Quantuary

The challenge

How can we support students in managing and mitigating their sensory overload during school hours?

The solution

Implement VR environments to provide a calming escape, helping students relax, clear their minds, and focus on their well-being.

Team

Merel van Ooijen, UX/UI designer

Disciplines

UX research
UX design
Interaction design

Responsibilities

UX research
Sketching
Prototyping
Testing

Tools

Figma
Bezi
Blender
Meta Quest 3

Projects phases

1

Connect

Identifying problems
Formulate design question
Desk research
User surveys
Diary studies
User- & expert interviews
2

Concept

Identifying problems
Formulate design question
Desk research
User surveys
Diary studies
User- & expert interviews
3

Create

Mid-fidelity prototype
High-fidelity prototypes
User testing
Refine design

Research

Key insights on
current situation

Surveys and interviews provided insights into student overstimulation, highlighting triggers, effects of sensory overload, and the need for calm environments in schools to improve well-being.

Noise

87.1% of students are overstimulated by noise, with the most disruptive sounds being talking and shouting (83.9%).

Effects

Top effects of overstimulation include decreased concentration (87.1%), increased irritability (71%), and headaches (51.6%).

Noise

Students report feeling stressed (71%), tense (64.5%), fatigued (51.6%), and rushed (41.9%) during periods of overstimulation.

Thoughts

Students emphasized that taking breaks is important to release worries and achieve mental clarity and relaxation.

Experimenting

Trying out
augmented reality

I found that while AR added interactive digital elements, it failed to provide the complete escape needed to effectively manage and reduce sensory overload. This caused me to pursue virtual reality instead.

Testing
VR-prototype

Testing

User insights on
final product

The orange markers indicate initial feelings, while the blue markers show emotions after interacting with the prototype. Users moved from stress and frustration to relaxation and happiness, proving the prototype’s ability to effectively reduce overstimulation.

Emotional assessment emojis
Emotional assessment grid
Emotional assessment spiral

The final product

VR tool for
relaxing at school

Quantuary offers a calming virtual environment where students can reduce stress and overstimulation. Customizable time-of-day and color options help create the perfect setting for each user’s relaxation needs. Binaural beats are incorporated to influence brainwave activity, promoting different mental states such as relaxation, focus, or sleep.

What did I learn?

"This project revealed to me how powerful virtual reality can be in providing a complete escape from reality"

Check out this solution