Glimpses from Palestine

A VR mobile experience reimagining lost Palestinian villages through time.

Project Overview
Glimpses from Palestine is a mobile VR application that allows users particularly Palestinian refugees and their descendants to virtually explore cities and villages across historical Palestine. Many of these locations have been destroyed or altered due to ongoing political conflict. The app reconstructs the past using archival images and maps, enabling users to travel through time and see what these villages once looked like.

Challenge
Since 1948, millions of Palestinian refugees have been denied the right to return to their homeland, or even visit it. Many of the villages they once lived in have been demolished or replaced. How might we provide displaced communities a meaningful, immersive connection to their lost heritage, especially when physical access is impossible?

Approach
To create an experience that is both historically accurate and emotionally resonant, I adopted a design case study methodology that combined research, prototyping, and usability testing.

Research
• User Interviews: Conducted interviews with Palestinian refugees living in the diaspora and individuals who had direct experience with the destroyed villages.
• Expert Consultations: Spoke with experts in virtual reality and Middle Eastern history to inform content and UX decisions.
• Think-Aloud Protocol: Used to gather real-time feedback on user expectations and behaviors during prototype testing.
• Secondary Research: Analyzed historical photos, maps, and architectural records to accurately model demolished villages in 3D.

Design
‍The app features a curved VR interface to create a more immersive and natural user experience. Users begin by selecting a city from a panel located at the bottom of the screen. Upon selection, they are transported to a 360° environment representing the current or past state of that location.

Key Features
‍
Time Travel View: Users can toggle between the present-day scene and a historically reconstructed version based on archival materials.
Immersive Navigation:
        Main Menu Button (Right): Opens a panel to switch cities or return to the main menu.
        •Info Button (Center): Displays contextual information in a bar at the bottom.
         •CClose Button (Left): Closes any open menu or info panel.
‍
Minimal UI Clutter: All controls are placed below the user’s field of vision to preserve immersion while remaining accessible when the user looks down.

Outcome
‍The prototype was tested with target users who expressed strong emotional reactions and appreciation for the sense of reconnection to their ancestral homes. Feedback highlighted the app’s intuitive interface and its potential for cultural education and preservation.

Reflection
This project was deeply personal and meaningful. It combined immersive technology with heritage preservation, bridging past and present through design. The emotional weight of the subject matter presented unique UX challenges, pushing me to design not just for usability, but for memory, identity, and belonging.‍