Global Culture Explorer

Global Culture Explorer is a VR experience designed by Next Lab’s User Experience & Research Guild to help users discover cultures through everyday life, not just tourist landmarks. The project aims to make cultural learning more immersive, authentic, and empathetic, allowing users to virtually stroll through local streets, observe habits, and engage in simple interactions that reveal cultural nuances.

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This project explores how immersive design can bridge cultural gaps by turning research insights into tangible, interactive experiences. The experience introduces three key modes:

1. Stroll – free exploration of local streets and atmospheres.
2. Story – guided narrative journeys through everyday routines.
3. Host – attend live or pre-recorded local-led sessions for cultural guidance.

The project focuses on understanding how people form impressions of other cultures and how technology can help replace stereotypes with lived, local perspectives.

Research & Insights: The team conducted the full design research cycle—from opportunity identification to structured insights.

• Established research operations, including competitive analysis, user interviews, and affinity synthesis.
• Synthesized findings into four key insights and three How Might We questions, addressing cultural bias, connection barriers, and authentic learning experiences.

Design Frameworks: Based on the synthesized findings, the team developed foundational frameworks for design:

• A player journey workflow maps the user’s experience within the VR environment.
• A feature tree outlining primary and secondary functions such as exploration, interaction, and reflection.

These deliverables helped transition the concept from abstract ideas to early-stage wireframes.

Next Steps: The current phase focuses on shaping wireframes and preparing for prototype development, centering around environments like local marketplaces, street vendors, and public rituals. The next step aims to evaluate how VR interaction design can enhance intuitive and emotionally resonant cross-cultural learning.

Project showcase:

• Presentation Deck from Next Lab Expo (Summer 2025)

Launch date:

• August 2025

Contributors & Credits:

• Annie Cheng, Next Lab Associate, User Experience & Research Guild Lead
• Anjanette Czyra Argonza, Next Lab Associate
• Zakera Sharifi, Next Lab Associate
• Adar Rosen, Next Lab Associate