University of Twente Student Theses

A Different Kind of Creative Evolution : Exploring the Effect of Virtual Artefacts as a Tool for Creativity with Movement-Based Design Methods and social VR for Contact Improvisation Dance

Ciabattoni, Gemma (2025) A Different Kind of Creative Evolution : Exploring the Effect of Virtual Artefacts as a Tool for Creativity with Movement-Based Design Methods and social VR for Contact Improvisation Dance.

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Abstract:	Movement based design (MBD) and bodystorming offer tactics for designing experiences with the body at the center of the design process. Social virtual reality (VR) has the potential to be a unique designing tool in and of itself. As the technology has also improved, the more immersive the virtual environments have become, where not only can people interact with one another, but they can also explore new ways of being that could only be imagined in the past. Combining social VR with movement based design in the context of contact improvisation dance (CI) suggests new opportunities for showcasing design scenarios while remaining rooted in the physical experience of the user. This thesis offers an scenario where MBD demonstrates its potential when the methods are used in an application such as CI. By means of a research-through-design process, I iterated over the virtual props and world design to hone in on the interactability of the users with the space and with each other. I used two interviews with experienced CI dancers to begin framing the props capabilities with CI dancers. From that information, a pilot study without VR and with physical props tested initial conceptions of how CI dancers would interact with props and how they influenced their movements, using a reflexive thematic analysis to frame some repetitive themes correlating with the interviews and earlier literature review. Following this, five iterations of novice CI dancers in VR tested virtual versions of the props used in the pilot study and later discussions with a VR designer and a CI experienced dancer revealed how well the themes identified earlier carried through to the interactions with VR. The results of this study revealed affordances with MBD methods and social VR, and offered a set of design guidelines and considerations for designers and researchers who aim to use either to creative stimulate creativity and immersivity among users in a collocated environment.
Item Type:	Essay (Master)
Faculty:	EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
Subject:	02 science and culture in general, 08 philosophy, 10 humanities in general, 20 art studies, 24 dramaturgy, musicology
Programme:	Interaction Technology MSc (60030)
Link to this item:	https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/105257
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