## 3 Results
### Virtual Prototyping and Testing in the Lab (VRT)
On the one hand, the experts said that VR helped in imagining how the result of the product would look, whereas, on the other hand, they mentioned that a lot more can be perceived in real life. The participants noted that the images were not the same, but looked the same with regards to spatial dimensions (having a 1-to-1 scale). The participants who viewed themselves as not into technological novelties also mentioned that VR was particularly useful to envision the finished result. It defined the boundaries of the finished result and the visualization became more concrete. When there are many ideas and expectations, VR helps in delimiting these options, noted an expert. Renders of the design were viewed as not concrete enough. Apart from this, traction and enthusiasm resulted from the VR test as well. The spatial insight gained from viewing the product in VR left an impression of the user experience and how the screens related to each other. The use of avatars instilled the realism experienced in VR. Seeing an avatar performing context-related actions allowed for the visualization of the proportions of a person, but also presented the use of the product for the participants. VR offers a clear representation of the finished product, which can be useful as input for discussions and understanding. \"When I finally saw the finished result, if felt already familiar in a way.\" (Expert on social cohesion)  
VR also provided good insight for the designers on the project. For example, the designer working on the spatial model benefitted a lot from viewing the space in VR. For the designer working on the screens, the wholistic experience in VR made it a good first in-context test. VR can be used as a tool for visualizing spaces and can elicit more understanding of those spaces, which makes it more educational than renders. It also puts the box in a relevant and concrete setting. This was performed because context plays a crucial role in perception. This means that the use of VR is not only useful for communication towards others, but also as an internal design tool. Along with the realistic experience of viewing the dimensions of the box, three actionable tweaks to implement in the final product were proposed. \"VR places the product in a context and allows the user to see the product on a 1-to-1 scale. The same idea applies for smaller products that are 3D printed or viewed using Figma. It (VR) has a big added value for internal use even with people (designers) who have a lot of spatial cognition\" (Expert on product design)  
Content-wise, the VR prototype made it easier to assess how much textual information there should be on the screens. It also allowed for different spatial positions for the viewer to see if everything could be viewed from specific angles. This because it is extremely useful for first impressions. Another opinion that was voiced by a content creator was the false impression that the prototype could not be changed anymore. Some interviewees expressed the desire to use the VR model as a sandbox to explore different options regarding the spatial placement of furniture. These insights could then, in turn, be linked to the physical model when it was being constructed. The designers admitted that they are used to imagining a lot in their role and noted that it would be particularly useful to be able to convey the vision inside their heads as realistically as possible to the customer. They reported that the visual quality was high enough, but that the limiting factor was keeping up with the knowledge of Unity to visualize projects in VR. The release of a good plugin for this would convince the design team to start working with VR themselves. Since Unity has become a lot more user-friendly, they envision themselves using the Oculus Quest soon. VR helped with imagining the final experience of the CoGent box; during testing with experts and lead users it became clear that it did not induce much creativity, except for the parts that still had to be defined.