INtroduction

This area of my portfolio showcases an overview of currently featured projects and research that explore affective (emotional) resonance through the integration of sound, light, and interactive/spatial design.

Nurobodi

#AffectiveDesign #UX #Interactive #SpatialDesign #Research #Environments #SystemsThinking #Innovation #ProjectManagement

Introduction:

Affective Design Refers to the intentional creation of products, systems, or experiences that recognize, evoke, or respond to human emotions. It moves beyond functional or aesthetic considerations to embed emotional resonance as a core aspect of interaction. In affective design, emotional states are not seen as secondary outcomes but as primary drivers that influence user experience, decision-making, and connection.

At its core, affective design integrates insights from psychology, neuroscience, cybernetics and interaction desirn to craft interfaces, artifacts, or environments that anticipate and adapt to users' emotional needs—either passively (through careful emotional tone-setting) or actively (through real-time emotional feedback systems).

Overview:

Nurobodi is a long-form research and design project I founded in 2017 to investigate how adaptive audiovisual feedback environments can support mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. It bridges disciplines — affective (emotional) design, sonic interaction, colour perception psychology, and mindfulness — to prototype interactive systems and environments that support heightened awareness and regulate cognitive-emotional states.

In short, Nurobodi’s design principles are not passive — they facilitate interfaces and experiences for emotional and cognitive alignment.

Take a deeper dive into some Nurobodi UX Case studies here 👈🏼 or,

See a summary of some Affective Design projects below on the page 👇🏼 or,

Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 For Immersive Affective Design Video

#AffectiveDesign #UX #Interactive #SpatialDesign #Research #XREnvironments #360Video #Innovation #ProjectManagement

Introduction

In an era where hybrid cinematic experiences are reshaping audience engagement, this project asked: How can we extend the cultural presence of historically significant venues like the Capitol Theatre into virtual realms, while also enabling student filmmakers to prototype within immersive production environments?

Responding to this challenge, students were embedded within a real-world simulation of a film production studio, assuming professional roles across all stages of the production pipeline. My role as Lecturer involved directing the project while serving as Director of Photography (DOP) and Production Manager — ensuring students navigated both the creative and technical complexities of XR filmmaking.

Overview

Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 was an immersive learning initiative that integrated cutting-edge volumetric capture technologies, cinematic storytelling, and extended reality (XR) postproduction workflows. The project formed part of a blended learning pipeline designed to upskill students in emerging media practices through a practice-based research framework. Using the Insta360 Pro 2 camera system, students worked collaboratively to reimagine Melbourne’s iconic Capitol Theatre as an experiential XR canvas.

Project Summary

The workshop unfolded in three distinct but interlinked phases, each designed to scaffold both technical competency and conceptual fluency:

1. Preproduction (Location-Specific)

Students visited the Capitol Theatre to scout the space, develop spatial storyboards, and identify key cinematic perspectives. This phase emphasized production design for 360° capture — a unique challenge requiring spatial choreography and non-linear thinking.

2. Production (On-Site Filming with Insta360 Pro 2)

Using the Insta360 Pro 2, students executed location shoots in 8K stereoscopic video, engaging in:

• Camera rig operation and spatial blocking

• Sound spatialisation and ambient audio capture

• Data wrangling and file management in a multi-terabyte workflow
  Students also learned to convert raw 8K footage to 4K for accessible postproduction editing.

3. Postproduction (Remote/Hybrid)

The final stage explored an innovative technique: embedding students’ standard UHD video projects within the Capitol Theatre’s virtual cinema screen. The result was a layered spatial montage — their own narrative short films premiered inside the virtual Capitol. This simulated the prestige of screening at an iconic venue, while maintaining a fully immersive 360° environment.

Deliverables

• 360° digital twin of the Capitol Theatre interior

• Student-led immersive short films, premiered within a virtual theatre screen

• Collaborative production logbooks documenting roles, workflows, and reflections

• Exported immersive videos suitable for VR headsets and web-based XR platforms

• Practice-based research reflections for each student, focused on role-based learning and spatial design insights

Key Insights

• Spatial storytelling changes how students understand screen direction and audience agency. Working in 360 forced them to think beyond the frame and into spatial experience design.

