Virtual Reality Solution Development for Charity Fundraising: A Case Study

The Drummer Agency is a London-based charity consultancy that works to support and promote charitable causes. They were looking for innovative ways to engage potential donors and demonstrate the impact of their contributions. The agency was preparing for an exhibition of the biggest charity organizations and needed a compelling, realistic VR demo to showcase the life of local African communities. Despite being unfamiliar with the possibilities and limitations of VR technology, they recognized its potential as a powerful tool for storytelling and fundraising.

The Drummer Agency, a London-based charity consultancy, was seeking to create a virtual reality (VR) demo that could realistically portray the life of local African communities. The aim was to use this VR experience to accelerate the fundraising process by giving potential donors a firsthand experience of the communities they would be supporting. However, the agency faced several challenges. Firstly, they were unfamiliar with the capabilities and limitations of VR technology. Secondly, they had a very tight deadline to meet, as they needed the demo ready for an upcoming exhibition of major charity organizations. Lastly, they wanted the demo to be as realistic as possible, with photo-realistic characters and assets, which posed a significant challenge given the hardware limitations of VR technology.

N-iX VR department, with its expertise in developing for various VR headsets, was able to meet the client's demands. To achieve the desired level of realism, the team used photos of real locations and people when creating assets and characters. While the buildings and locations were not photographic, the photos were used to recreate the materials and textures unique to the region. Special attention was paid to lighting and other effects like flying pieces of dust and sand. The project was delivered by a team of eight, including six 3D artists, a developer, and a delivery manager. The clients were fully involved in the development process and communicated with the team daily. Based on initial user feedback, the team made significant improvements to the user experience, such as adding a reload possibility to avoid having to remove the mobile phone from the headset to restart it.

• The VR demo was successfully delivered on time and included all the features and functionality that The Drummer Agency required. It allowed users to interact with the environment and see firsthand how their donations could lead to tangible improvements in the community. The demo resonated with the exhibition audience and attracted a lot of attention, demonstrating the potential of VR as a tool for charity fundraising. The Drummer Agency was pleased with the final result and has since started cooperation with N-iX on other projects, indicating a high level of satisfaction with the quality of work delivered.

• The project was delivered in just 1 month, significantly faster than typical VR solutions.

• The VR demo featured 5 interactive points of interest, providing a rich, immersive experience for users.

• The VR demo attracted significant attention at the exhibition, leading to increased engagement for The Drummer Agency.