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BEYOND THE OVERVIEW EFFECT: A VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS IN DECISION-MAKING

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

Giulia Wally Scurati ,
Nicolò Dozio ,
Francesco Ferrise  and
Marco Bertoni
Giulia Wally Scurati*
Affiliation:
Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Department of Mechanical Engineering;
Nicolò Dozio
Affiliation:
Politecnico di Milano, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Francesco Ferrise
Affiliation:
Politecnico di Milano, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Marco Bertoni
Affiliation:
Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Department of Mechanical Engineering;
*
Scurati, Giulia Wally, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sweden, giulia.wally.scurati@bth.se

Abstract

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The challenges of sustainable development require a consistent transformation of decision-making practices in society and in the industry. In this regard, Virtual Reality (VR) is an effective tool, providing experiences that are not accessible in the real world. The overview effect is a feeling of interconnectedness and responsibility towards our planet and its inhabitants described by astronauts after seeing the Earth during spaceflights. We present a VR application merging the overview effect with data visualization. We illustrate the design process and perform a pilot test to assess the emotions raised by the VR experience. Furthermore, we report feedback from design engineering and sustainability experts discussing the applications' potential in decision-making contexts, including product development processes.

Keywords

SustainabilityVirtual realityHuman behaviour in designDecision makingEmotional design
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 3: ICED23 , July 2023 , pp. 777 - 786
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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