A blueprint for designing inclusive AR/VR experiences

Original article: A blueprint for designing inclusive ARVR experiences

TL;DR

The blog post explores issues around safety, consent, and inclusivity in VR environments, discussing the impact of virtual harassment and the importance of body sovereignty. It emphasizes the need for inclusive interactions, user-friendly nonverbal cues, sign language, and an effective code of conduct. It also introduces the concept of ‘safe zones’ for users to escape uncomfortable situations in VR. The key points are the need for inclusive, safe, and respectful VR experiences, the impact of virtual embodiment, and the importance of ensuring consent-centric interactions in VR.

Bullet points

🏡 The potential for VR as a new social space: VR technology is pushing the boundaries of how people can interact with each other. Not just confined to gaming, but VR spaces provide a platform where people can share experiences, engage in social activities, or work together, all in a highly immersive and interactive environment. This signifies a whole new level of human interaction in the virtual realm.
👩‍💻 Challenges and issues: While VR technology holds immense potential, it’s not without its challenges. A key issue highlighted is that of virtual harassment, which can be particularly severe for women. This arises due to the feeling of physicality and presence that VR technology can instill, thus making the virtual experience feel very real and often uncomfortable.
📚 Blueprint for inclusive interactions: To combat these challenges, the authors propose a design approach for creating inclusive social interactions within the VR environment. The principles of body sovereignty and consent are the main focal points, with the aim being to provide every user the right to control their virtual bodies and have a say in how others interact with them.
💡 VR and identity: A key concept here is “virtual embodiment”, which refers to the feeling of presence and identity in a virtual body. It’s this concept that can make VR interactions feel very real and, in turn, have profound impacts on our perception of safety within VR spaces.
👥 Body ownership and consent: Drawing parallels with real-world concepts, the authors propose the need to apply principles of consent and body sovereignty within the VR environment. This includes the right to personal space, to control one’s virtual body, and to be free from unwanted interaction.
🌐 Adapting real-world norms: There is an urgent need for developing etiquette and norms within VR that closely resemble those from the real world. By doing so, the environment becomes more understandable and safer, as people can easily identify and respond appropriately to the expectations of behavior.
🖐️ Nonverbal cues: Incorporating nonverbal communication cues can enhance user experience and safety. The authors propose developing a kind of ‘sign language’ or gestures that can be quickly and universally recognized within VR. For instance, a user could make a specific gesture to report a problematic interaction instantly.
📜 Setting behavioral expectations: Much like in colleges, offices, or public places, explicit codes of conduct can be put in place to ensure user safety. These can dictate what constitutes acceptable behavior and ensure any breach of these rules is swiftly acted upon.
🛑 Quick-action remediation: Implementing features like “Safe Zone” can be of paramount importance to enhance user safety. This could act as an escape button that allows users to swiftly leave a situation or interaction that makes them uncomfortable.
🚀 Future prospects: Looking forward, the authors stress the responsibility and commitment required of VR creators and developers. It’s their duty to continuously develop and refine the principles and mechanisms of VR safety. The goal is to make VR a more inclusive, secure, and empowering technology that can be harnessed for good.

Keywords

Virtual Harassment: Unwanted or hostile behavior executed through digital mediums, specifically within VR environments. It can have the same psychological effects as real-world harassment due to the immersive nature of VR technology.
Inclusive Interactions: Social interactions that are designed to be accessible and safe for all individuals, irrespective of their backgrounds or identities. These interactions aim to foster an environment of respect, acceptance, and equality.
Virtual Embodiment: The sense of presence and identification with a virtual body within a virtual reality environment. This feeling can contribute to the realism and impact of experiences within VR.
Body Sovereignty: The principle that an individual has the right to control their own body. Within the context of VR, this refers to users’ rights to control their virtual bodies.
Consent: Agreement or permission for something to happen. Within VR, this pertains to agreeing to certain types of interactions or exchanges within the virtual environment.
Nonverbal cues: Nonverbal communication methods, like facial expressions, body language, or gestures. In VR, these could be programmed responses or actions that communicate specific messages or intentions.
Codes of Conduct: A set of rules outlining the social norms, responsibilities, and proper practices for an individual, party or organization. In the VR context, this refers to the behavioral norms and rules that users must abide by in VR spaces.
Safe Zone: Within VR, a ‘Safe Zone’ could refer to a specific virtual area or feature where users can retreat to avoid uncomfortable or distressing situations.
Sign Language: A language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns (manual communication, body language, and lip patterns) to convey meaning. In the context of VR, this refers to specific gestures users can make to communicate specific intentions or needs.