Edinburgh Napier University

  This thesis explores the novel area of immersive digital domes (IDEs), a unique virtual reality tool that allows more than one user, sometimes a lot of users, into a space to share in engaging, interactive or real-time experiences. Using an active commercial development program, in the form of a government backed knowledge transfer program, this thesis develops a theoretical design framework, and evaluates it via iterative technical implementation with the overall goal to advance the collective knowledge of user experience within immersive digital domes.

Between September 2015 and September 2017, the project researched and analysed dedicated developments into the design, development and implementation of improvements in the host companies digital dome product. During this time, the project team was able to establish itself as a knowledge leader in both the experiences currently offered within digital domes, as well as the inherent flaws in both their technical creation and internal user experiences. Via detailed analysis of the available research, this thesis explores the relationship between existing interactive space paradigms and those found within immersive domes. With the aim to understand what components contribute to experience within IDEs and how these components act together to influence user perception of the social, interactive and experience. This knowledge is used to drive direct commercial change and impact in the design, development and technical advancement, as well as the inherent impactors on user experience within immersive interactive spaces. This direct connection to instant commercial implementation and iteration allow for a very pragmatic qualitative methodology within the research, which was conducted across two areas, or phases. Phase one focuses on the experiential aspect of IDE for the end user. This involved collection and analysis of data from end users, sampling of existing literature and scrutiny of previous experiences, thus allowing for the beginning of constructs in the evaluation of IDE experiences. Phase two focuses on the refinement of the developer experience. It does so by utilising direct influence from the theoretical learning the first half of the research to implement rapid prototyping, hands on iteration and real-world technical adaptations to further refine the understanding of the user experience within immersive dome environments. Below, chapters two, three and four explore the existing literature, background and give context to the project and novel area of study, proposing the initial research questions this work will answer. Chapter four specifically discusses the unique on-site, active and implemented research methodology employed by this project; including detail about how results and developments will be validated. Chapter five explores phase one – end user experience. It expands on the findings in current literature to outline the understanding and developments in the field of user experience design within immersive domes. Documenting the contributing elements to dome experience as extrapolated from within the existing literature and via detailed analysis with an assembled expert panel. Chapter five also revisits the initial research hypotheses for further refinement. Chapter six is the documentation of phase two. Outlining and analysing a number of technical implementation within the host digital dome, and how the implementations answer the identified areas outlined in the user experience hypotheses. Technical implementations cover both hardware and software refinements that each have a distinct purpose or issue to address. Each of these are mapped to the constructs of immersive dome UX. Finally, chapters seven and eight integrate the findings from each phase and explore the larger research crossover between the technical and end user experience areas. Chapter seven analyses the impact of the changes over the course of the 24-month period and discusses what further improvements are possible within user and technical experience based on the previous work and learnings. Chapter eight looks to future research, discussing the implications for the development of IDEs, future areas of work and the goal of a more measurable framework in the capturing and analysis of UX within immersive digital domes.