Studio_XR will explore speculative approaches to the design of experience within the burgeoning domains of Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality (VR) – together known as Extended Reality (XR). Students will explore the potential of XR to deliver compelling spatialized experiences that are meaningful, interactive, socially relevant, and human. Operating outside of the current industry focus on gaming, commerce, and training, the class will probe how immersive experiences have the potential to provoke introspection, stir emotions, reveal identities, and create delight. In this studio, students will gain hands-on experience developing XR projects individually and in small teams, while also considering the historical, theoretical, technological, and cultural implications of the field. The course will involve digital development in Unity, Snap Studio, and related XR platforms. Students will do some scripting, and although prior programming experience is not required, a willingness to follow tutorials and engage with coding examples will be key for success in the class. The goal of the course is to explore the phenomenological opportunities of rich, sentient experiences as expressed within immersive digital mediums.
- Instructor: Jeremy Mende
- Instructor: Scott Minneman