Mixed Reality Dorm Tour
Partner with Aarnav Patel
Tools: Adobe After Effects, Adobe Aero, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma
Problem Space
For one, the problem we discovered and decided to focus on is the lack of dorm tours provided at CMU. Not only are dorms excluded from the overall tour, but the information online is also lacking. Students aren’t able to truly experience the room via the current online methods (floor plans and 3D scope), as they aren’t easily understood. The other problem space we identified is the need for personalized tours. Current CMU tour experiences are heavily dependent on the tour guide’s knowledge – if your interest doesn’t align with theirs, your overall experience is less meaningful than those who do align with their tour guides. Lastly, we recognized the importance of communal interaction/spaces within the tour (especially for families). Current tour methods involve stopping groups in open spaces as a way to debrief them about a specific location. However, the interactions people can have with that location are extremely limited, as people tend to stick to their tour guides.
Persona
Based on these parameters, our proposed solution is a shared mixed realities dormitory experience. With the developments in wearable technology, we can simulate a dorm tour experience for families that is currently not present in CMU’s tours.
Moreover, to continue this idea of personalized tours, the experience will be guided by a generated tour guide based on an applicant's information. By presenting dorms through a familiar perspective, we can create a more meaningful experience for the user, since they can relate to the guide.
Lastly, the tour is a shared experience, meaning family units will experience the same tour together. This better allows them to engage with the campus, and satisfy their own curiosities.
The tour we designed is not its own tour, but part of the current “major specific tours” certain colleges in CMU give (such as the School of Design). We decided to complement this larger experience of applicants seeing the campus holistically, applicants being able to see their college of interest within the campus, and the dormitory tours. This experience adds more about the student’s residential life, not just focusing on the academics like traditional ones. After a group of families goes on a tour, they can gradually split off to look based on their own interests