Be the Witness
Be the Witness is a Virtual Reality documentary project led by the Steven Spielberg Foundation, sharing testimonies from October 7th, 2023. My contribution focused on UX/UI spatial design, creating a safe virtual environment that honors difficult stories while giving viewers agency over their experience with traumatic narratives.
Documentary Approach
Being present for horrific stories requires intensive care and ethical responsibility. I envisioned a virtual space that gives control to the viewer - creating a safe environment when confronting traumatic narratives. The project balances the power of immersive storytelling with the responsibility to protect viewers from potential retraumatization. Rather than realistic recreation of traumatic scenes, I used abstract representations that present the reality of events while maintaining necessary aesthetic distance.
Spatial UX Design
My design approach centered on creating spatial interfaces that allow viewers to navigate through testimonies at their own pace. The carefully designed virtual environment gives viewers agency within the documentary format, ensuring they can engage with difficult content on their terms. I developed preliminary concepts and presentations to align vision across multiple stakeholders, including Steven Spielberg Foundation representatives, ensuring the design respected both subjects and viewers throughout the experience.
Ethical Considerations
The project utilized Gaussian splat rendering techniques to create visual abstractions that balance documentary authenticity with emotional safety. This innovative approach establishes new possibilities for ethical immersive journalism, demonstrating how VR can be used responsibly to share important testimonies. The abstract visual technique points toward new aesthetic directions for documentary VR that balance authenticity with viewer well-being, creating a precedent for sensitive subject matter in immersive media.
