This project, developed under Musangi Studios XR Lab in Los Angeles, California, explored the intersection of immersive extended reality (XR) experiences and the creator economy. The goal was to build a series of immersive VR applications using scripting platforms like Meta Horizon Worlds, focusing on how creators—particularly those without programming expertise—could leverage these tools to engage audiences and monetize content. The project also examined the potential of blockchain technology to enhance creator ownership and audience relationships, which were incorporated into the dissertation manuscript.
Immersive Worlds for Creators
Musangi Studios
The Client Project
Explore the VR Worlds
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The Challenge
The challenge was twofold: first, to explore the capabilities of immersive VR experiences and their potential for creators in the evolving digital economy; and second, to assess the accessibility of these tools for non-technical creators. The project aimed to answer key questions: What do immersive experiences look like? How easy is it for creators to build and monetize content in VR? What are the limitations and opportunities of current platforms? The measure of success was the ability to quickly build and launch functional VR experiences that could be discovered and interacted with by users on the Meta Horizon platform—a multi-player VR application with integrated creator tools.
The Solution
The project involved building three distinct VR experiences using Meta Horizon Worlds:
- Monsters on Safari: A traditional game with scoring, challenges, and multiplayer support, where players collected items to repair a spaceship.
- Soul Vacation: A hypercasual wellness experience focused on meditation and relaxation, featuring immersive environments and uplifting themes.
- Fantasy Island's Nine Isles Golf: A casual golfing game with nine themed islands and a central driving range, blending exploration and light competition.
Key skills and tools used included:
- Scripting and Development: Customizing VR experiences using Meta Horizon’s scripting tools.
- Rapid Prototyping: Leveraging pre-built assets and plugins to streamline development.
- User-Centered Design: Creating experiences tailored to non-technical creators and casual users.
- Research and Ethnography: Conducting in-platform observations and interviews to understand user behavior and preferences.
The Outcome
The project successfully launched three VR experiences, providing valuable insights into the potential and limitations of immersive platforms for creators. One of the games, Fantasy Island's Nine Isles Golf, won a Pop Jam Award, highlighting its innovative design. While monetization features were still in development at the time, the project demonstrated the feasibility of creating engaging VR content without extensive programming knowledge. The hands-on exploration also informed broader research on the future of creator economies in immersive spaces.
My Role
As the lead on this project, my role encompassed:
- Design: Conceptualizing and designing the three VR experiences.
- Development: Scripting and building the applications using Meta Horizon Worlds.
- Ideation: Generating creative briefs and exploring new ways to engage users.
- Research: Conducting ethnography and analyzing the technical landscape for creators.
- Project Management: Overseeing the end-to-end process from ideation to launch.
This project not only advanced my understanding of immersive technologies but also highlighted the potential for creators to thrive in emerging digital ecosystems.
SUMMARY
Experienced Researcher and Digital Strategy Lead with a proven track record in design thinking, user research, and data-driven design. Skilled in quantitative and qualitative research methods, market research, prototyping, customer engagement including surveys, focus groups, and remote/in-person testing. Expertise in product development, user experience design, and digital transformation with a strong technical aptitude in RStudio, Figma, responsive Web frameworks, Unreal Engine, and Unity. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, deliver scalable solutions, and communicate insights effectively to diverse stakeholders.
