and task connection while maintaining comparable workload levels.
  • Spatial transitions and narrative framing enhanced motivation and engagement.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Formative study (24 participants) compared JourneyVR with a traditional app launcher, identifying areas for improvement.
  • Study 1 (24 participants) evaluated the enhanced system, focusing on user experience, workload, and workflow-related metrics.
  • Study 2 (6 VR experts) provided in-depth qualitative feedback and tested new features like mergeable islands and dynamic map reconstruction.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Physical transitions can be time-consuming and fatiguing.
  • Linear sequencing limits flexibility for multitasking or non-linear workflows.
  • Future work includes longitudinal studies, scalability testing, and incorporating adaptive features like AI-guided navigation.

Summary

JourneyVR introduces a novel interaction model for VR workflows, framing tasks as spatially connected journeys to enhance continuity and engagement. Through iterative studies, it demonstrated improved user satisfaction and motivation compared to traditional app launchers, particularly for sequential workflows. The system's spatial and narrative metaphors effectively externalize task relationships, supporting users with strong planning tendencies. Limitations in flexibility and scalability suggest opportunities for future enhancements, including non-linear workflows and adaptive navigation. JourneyVR provides a foundation for reimagining immersive task management in VR.