Implications of audio and narration in the user experience design of virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) is quickly gaining momentum as an immersive medium: however, there is much to learn about the design elements needed to create a positive experience. In this paper, we present the second wave of user testing of a journalistic and cultural VR experience that tells the story of a well-known artist through his art. The storytelling elements narration and ambient music were added to the initial prototype and tested in the field with 32 participants. Our results showed that the improvements produced a mostly positive user experience and shed light on what could be further improved in the case of our prototype, the field of immersive journalism, and VR used in the cultural context.