With VR ramping up once again and the recent successes of AR applications we see the beginnings of new ways of creating stories and making personal connections with the world. Many designers and directors who work with AR and VR encounter the challenge of giving up direct authorial control of the narrative, but there are crafty ways to engage in time-displaced, co-construction of “plot” with participant(s). VR and AR also give us new ways to connect with the world that do not place technology and nature in opposition. What’s the story with a tree and a forest ecosystem? And, how can that story be “my” story? This talk will highlight some of the structural and experiential characteristics of various flavors of “reality” as constructed with technology. From there, we will explore some of the challenges and opportunities for designers.
