Towards a Common Language for Immersive Experiences: a Cross-Sector Exploration of Concepts and Measurement
How are IX effects measured? And do different sectors actually mean the same thing when they use IX concepts and measurement methods? These questions evolve alongside developments in the IX field. For Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, this is reason to critically re-examine the perception of existing concepts and methods, together with other research groups and IX creators from the creative industry.
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EGG: Hoe een immersieve kunst beleving over transitie doorwerkt in het dagelijks leven van mensen en groepen in een wijk
EGG is a large-scale, sensory, interactive and learning art installation in the shape of an egg that invites encounter and conversation about societal system transitions. The sculpture has a smooth, organic form. Visitors can lean against it, climb on it and move around it freely. They can experience, through their senses, the 'hatching process' of an unknown, fictional creature inside the egg. Using augmented reality (AR) and sensor technology, EGG responds to heat, light and sound. This creates a responsive and partly unpredictable system that prompts spontaneous encounters and conversations among bystanders about transitions in the neighbourhood. In carrying out the project and the research, the Public Values Guideline for Immersive Experiences (CIIIC) is used as a framework for the careful handling of visitors, data and societal impact. Art and performance can have substantial effects on empathy, meaning-making and shifts in perspective (Brown & Novak-Leonard, 2011; Broadhead & Hooper, 2024; Norton, 2015). Knowledge about how such experiences carry over into everyday behaviour, social relationships and neighbourhood-based transition practices (Spaas, 2024; Horvath et al., 2025) is, however, limited. This research addresses the question: how do the installation and its development over time resonate through people and through neighbourhood-based transition processes (Vervoort et al., 2020)? And how can the effects of human-art interaction be understood in terms of values, relationships and community formation (scaling deep), as a basis for a meaningful translation to other contexts (scaling out) (Fraser, 2010 & 2023; Moore et al., 2015)? The research maps experiences, emotions, meanings and possible shifts in thinking and acting, and uses qualitative research to build on the data the installation generates: • EGG as Canvas: visitors leave written, drawn and material traces; • EGG Radio: a participatory platform where young people in particular discuss their experiences; • AR and sensor data: making interactions, attention and patterns of resonance visible.
Futures of Listening
Futures of Listening has developed an R&D programme based on the principle of 'listening to a multivocal world'. The consortium researches and develops new forms of immersive creation, listening and experience through spatial sound, which deepen our understanding of the world and address societal challenges such as inclusivity and environmental challenges. At the same time, it aims to sustainably embed spatial sound as an artistic and technological discipline within the broader IX sector, improve the quality of spatial sound experiences, stimulate new forms of listening and knowledge transfer, and strengthen international positioning and accessibility. The activity programme consists of a series of activities, realised through a community-focused approach with makers and researchers. At its core is a residency programme in which makers - by invitation and through open calls - collaborate with researchers and developers. Within this, they work on developing prototypes of immersive creations, sensory storytelling, immersive listening, and weaving together the relationship between inclusivity, humans and non-humans. Four mutually reinforcing research areas are being developed ('message', 'perception', 'technology', and 'place & access'). This is supported by knowledge sharing and open-source tools, interfaces and instruments through symposia, an online platform and a concluding publication. Other activities include international events, workshops, education and mentorship.
Gedeelde inzichten in interactionele en impactvolle XR
XR learning environments - such as VR simulations and interactive training scenarios - are increasingly used in health care, communication, safety and public services. They help professionals practise difficult conversations, analyse complex situations and experiment safely with new behaviour. Despite this growth, it is not yet sufficiently clear which didactic and design choices make these environments effective, inclusive and responsible. The project Gedeelde inzichten in interactionele en impactvolle XR investigates how immersive learning environments can be designed to support learning, reflection and meaningful professional practice. The focus is not on the technology, but on the experience of users: how they navigate, interpret, process feedback and gain insight into digital decision-making processes. Together with XR creators and partners from the health care and public sectors, we analyse existing applications - such as VR-Gedeelde Smart and the BEP environments - and gather experiences from designers, health care professionals, communication advisers and environmental analysts. We build on existing, long-used XR learning environments and a proven collaboration, so that we do not need to develop new technology and can devote resources fully to research, analysis and validation. By linking their practical knowledge to insights from conversation analysis, user experience design, adoption theories and smart education, we develop and validate a set of generic design and didactic principles for effective and responsible XR learning environments. These principles address, among other things, clarity, interaction, reflection, accessibility and value-conscious design. The results yield scalable knowledge for the broad XR sector: from design studios and public organisations to educators working with immersive technology. In doing so, the project contributes to a more responsible and inclusive use of XR in society and offers concrete tools for digital decision-making and complex communication.
Thuis
Thuis aims to foster a deeper sense of connectedness by reinterpreting immersive experiences as an embodied and accessible practice in (semi-)public spaces, using dance and movement as core methods. Thuis aims to strengthen the Dutch IX field by providing body-centred design principles that challenge dependency on hardware, and by delivering shareable knowledge on creating accessible, inclusive IX as a form of 'social infrastructure' that fosters social cohesion and a collective sense of belonging. The research focuses on how the body can take on a more central role in immersive experiences and how a sense of home can be fostered among participants. This research is built around three themes: 'spatial awareness', 'embodied empathy' and 'collective belonging'. The activity programme follows a research-through-design methodology, structured into four iterative phases: 'collecting', 'processing', 'shaping', and 'engaging'. The research is carried out with communities in public spaces. This methodology will result in two artistic pilots (one outdoors and one indoors), a case study, an open-source website and public events.