The VR Book Human-Centered Design for Virtual Reality -- Jerald, Jason -- 2016 -- Association for Computing Machinery and Morgan & Claypool -- 3e9c409e6d048ef009ef575fc8e81349 -- Anna’s Archive
The VR Book by Jason Jerald (2016) presents a thorough, practitioner‑focused guide to designing virtual reality (VR) experiences through a human‑centered lens. It is organized into six major parts: (1) Perception – covering visual, auditory, vestibular, and multimodal perception, perceptual constancies, and the impact of latency and motion on sensory thresholds; (2) Adverse Health Effects – detailing motion sickness, cybersickness, visual‑vestibular conflicts, mitigation strategies, and measurement instruments such as the Kennedy Simulator Sickness Questionnaire; (3) Content Creation – describing real‑world capture (3‑D geometry, 360° stereoscopic video, light fields), authoring pipelines, and standards (OSVR, VRPN); (4) Interaction – exploring input device classes, hand‑based and body‑based techniques, pointing, selection patterns, bimanual interaction, and the role of proprioception and embodiment; (5) Iterative Design – outlining a systematic human‑centered design process, from task analysis, personas, and low‑fidelity prototypes to formal usability testing, performance metrics, and design refinement; and (6) The Future – speculating on emerging hardware, networked environments, and research directions. The final sections provide an extensive glossary of VR terminology (e.g., perceptual constancies, vection, redirected walking, sensory substitution) and a detailed author biography that establishes Jerald’s authority through two decades of VR research, industry collaborations, and a strong publication record. The book serves as both a reference and a practical handbook for researchers, designers, and developers seeking to create immersive, comfortable, and effective VR experiences.
Topics
Perceptual Foundations for VR Design
An overview of the sensory mechanisms that underlie virtual reality experiences, covering visual, auditory, vestibular, and multimodal perception. It explains perceptual constancies, latency thresholds, motion perception models, vection, and the impact of sensory integration on immersion and comfort.
Interaction Paradigms and Input Device Design
Analyzes hand‑based, body‑based, and hybrid interaction methods, including pointing, selection patterns, bimanual techniques, and the role of proprioception and embodiment in designing effective input devices.
Iterative Human‑Centered Design and Evaluation Process for VR
Presents a systematic workflow that moves from task analysis, personas, and low‑fidelity prototypes to formal usability testing, performance metrics (accuracy, time‑to‑completion, training transfer), statistical validation, and iterative refinement.