Back to Main

Back to Main

Back to Main

Work Type

Work Type

Work Type

Immersive VR Experience

Immersive VR Experience

Immersive VR Experience

Role

Role

Role

VR Experience Designer | Spatial Interaction

VR Experience Designer | Spatial Interaction

VR Experience Designer | Spatial Interaction

Duration

Duration

Duration

2024 | 14 weeks

2024 | 14 weeks

2024 | 14 weeks

Contributors

Contributors

Contributors

Yilin Jin | Yujing Wang

Yilin Jin | Yujing Wang

Yilin Jin | Yujing Wang

Introduction

Within is an immersive VR experience that explores the psychological weight of claustrophobia through shrinking spaces, ambient sound, and subtle interaction.

Inspired by research on spatial phobias and perception, the project guides players through confined environments that shift in size, sound, and light. A distant voice offers quiet instructions—not to solve, but to soothe. This is not a game of escape, but of awareness. As players learn to recognize what remains still, they begin to understand how fear moves through space, and through the body.

VR immersive experience with perception & puzzle-solving

Project Goal

Exploring how spatial changes evoke claustrophobic tension in VR.

Core Concept

Players explore shrinking spaces, uncovering clues to progress.

Project Walkthrough

In a familiar room, as the walls close in and light fades, a doctor’s voice guides the player to find the one object that doesn’t move.

In a familiar room, as the walls close in and light fades, a doctor’s voice guides the player to find the one object that doesn’t move.

Part 1 — The Room

Doctor’s Guidance

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

The elevator closes. The space narrows, and tension builds. The doctor’s voice returns—steady guiding you to focus on what hasn’t changed. You need to find it before everything else does.

The elevator closes. The space narrows, and tension builds. The doctor’s voice returns—steady guiding you to focus on what hasn’t changed. You need to find it before everything else does.

Part 2 — The Elevator

Doctor’s Guidance

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

The tension breaks. You step into a wide, open space—no more walls, no more shrinking.

The doctor’s voice fades. Now, it’s just you and the quiet. There’s nothing to solve, just a moment to breathe.

The tension breaks. You step into a wide, open space—no more walls, no more shrinking.

The doctor’s voice fades. Now, it’s just you and the quiet. There’s nothing to solve, just a moment to breathe.

Part 3 — The Forest

Doctor’s Guidance

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Dear Oliver,

I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share my excitement about creating websites with Framer's intuitive no-code platform.

Let's explore it together!Looking forward to discussing more about our design adventures!

  1. Dear Player,

You’re safe now. Just stay calm and listen carefully.

I know the room feels like it’s shrinking — but that’s only part of the illusion.

Focus on something that never changes. That’s your way out. You’re doing great.

Just breathe.

  1. Dear Player,

Hello, can you hear me okay?

Listen carefully — you’ve gotten over claustrophobia before.

Keep breathing steadily. Remember the tricks inside.

Focus on finding something stable, something that will never change — and you can do it.

  1. Dear Player,

Take a breath. You’ve made it.

The walls are gone — and now you’re standing in the open.

What you see is a reflection of your strength.You faced the fear.

Claustrophobia may return someday. But you can rise above it.

Ideation

Ideation 1: “Time Canvas”

Explore time as a tool to uncover hidden stories and solve puzzles.

Ideation 2: “Perspective and Perception”

Shift viewpoints to break conventional perceptions and find solutions.

Research

Research

Why claustrophobia?

This specific phobia is an extreme fear of confined spaces, and may feel symptoms of gradual space reduction and suffocation in certain environments.

It often involves the sensation of spaces closing in or shrinking. This can create a profound sense of being trapped and helpless.


Physical symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness...

It often involves the sensation of spaces closing in or shrinking. This can create a profound sense of being trapped and helpless.


Physical symptoms include shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, sweating, dizziness...

Experience

In the United States, the lifetime prevalence of claustrophobia is about 12.5%

Iteration

The patient experiences a strong sense of “being squeezed” in a confined environment.

the room becomes smaller

But it didn't quite feel like a claustrophobic perspective.

The whole room started to shrink

Final Showcase

Final Showcase

Final Showcase

Scenes Showcase

Why these scenes?

We chose vintage interiors over modern ones to evoke a heightened sense of psychological tension.

The classical style

It creates a timeless, narrative-rich space that emphasizes emotional weight over realism.

Building Environment in Unity

Building Environment in Unity

Building Environment in Unity

Showcase

Final Thoughts

Subtle changes in space, light, and sound can evoke strong emotional reactions—especially in immersive VR environments.

This project explores how spatial scripting, environmental audio, and guided interaction can simulate psychological states like claustrophobia.

With more time, we would incorporate biometric feedback, adaptive AI prompts, and responsive transitions to deepen personalization and emotional resonance.

Back to Main

Let’s
Collaborate

Book a call with me -

Click to explore!

Linkedin

Email

X

WeChat

Designing for the future?

YILIN

©

YILIN JIN

2025

Back to Main

Let’s
Collaborate

Book a call with me -

Click to explore!

Linkedin

Email

X

WeChat

Designing for the future?

YILIN

©

YILIN JIN

2025

Back to Main

Let’s
Collaborate

Book a call with me -

Click to explore!

Linkedin

Email

X

WeChat

©

YILIN JIN

2025