Cultural Competence in VR

Overview

This page explores how virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR) experiences can be designed with cultural competence in mind, using my Project 2 work as a case study. Cultural competence in immersive media means crafting environments that are not only visually accurate, but emotionally and historically respectful, allowing users to engage deeply with the cultural context being represented.

In my case, I built an MR music map where users select a country's flag (e.g. Mexico) and hear trending music while surrounded by national symbols. The goal was to move beyond simple sound playback and foster cultural appreciation and learning.

 What Is Cultural Competence in VR?

• Accuracy: Representing cultures with real-world reference points, not stereotypes.

• Context: Including meaningful symbolism (e.g., the axólotl, nopal cactus, mariachi hat in Mexico).

• Respect: Acknowledging histories, identities, and user experiences tied to the culture.

• Intention: Designing immersive spaces with a clear purpose beyond aesthetics.

Case Study: MR Spotify Map (Mexico Focus)

• This project began as a multi-country experience, but I ultimately narrowed it to focus on Mexico to ensure quality and depth over scale. Users interact with a Mexican flag in a passthrough environment and hear a curated audio track featuring popular music from Mexico City. Visual elements like symbolic objects and the flag offer cultural anchors that spark recognition and emotional connection.

Design Choices That Enhanced Cultural Competence

• Used authentic regional music from Spotify trends to root users in real-time cultural expression.

• Added symbolic visual elements like the axólotl and cactus to bring history and iconography into MR space.

• Shifted from a 2D UI to a world-space interaction system for more natural exploration.

• Focused on one country (Mexico) to prioritize intentionality over scale.

• Educational Potential

• This kind of project can be used in classrooms to:

• Teach geography and cultural studies through immersive learning.

• Encourage students to reflect on the meaning behind national symbols.

• Offer multisensory engagement for multilingual learners.

Suggested Best Practices

• Start small: One region or country is enough to build something meaningful.

• Avoid stereotypes by grounding visuals in research and lived experience.

• Use passthrough to anchor virtual content in the real world.

• Design interactions that promote user curiosity and agency.

• SKETCHFAB or other resources for free meshes!