Faded

About the project

Dementia remains a widely misunderstood condition, often surrounded by stigma. With nearly 10 million new cases diagnosed each year, awareness and understanding are more critical than ever. This project seeks to foster empathy by immersing users in the experience of someone living with Alzheimer’s through a deeply narrative-driven journey.

The main challenge was to craft an immersive and emotionally compelling story that accurately represents the progression of Alzheimer’s while maintaining user engagement. By blending narrative immersion with Virtual Reality (VR), the project heightens the sense of presence, allowing users to step into the shoes of someone navigating the daily struggles of memory loss and disorientation. Through this approach, the experience not only raises awareness but also transforms understanding into empathy, encouraging deeper reflection on the personal and societal impact of dementia.

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

To build an authentic and immersive experience, we first explored the realities of Alzheimer’s—who it affects, how it progresses, and the symptoms that define each stage. According to the World Health Organization, the disease primarily impacts individuals over 65, with a higher prevalence among women.

Alzheimer’s typically unfolds in three stages, beginning with mild forgetfulness and disorientation before advancing to more pronounced cognitive and behavioral changes. In later stages, individuals lose the ability to communicate, recognize loved ones, and perform basic functions independently. By the final stage, engagement with the world becomes minimal.

This research, combined with references like Still Alice (2014), helped shape the narrative and character development, ensuring a realistic and meaningful experience.

To heighten engagement, the intensity of the experience increases as the narrative progresses, with shorter intervals between events leading to a dramatic climax. This escalation is reinforced through audio design, further deepening the emotional impact.

We set our target audience as primarily adults, as we believe they are more likely to empathize with the main character’s experience and develop a stronger sense of presence within the narrative.

Building an Immersive VR Experience

We built the experience using Unity to create the environment, programmed interactions in C#, added visual effects, and integrated 3D spatial audio. The biggest challenge was ensuring full immersion throughout the journey.

To prevent motion sickness and ensure the User stayed within the exhibition space, we implemented smooth locomotion and a Bluetooth remote control with a single-button navigation. system. We also relied on diegetic interfaces to guide the User naturally, using visual cues like a bright light highlighting the mobile phone, doors marking progression points, and a floating crystal leading to the final event.

Bridging the real and the virtual world

This project was designed for a demonstration space alongside various other exhibits. To encourage attendees to try the experience, we brought story elements into the real world, creating an introduction that would later appear in key moments of the VR journey.

For the set design, we aimed to create a warm, familiar environment, like the entrance of a home. A tall lamp set the mood, while a table displayed a vase with sunflowers, the character’s written diary, and a postcard with a message from the character, which attendees could take with them. Placed nearby, the VR headset invited them to step into the story.

By blending physical and virtual elements, we deepened the sense of presence, prompting users to reflect on the parallels between both spaces. This approach encouraged personal interpretation, allowing each user to shape their own understanding of the experience.