This week I began to establish the Unity-Arduino connection and I thought about how much what is considered “relaxing” can vary.

We had our final crit this week, and I got mixed reviews about how calm-inducing the environment was. Generally, I leave more satisfied from a critique when there are differing opinions. Some thought the palette and skybox was confusing; others thought it was calming to the eye. Another classmate commented they thought the motion of the water was rather nerve-wrecking. There were what I considered two unequivocal useful suggestions:
(1) Adding icons to the radial menu so the user knows what material they are opting for
(2) Tying in an inhale and exhale sound to the movement of the waves, since the user won’t be able to hear themselves breathe

I must admit I am rather happy with the color palette, since I don’t want it to have a more realistic skybox. I enjoy the feeling of feeling underwater, even when you are hypothetically on the island. Further, I agree the motion of the waves needs to be adjusted. I will focus first on establishing the connection with the values of the belt, and then I will polish the environment. The radial menu could become extended and the user will have more control over what they think is calming.

All in all, the development of this experience has been useful to consider two things (1) how organic an environment needs to be in order for it to be calming (I found a common thread in the feedback was concerning the struggle between a virtual representation of water and an organic environment) and (2) how varied what people consider “relaxing” can be. Another student in my course is developing a meditative experience with an almost opposite approach: she is creating a white environment with almost no stimulus. We were both forced to reckon with how there may be a thin line between relaxation and anxiety, almost akin to a suspension of disbelief. Perhaps I will elaborate more on this later, if there is any interest.

I am grateful to be able to present my development to my classmates and lecturers since it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the challenges I have faced, both technical and conceptual. It has been a first unit of much growth. We have around a month for the hand-in date.