• Emergent pipelines require interdisciplinary coordination. The film production company model helped students understand the interplay between direction, DOP, postproduction, and digital asset management in new media formats.

• Simulating real-world prestige environments creates affective motivation. The act of ‘screening’ their film within the virtual Capitol theatre had a powerful psychological effect — making the experience tangible and emotionally resonant.

• Blended learning supports real-world readiness. The combination of in-location production and remote post workflows mirrors contemporary XR production pipelines used in the industry.

Digitising the Capitol Theatre in 360 not only introduced students to extended reality filmmaking but also provided a framework for collaboration, creative ownership, and spatial literacy in digital storytelling. The outcome was more than just immersive content — it was a generative learning environment, equipping students to prototype the future of cinema itself.

A Virtual Tour of the Capitol

This is an example of an RMIT alumni student work, Lucy Ryan, that captured a creative approach to an immersive audiovisual tour of the Capitol Theatre. It serves both as documentation and preservation of cultural place/space but also doubled as a medium for designers to explore augmentation and bridging of virtual and physical space in an immersive, interactive and there

Empathy Design for Multi-SCreen Arrays

#UX #XR #Interdisciplinary #Strategy #Research #Course Design #SpatialDesign #SystemsThinking #Innovation #ProjectManagement

Introduction:

This project showcases my interdisciplinary capability in pioneering innovative uses of RMIT’s Virtual Experiences Laboratory (VXLab), specifically by integrating technical development of the advanced tiled display technology within the GOV Lab as an immersive distributed yet synchronised collective co-design expression. Collaborating directly with Dr. Ian Peake, Technical Manager of VXLab, I strategically extended the lab’s media capabilities for XR-enriched industry, creative and educational experiences.

Overview:

Collaborating closely with RMIT VX Robotics Lab manager, Dr. Peake, I proposed and implemented novel methods and use case to the VX Lab’s multi-screen array. My role involved agile project management, technical exploration, and effective communication with stakeholders, including students and technical staff. This approach ensured that creative and educational objectives aligned with existing technical constraints, delivering innovative multimedia experiences.

Summary:

The core objective was to explore and maximize the VX Lab's technical and operational capabilities whilst simultaneous utilising the Lab to demonstrate extended design and social context for overlapping pedagogical and industry collaborations.

The outcome was a suite of custom-developed tools and an immersive audiovisual design exhibition, enabling both technical and creative use of the Lab’s multiscreen array. This facilitated unprecedented creative opportunities for students and extended the technical functionality of the VXLab itself to better serve industry relations by demonstrating:

• System design and testing research for industry partners with complex combinations of systems, design models and tests

• Distributed, collaborative design, prototyping and troubleshooting requiring multiple views of complex data;

• Prototyping and development of novel visualisation networking

• High resolution and live immersive audiovisual rendering of layered image/colour/sound.

Student UX Affective Design Mapping

Composite Empathy/Identity Testing

Audiovisual Affective Production Design Lecture

Deliverables:

Interdisciplinary Design/STEM strategic project modelling

• Interdisciplinary Design/STEM technical/creative design research and course design

• Co-Design, development and deployment of custom tools and methods for ultra-high-resolution multi-screen array integrations.

• Agile management of student learning pathways and project assets within technical resource limitations.

• Innovative integration of advanced A/V technologies into overlapping Design/STEM educational contexts.

• Enhanced immersive multimedia learning experiences above and beyond benchmark standard visual practice.

Behind The Scenes:

Key Insights:

This initiative highlights the effectiveness of interdisciplinary and strategic design thinking in navigating resource constraints to innovate educational technologies. It exemplifies how agile project management and effective communication among interdisciplinary teams and stakeholders can foster significant technological advancement and amplify institutional capacity for Design/STEM integrations as a way to meet evolving industry demands and foster creative education and research innovation.