Designing in virtual environments: The integration of virtual reality tools into industrial design research and education

Virtual reality (VR) has become an increasingly common tool in consumer and professional settings. While there are many documented applications of industrial designers using VR in large corporations, there is limited literature detailing applications in studio-based education. This paper shares learnings from three case-studies across undergraduate, postgraduate, and design research projects. These projects share some of the possibilities and limitations of VR tools for future industrial design practitioners. The application of these tools spans across the product development process, from virtual 3D sketching and CAD modelling, visualization, usability testing to co-design workshops with members of the public. VR has moved beyond just a tool for visualization and decision making, and can now play an active role in all stages of the design process. These projects detail the possibilities for VR in industrial design and illuminate some of the challenges in teaching these emerging technologies and tools to design students.