Immersed in The Future

Elevating Storytelling and Emotional Connection in Immersive Design

By Marco E. Bruscoli, Scholar-in-Residence, WolfBrown

As my research into the immersive paradigm goes deeper and deeper, I’m continually reminded that we are three-dimensional human beings. We do not inhabit a flat, two-dimensional world; instead, we live in a three-dimensional environment, experiencing life through movement and interaction with our surroundings. Our senses have evolved to allow us to engage with the world, developing a sense of balance, depth, smell, touch, and more—a complex array of perceptions that help us understand our position and the world around us. We make choices and possess free will, the primary driver of our “sense of presence” in the here and now. We communicate and receive external input constantly. Many of the narratives we experience, however, particularly the majority of mass media we unconsciously rely on, are two-dimensional or have adapted to two-dimensionality, which does not reflect how we interact with the world as human beings.

In a previous newsletter, we referred to the “Experience Economy” (Pine and Gilmore) – the idea that consumers today prefer to pay for unique live experiences rather than for goods or services. This yearning of individuals to actively participate in the stories that interest them and to have experiences where they are active creators rather than passive consumers is reflected in the growth of immersive entertainment attractions, such as theme parks, immersive theater, immersive art exhibitions, and virtual reality.

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