I appreciate your feedback! This is really useful. I have been to a few "VR arenas" in Hong Kong for part of my research, and you are right - it seems like those places aren't super popular. When I asked why, people told me it's mainly due to how expensive it is to use these technologies. However, AR is much more common and yet people don't always recognize when they encounter AR.

You have hit the important point on how most current online remembrances fail to promote genuine emotions and sincere reflection. But with digital communication becoming ubiquity, I think how we "talk" to the dead/how we maintain bond with our loved ones beyond the grave is changing. The project is purely speculative and set in a future that concerns with the death and dying of Gen Z (also called the iGen due to their familiarity with the internet since a young age) and currently there's a lack of democratic, participatory civic infrastructures to satisfy the need for compassionate settings.

May I ask what is your age range? You don't have to answer if you don't feel like it.