Simurgh — Interactive VR Experience
Research through Design Investigation by Aylar Fakherian
Simurgh is an immersive Virtual Reality project investigating how interactive digital experiences can support the transmission of intangible cultural heritage.
Using the Persian mythological figure of the Simurgh as a case study, the project combines cultural analysis, character design, immersive development, and user evaluation to explore how mythological knowledge can be communicated through interactive media.
The Question
How can Virtual Reality support the transmission of intangible cultural heritage through immersive interactive experiences?
Project Overview
Simurgh — First Encounter
A documentation of the immersive VR experience and the user's encounter with the Simurgh character.
First Encounter — immersive VR experience documentation.
Research through Design Exploration
A research-oriented exploration of the Simurgh project, documenting the development of the character, immersive environment, and Research through Design process.
Research through Design exploration — Simurgh VR project.
Research Context
Intangible cultural heritage such as myths, legends, oral traditions, and symbolic narratives depends on interpretation, participation, and cultural understanding rather than physical preservation alone.
While Virtual Reality has been widely explored for cultural heritage visualization, its use for communicating mythological and symbolic forms of intangible cultural heritage remains comparatively underexplored.
This project addresses this gap through the Persian mythological figure of the Simurgh, translating its literary, historical, visual, behavioral, and symbolic characteristics into an interactive VR experience.
Design Approach
The project follows an integrated Research through Design workflow connecting cultural research with creative and technical practice.
Cultural Analysis · Character Design · 3D Modeling · Animation · VR Development · Audio Narrative · User Evaluation
Literary, historical, and artistic sources were comparatively analyzed to identify recurring visual, behavioral, and symbolic characteristics of the Simurgh. These findings informed the development of the digital character and its integration into the immersive environment.
The Experience
The VR prototype combines the Simurgh's visual representation, character animation, environmental context, spatial interaction, and literary narration derived from Persian sources.
Users can freely explore the virtual environment and observe the Simurgh from different viewpoints while experiencing synchronized visual, behavioral, and auditory elements.
Evaluation
The prototype was evaluated through an exploratory user study involving adolescents, Persian literature scholars, and digital artists.
Participants completed pre- and post-experience questionnaires and provided qualitative feedback concerning cultural understanding, visual design, animation, presence, immersion, and engagement.
The evaluation indicated that the experience helped communicate the Simurgh's cultural and symbolic characteristics, corrected common misconceptions, and increased participants' interest in Persian mythology and cultural heritage.
Research Contribution
The study proposes an integrated design approach that connects cultural analysis, character design, VR development, and user evaluation within a unified Research through Design process.
Rather than treating Virtual Reality solely as a visualization technology, the project explores its potential as a medium for communicating intangible cultural heritage through immersive, interactive, and culturally informed experiences.
Researcher
Aylar Fakherian
Human-Centred Designer · Research through Design
Aylar Fakherian works across Human-Centred Design, Research through Design, interactive systems, immersive experiences, XR, and Digital Cultural Heritage.
Related Work
Publication
Design and Evaluation of an Interactive Virtual Reality Experience for Transmitting Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the Simurgh Myth
Submitted to ArtsIT 2026 · Under Review
Research Areas
Virtual Reality · Cultural Transmission · Intangible Cultural Heritage · Immersive Media · Research through Design · Practice-Based Research · Persian Mythology · Interactive Systems · Character Design · User Experience