VARLab Vibe - Jordan Partridge

Today's VARLab Vibe features Jordan Partridge one of the developers currently working on the impressive DLX we are building for Conestoga's Paramedicine program!

(Interview by Krushi Kiranraj)

I am an AR/VR Software Developer and currently, I’m working on a project for use in paramedicine. The orientation simulation will allow users to acquaint themselves with the tools found inside an ambulance. This is my third term working for VARLab.

How did you hear about the VARLab, and what made you apply?

As the office is stationed at the Waterloo campus, I often saw it when traveling between classes. Hearing about their initiative to gamify education and provide immersive, hands-on content with VR piqued my interest.

Are there specific areas or technologies you're excited to learn more about?

I’m eager to research multiplayer networking in a virtual reality setting. Creating a virtual environment for students to collaborate would help accelerate their learning as they have more shared “hands-on” experience with tools, simulations, and real-world scenarios in their field.

What's the most unexpected thing you've learned while designing a VR experience?

Something unexpected I learned was how to accommodate as many different types of users as possible. Those who use our products are not always gamers and may not find navigating or using our DLX intuitive. That’s where it’s up to us to incorporate feedback from focus groups and milestone releases to make the experience as smooth as possible.

How have you grown professionally since you started working?

I’ve become more accustomed to working in a team. Before this, I had only worked solo or with a partner. Since joining VARLab, I’ve enjoyed being on projects of differing scopes with teams of various sizes. I’ve also been granted the opportunity to mentor and organize the Indie Game Jams.

What were you like in high school?

I was actually pretty quiet in high school and did not talk to many people! I was shy and didn’t include myself in any extracurriculars. However, I was still interested in computers back then and received the Award of Excellence for Information Technology for two of my three ITS courses there. In school, we focused on Scratch, Turing, then C# and Java.

If you could have any job in the world for one day, what would it be, and why?

It would have to be as a game developer or a software engineer for a globally-used product. I think it's very easy to take these tools for granted, and being in the shoes of those developers would let me appreciate the effort put into giving us the products we use today.

Tell us about a time you took a risk, and it ended up being a really good thing.

For me, it would have to be pursuing a post-secondary education. I was initially worried about starting a career in computer science, as I didn’t want my hobby to become tarnished by work and ultimately become a chore. In the end, I decided to enroll, and not only am I enjoying where I am right now, but I’ve learned more than I thought I would.

What's something that made you happy recently?

The return of warmer weather has made me happier. I’ve missed taking walks around the city and visiting our local parks. I love cafe-hopping, which is challenging in winter due to the colder temperatures.

Can you recall your first experience with VR? How did it make you feel, and how has your perception of VR changed since then?

My first experiences with virtual reality were inside Elite: Dangerous and Euro Truck Simulator 2 using the Oculus DK2. I was immediately taken aback by the extra dimension of immersion that was given to me. Full spatial awareness of my surroundings while playing gave the gameplay more depth. Since then, I have followed the virtual reality ecosystem, upgrading to an HTC Vive and finally a Quest 3. While I was mainly focused on the gaming side of what VR has to offer, I am realizing the learning potential that can come of it, too.

?If you could visit any place in the world right now, where would that be?

I would, without a doubt, be in Japan. My girlfriend started a one-year contract as an English Teaching Assistant in Sendai in September 2023. I had the pleasure of being with her over Christmas and New Year. I still miss her and would go back instantly if I could.

Krushi Kiranraj joined VARLab as a Project Assistant in 2023 and is an international student at Conestoga College pursuing her Graduate certificate in Sustainable Business Management. She brings diverse experience in banking, consulting and project management. She is committed to the idea of a sustainable world.