Uttkarsh Mandaknale — Design Portfolio

Overview

Challenge

Solution

Research

Brand

Back

Overview

Challenge

Solution

Research

Brand

Back

VERSE

Bringing stories to life

through immersive reading

Bringing stories to life through immersive reading

Experiential Design

BRAND STRATEGY

MOTION DESIGN

SOUND DESIGN

Overview

I partnered with my classmate to take this project from the very first idea all the way through to a fully realized immersive reading platform. We set out with a clear mission: to bring storytelling back to life at a time when it risks becoming shallow and forgettable. I led efforts across customer journey mapping, user interviews, wireframing, prototyping, motion design, user interface design, branding, and strategy. Every step was focused on building something that would truly change the way people experience stories.

Timeline

12 Weeks

Sep '24 – Dec '24

role

Design Lead

CONTRIBUTORS

Sakshi Suthar (Co-lead)

Blake Hudelson, Nathan Shedroff (Mentors)

recognition

ADC Young Ones by The One Club for Creativity:
Experiential Design/Digital Experiences

Challenge

Younger audiences are immersed in interactive and rapid media experiences. Conventional books may appear static and isolating, making it challenging to maintain interest in lengthy reading. This disparity contributes to decreasing literacy rates and diminishes our bond with the emotional and imaginative strength of stories.

Solution

An immersive reading app for XR devices that elevates traditional books into rich, sensory experiences.

Verse is designed for deeper engagement by utilizing responsive design principles to integrate contextual audio and generative visuals that adapt in real time to the story's events and settings. Ambient soundscapes, spatial interactions, and real-time environmental changes are carefully synchronized with narrative cues, creating an emotionally rich

reading experience.

Story with

sensory context

Story with

sensory context

Story with

sensory context

Verse immerses readers back into the story world by not only continuing the text but also recreating the sensory atmosphere of the narrative. The generative visuals and ambient soundscapes respond dynamically to the events, mood, and setting of the story, helping readers to quickly reconnect with both the plot and its emotional tone.

Personalised engagement

Recognizing the diverse impact of immersive technologies on readers, Verse is designed to provide adjustable sensory settings. Instead of imposing a fixed level of immersion, the experience adapts to individual preferences, supporting both accessibility and
reader autonomy.

Recommendations for sustainable reading

To foster long-term engagement, the app suggests reading material based on the genres that readers already enjoy. By aligning recommendations with users' interests, these suggestions help minimize decision fatigue and establish a consistent reading rhythm.

Research

Insights

Constant exposure to fast, fragmented content on social media makes it harder to sustain attention in long-form reading.

Supplementary visuals help readers process unfamiliar content more quickly, improving comprehension.

Brand

Verse aims to make reading vivid and personal, transforming stories into immersive experiences. With a creative and welcoming personality, every detail from the logo to the app's tone sparks curiosity. Verse's visual identity invites readers to see books as adventures waiting to be experienced.