BEYOND THE OVERVIEW EFFECT: A VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AWARENESS IN DECISION-MAKING

• DOI: 10.1017/pds.2023.78
• Publication Date: 2023-06-19T03:40:16Z
• Authors: Giulia Wally Scurati; Nicolò Dozio; Francesco Ferrise; Marco Bertoni
• Keywords: Consistent transformations; Data visualization; Decision-making practices; Human Computer Interaction; Människa-datorinteraktion (interaktionsdesign); Emotional design; Virtual reality; 12. Responsible consumption; Product design; Virtual reality experiences; Sustainability; Real-world; 13. Climate action; Manned space flight; Sustainable development; Decisions makings; 11. Sustainability; Earth (planet); Design-process; Human behaviour in designs; Human behaviour in design; Behavioral research; Effective tool; Decision making; Pilot tests

AbstractThe challenges of sustainable development require a consistent transformation of decision-making practices in society and in the industry. In this regard, Virtual Reality (VR) is an effective tool, providing experiences that are not accessible in the real world. The overview effect is a feeling of interconnectedness and responsibility towards our planet and its inhabitants described by astronauts after seeing the Earth during spaceflights. We present a VR application merging the overview effect with data visualization. We illustrate the design process and perform a pilot test to assess the emotions raised by the VR experience. Furthermore, we report feedback from design engineering and sustainability experts discussing the applications' potential in decision-making contexts, including product development processes.