Woohee Byun




Rebuild Ukraine

RoleUX/UI Design, VR Development
DurationFebruary - April 2025 (2 months)

Recognition XR Guild NYC Chapter Speaker Rebuild Ukraine is a VR puzzle game where players reconstruct Ukrainian cultural heritage sites destroyed by war, while uncovering the stories and identities behind them. 

I designed and developed the experience as a sole contributor using ShapesXR, Blender, and Figma to craft immersive storytelling, spatial UI, and 3D interactions.






Overview

Problem

 As part of a class brief from PuzzleMaster VR, I was challenged to design a virtual reality app that engages users in assembling 3D components through immersive puzzle mechanics. While the brief allowed creative freedom, I wanted to move beyond generic puzzle formats and design something with emotional and educational depth.



Outcome

 The result is Rebuild Ukraine, a VR puzzle game where users reconstruct Ukrainian heritage sites destroyed by war, while uncovering their historical significance. The experience invites players to engage in tactile assembly and immersive storytelling, transforming puzzle play into a form of cultural preservation and empathy building.



Final Design







Research

Cultural Research

 The war in Ukraine has resulted in widespread destruction of cultural heritage—cathedrals, monuments, and public landmarks that once served as physical expressions of national identity. As I began this project, I was driven by the question:

“How might we use immersive technology to preserve not just structures, but the stories and memories tied to them?”

I explored reports from UNESCO, media coverage, and digital documentation efforts to understand the scale and emotional weight of this loss. 





Competitive Research

 To better position Rebuild Ukraine in the landscape of puzzle-based heritage experiences, I analyzed four key competitors across physical and digital platforms: United 24 x LEGO creators, Puzzle Places’ Ukrainian Heritage Pack, Ukrainian-themed physical puzzle, and digital puzzle game.

Each product highlights a different strength—visual storytelling, physical engagement, or immersive environments—but none fully integrate interaction, immersion, and emotional narrative the way Rebuild Ukraine aims to.





Problem Identification

From extensive competitive research despite the platform, I have identified common problems among competitors that can be reframed as opportunity and solution for this project.

  • Lack of Emotional response
  • Fragmented Heritage Experience
  • Limited Interactivity and Engagement





Design Process

Ideation

 To kick off the project, I began by sketching out the initial user flow and rough layouts of the spatial environment using a VR design tool. This helped me visualize how users would navigate the experience—from selecting a puzzle to interacting with pieces and triggering narrative moments. Early ideation focused on balancing intuitive interaction with a thoughtful emotional journey, ensuring that each step felt purposeful within the immersive context.





Wireframes

 I used ShapesXR, a VR prototyping tool, to sketch out the spatial interactions and overall scene structure. UI elements such as panels and buttons were designed in Figma, then imported into ShapesXR to visualize them in a true 3D context.

Throughout prototyping, I tested the user flow, as well as the placement, scale, and accessibility of interactive objects. I also explored audio and visual feedback across different scenes to ensure a seamless and intuitive experience in VR.




User Testing

I conducted user testing with 3 peers, who are familiar with VR setting. 

Key feedback includes:
  • Participants commented that some puzzle pieces looked too small and might be hard to assemble.
  • They hesitated at the beginning, unsure what to do in each scene.
  • Participants weren’t sure they were solving a puzzle or simply viewing information.




Iteration

 User testing revealed several limitations in ShapesXR’s interaction capabilities—including limited responsiveness in object manipulation, restricted customization of snap logic, and difficulty fine-tuning visual/audio feedback. Based on this feedback, I shifted the main development platform to Unity, which allowed for greater control over behavior, scale, and scene flow.

Key iterations included:
  • Improved snapping mechanics for puzzle pieces with responsive audio/haptic feedback
  • Refined UI panel placement for better accessibility and visibility in VR space
  • Enhanced object scale and distance to improve comfort and reachability
  • Reworked story mode content by replacing static imagery and voiceover with an integrated video sequence

These changes helped elevate the interaction quality from early concept to a more immersive, narrative-rich experience.
Before: Flat UI Panel that is unaligned with XR space
After: Refined UI panel with 3d model for holistic experience
Before: Smaller puzzle pieces for seated experience
After: Bigger puzzle pieces for better reachability
Before: Story mode with static images due to limited feature
After: Story mode with video for accessible viewing experience




Solution

Key Scene 1


Puzzle Selection
User selects puzzle that has been either destroyed or at risk of destruction.  User can decide based on its 3d model, description, and difficulty.



Key Scene 2


Puzzle Building
User starts building the puzzle in the environment with relaxing and hopeful atmosphere.

  • Progress tracker
  • Snap and socket interaction
  • Sound and audio feedback 
  • Tutorial 



Key Scene 3


Final Reveal
Ta-da! When user completes the puzzle, real-life scale statue comes up and shares story of how it’s at risk or destroyed.




Outcome

Future Direction

 Rebuild Ukraine is designed with scalability in mind. With over 20 active conflicts worldwide, countless cultural heritage sites remain at risk of destruction. This project has the potential to expand beyond Ukraine—offering users the opportunity to engage with and preserve endangered landmarks from other regions through immersive, story-driven experiences.

Additionally, platforms like War Up Close and Polycam empower everyday users and artists to contribute 3D scans of at-risk architecture, creating rich digital archives. These open-source resources provide a growing foundation for expanding the game’s library—enabling users to not only rebuild, but also learn, reflect, and connect with global cultural narratives.

Key Takeaways

 This project deepened my understanding of UX/UI design in spatial computing and the unique challenges of building for immersive environments. Working hands-on in both ShapesXR and Unity helped me translate traditional design principles into VR-specific interactions.

Key lessons and skills gained include:
  • Designing intuitive spatial UI with proper scaling, placement, and hierarchy in 3D space
  • Implementing multisensory feedback (sound, visual cues, haptics) to guide and reward user interaction
  • Structuring an onboarding flow that gradually introduces interaction patterns without overwhelming users
  • Iterating based on real user behavior to improve flow, responsiveness, and emotional impact

Overall, Rebuild Ukraine taught me how to create immersive experiences that are not only engaging, but also empathetic, accessible, and purposeful.

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