Tommaso Poggi, Nico Frey,
Lola Renner, Anna Senko
SEP - OCT 2025
Valence Sandbox
Immersive technology offers powerful opportunities to reframe foundational science. While textbook learning establishes basic facts, hands-on, spatial discovery activates multiple cognitive pathways to deepen understanding.
This project leverages virtual reality to teach primary school students the core concept of valency: how atoms bond to achieve stability.
Rather than building a broad chemistry suite, we designed a targeted VR experience that uses distinct visual materials and spatial interactions to make abstract atomic bonding intuitive and engaging for young learners.
INTRODUCTION
To keep the focus strictly on the underlying logic of valency, we limited the experience to a curated set of six atoms.
Because hydrogen bonds most readily, we positioned it as the primary driver of the interaction model. We rendered hydrogen
as a flexible spring with a reflective metallic finish, contrasting sharply with the matte, plastic surfaces of the base atoms. Upon attachment, it snaps around the base atom to occupy open valence slots.
This high-contrast material change and the added components acts as an instant visual trigger, sparking immediate recognition and grounding abstract chemical rules in tangible, physical feedback.
APPROACH
VALENCY SCHEME: WHAT'S MORE WILLING TO BOND
ATTRACTION - LOGIC AND UX
REPULSION - LOGIC AND UX
ELECTRONS AND ELECTRON SHELL - UX
MATERIALS AND SHAPE DEFINITION
MOLECULE COLLECTION
H2O - VISUAL REPRESENTATION
Starting from an open brief, our team conceptualized a VR experience designed to make valency intuitive for young learners.
I led the visual direction and co-designed the core user experience. I defined the shape and material logic, designed the 3D atomic geometries, and curated a high-contrast 2D-in-3D visual system to enhance clarity and legibility in space. Additionally, I played a key role in structuring the attraction and repulsion interaction models to make abstract chemical bonding tangible.
To bring the system to life, we modeled the assets in Blender, designed the interface in Figma (using native visionOS components), built a functional code prototype to test and iterate on the real-time bonding and repulsion physics, and produced the final presentation video in After Effects.
OUTCOME
