How can you use virtual reality to obtain feedback in the design process?

Effective feedback, basically both positive and negative, is very helpful.?Feedback is?valuable information that will be used to make important decisions. Top performing companies?are?top performing companies because they consistently search for ways to make their best even better. For top performing companies ‘continuous improvement’ is not just a showy catchphrase. It’s a true focus based on feedback from across the entire?organization – customers, clients, employees, suppliers, vendors, and stakeholders. Top performing companies are not only good at accepting feedback, they deliberately ask for feedback. And they know that feedback is helpful only when it highlights weaknesses as well as strengths.

“Feedback” is an essential metric that helps everyone no matter the discipline. In design, it helps provide many benefits such as clarity that something is going in the best direction or confidence that intent has been understood. It also gives opportunities to expose areas of potential improvement or simply thought provoking action. The term “feedback is a gift” is a true statement and like any gift, it’s up to us to determine what we do with it. But it always matters.

GOOGLE maps there is a satellite option where you can zoom in from the sky with a satellite modern-day birds eye view, or even walk the streets and view the properties as is with a satellite updated image.

Although there are many platforms now available, at the time of writing this, it will still be new for many so the best advice would be to consider the design stage you’re at and therefore what feedback you’re keen to seek. The wonderful benefit to VR is the spatial experience it provides and you may only have volumes in your model and that’s okay, but communication with clients is key to get the best feedback so set design stage expectations early. If your software supports multi-user (and many do), then make sure you’re in the model with the client to provide the tour, point things out, ask for feedback and make it more “human”. Some platforms will even allow you to make alterations and/or place virtual “mark-ups” in real time.

Most benefits to utilising VR for feedback are quite obvious, but there are others that can often be overlooked such as different lighting, time of day, weather and the scene/location being used. Another addition that can be utilised is sound. When incorporating these into an overall VR design presentation, it opens up more areas of quality feedback. Another great benefit to VR feedback is the “clarity of understanding” that is often harder to achieve with flat renders and plans.

Until VR or mixed reality hardware is truly mainstream, there will always be a requirement to maintain a design process that allows for the more standard ways of handling design feedback loops. Not everyone wants to put a device on their head, and developing truly great VR experiences takes time to learn. I made the comment that multi-user experience is important also. If you place a person in a VR experience alone, there will be a disconnect between you as the designer and what they are experiencing which can potentially affect the quality of feedback.

Many times while designing, we are focused on areas inside the plot boundary/ site and external factors are ignored. VR in the overall fabric of design helps in understanding the external factors and setting out the architectural elements in a better way. It also helps with a coordinated layout where all subjects can be overlapped and can be reviewed cohesively.

When seeking VR feedback in landscape architecture, focus on immersive realism to gauge users' responses to spatial layouts, plant choices, and environmental factors. Prioritize user comfort in VR settings, avoiding overly long sessions to prevent fatigue. Use interactive elements, allowing users to explore different aspects like lighting changes or seasonal variations. Provide specific, guided questions about the user experience, functionality, and aesthetic appeal. After the session, promptly organize and analyze feedback, emphasizing practical and aesthetic insights relevant to landscape design. Remember, VR offers a unique perspective, bridging the gap between blueprint and real-world experience.

Depending on the intent being communicated, it will be important to consider the following (particularly for landscape architecture): - Should my VR scene be static or animated? - How many options should be shown? - Is “time of day” or “weather” important to the project viability and design success? - What hardware should be used that will provide the best experience? - Should I aim for the client/audience to be seated or standing?