Crafting Immersive Narratives of the Future. Design-doing as a Method of exploring the Meaning of Immersive Storytelling

Creating a better connection between the audience and the news story is something many journalists aim for. Immersing the audience profoundly in the situation or event that is presented now seems possible by means of Virtual Reality. It is however, difficult to oversee, or directly experience, what the consequences of using Virtual Reality applications for journalism might be. This paper outlines a roadmap for carrying out research into immersive narrative by means of a thinking-through-making approach. This approach, as a way to create knowledge by means of design, has deep roots at the Strategic Creativity Lab at Design Academy Eindhoven. The paper reflects on a design research project which followed this approach, exploring immersive narratives with VR technology. The project was executed by students of Design Academy Eindhoven and coached by author1.