This was a terminal project for the University of Oregon's Immersive Media Communications Master's Degree.
It was a limited-time festival focused on reimagining the VR game shopping experience by redesigning the storefront from a flat UI to a more immersive interface. The new UI featured 360° images, in-game audio, and game assets to fully immerse users in the game world before making a purchase. Additionally, the event was hosted on the social platform Banter, allowing people to shop together.
Final website: https://virtualodysseyfestival.com/

The Process

The Result

The VR store UI was initially designed in Gravity Sketch, allowing for rapid iterations and quick changes. Once the basic concept was finalized, a functional version was developed in Banter.
This functional version was then improved both aesthetically and functionally, refining the user experience and enhancing the visual appeal.

The Virtual Odyssey Festival brand identity was created to maintain a consistent visual presence across platforms, enabling brand recognition and establishing a sense of authority and stability for the event.

The world was built over the course of a month using a variety of programs to bring everything to life. The stars of outer space were used to create a sense of awe as attendees explored the game booths.

VR developers and VR enthusiasts were the priority demographics over general gamers and others, allowing the UI to be tested in a more controlled environment.

Number of attendees: 167
Pertisipating developers: 5
Official Sponsors: 1
Social medi interaction: 9 posts from others on instagram
10 Instagram Followers

Banter was chosen largely due to the independence and control it offered, including the ability to use Google Analytics to track the number of users attending each day. This real-world data will enable better decision-making for future events.

To determine if the event was successful, a few key performance indicators (KPIs) were set early on, allowing them to be reviewed after the event.

The platform for the festival had to be carefully chosen to optimize the event’s success. The leading contenders were Horizon Worlds by Meta and Banter by SideQuest.

A competitive analysis was conducted across multiple platforms, comparing the types of users across social media platforms

With the platform selected, a plan was created to keep the event on track and monitor key steps, such as setting cutoff dates for developers to submit their content.