Project Description – Hello Daisy (2022)
Hello Daisy is an interactive VR experience, created in Unity with spatial audio and designed as part of the Immersive Experience Creator program at Futuregames. This project, developed by Smaranda Pîrvan Pompiliu, Alva Lövgren, Karl Östman, and Am Paso, debuted at Tekniska Museet in Stockholm during the launch of the HELLO exhibition, a tribute to the first computers.
As my first project creating VR content in Unity, I collaborated with my team to craft a nostalgic experience that pays homage to the IBM 7094, the first computer to sing using speech synthesis in 1961. This groundbreaking moment in technology was immortalized in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and we sought to bring this history to life in our VR experience.
In Hello Daisy, users approach a vintage, bulky computer and are invited to interact with it. The machine asks if it can sing a tune – just like its ”grandpa” did in the past. Upon agreeing, the user hears the iconic Daisy Bell tune, and the surroundings transform from a historical computer room into a magical meadow filled with daisies and whimsical trees. The contrast between the dated technology and the vibrant, fantastical environment creates a striking experience.
During the demo at Tekniska Museet, the experience was especially popular with children, who were both intrigued by the eerie song and delighted by the playful elements of the meadow. Many of them rushed to explore the landscape, fascinated by the flowers and eager to pet the imaginary cat that wandered the virtual world.
This project allowed me to explore the intersection of history and imagination, merging interactive storytelling with VR technology. It also marked an important milestone as my first venture into VR creation, using spatial audio and interactive design to engage users in a new, immersive way.
Logo Concept – Daisy and the Bumblebee
This logo for Hello Daisy blends the iconic Daisy flower with a retro computer turned into a bumblebee. Inspired by the IBM 7094, the first computer to sing Daisy Bell, it symbolizes the fusion of nostalgia and whimsy. The bumblebee, representing the Microbee computer from the Tekniska Museet exhibition, reflects how technology can transform and take flight, while the flower connects the mechanical and natural worlds, inviting users into our imaginative VR experience.
