Recently, I had the chance to experience a body immersive experience —Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People - Infinity by teamLab.

‍You walk into this knee-deep digital pool—yes, you’re actually walking into the artwork! On the surface, koi fish swim around, and the coolest part is how they react to your presence. They move with you, and when they collide with you, they transform into these gorgeous flowers that scatter across the water. The flowers even change with the seasons,I visited during autumn , so the generative arts flower i had seen was for autumn flowers.

‍

Immersive designers, especially those working with real-time generative art like this, focus heavily on user experience (UX). The experience isn’t just about how people interact with the environment but how the environment reacts and evolves in response. Personally, I’ve found that using UX frameworks like the 5E Framework or Peter Morville’s UX Honeycomb really helps guide the process in immersive experiences because it breaks down the journey users take from the moment they become aware of an experience to after it ends.

‍
What’s really mind-blowing is that this entire experience is rendered in real-time. No two visits are ever the same. The koi’s movements, the patterns they create, the way they interact with you—it’s all unique to that moment. It’s one of those experiences that makes you stop, slow down, and just take it all in.

‍

‍

There’s this constant sense of flow and change, almost like the installation is alive, evolving with every interaction.For anyone interested in how tech and nature merge for body immersive experience , Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People - Infinity by teamLab. is a must-see.

‍

‍

Behind the Scene : Designing Immersive Experience

‍

For installations like Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People, the designer's role typically focuses on creating the concept, user experience, and interactive flow, while collaborating with developers to bring it all to life.

TouchDesigner (Designer & Developer Collaboration) : TouchDesigner is a platform where both designers and developers can work together. As a designer, we are responsible for crafting the visual aesthetic, interaction flow, and user experience—deciding how the koi should move, how the environment reacts to people, and what visuals or effects to use.

Unity (Mainly Developer, but UX/Interaction Design Input) : While Unity is heavily developer-focused, designers role is to plan and map out the physics and interactions. We focus on how users interact with elements like the koi, how the environment reacts to movement, and how that interaction feels from a user perspective. The developer would then implement those physics and behaviors.

Sensors and Tracking Devices (Designer Input, Developer Implementation) : While developers handle the technical side of integrating motion tracking and sensors, designers build the timeline flow in what should happen when sensors detect user presence.

‍

-----------

‍

I truly believe that creating good design starts with understanding what already exists. By exploring and learning from the work that’s out there, you gain valuable insights and inspiration. More importantly, it allows you to identify the specific role you play in the design process and and how your unique skills can contribute to the project ❤️

By knowing what's out there and recognizing where your strengths fit in, we all will find our fits 🤓

‍

‍