Haiyao Yan

• Designed and implemented real-time VR painting tools, brush dynamics, dynamic materials, and expressive interaction systems.
• Built a fully diegetic UI and simplified user flow aimed at elderly VR beginners, ensuring clear onboarding and low cognitive load.
• Conducted extensive playtesting across multiple age groups to refine clarity, comfort, and accessibility.
• Integrated stylized shaders and metaphor-driven environmental storytelling to support art therapy and emotional expression.

RCAD Halloween Event, 300–400 players

• Led all technical development: Blueprint scripting, VR interaction, diegetic UI, onboarding system, tools, and environment assembly.
• Optimized VR performance through trim sheet workflows, LOD chains, and baked lighting to replace Lumen; redesigned lightmap density for stable framerates.
• Modeled key assets in Maya, created UVs, and authored stylized materials using Substance and Unreal Engine.
• Built modular scene layouts using Mod Kits for rapid iteration; designed the full narrative experience and interactive flow.
• Developed custom Blueprint utilities for snap-grab interaction, item switching, hint triggers, and material function reuse.
• Showcased the project to 300–400 attendees during RCAD’s Halloween VR event and improved onboarding based on user feedback.

Collaboration with Sarasota Fablab | Used in children’s safety education

• Recreated industrial machinery with 1:1 accuracy from client reference videos and implemented correct operational workflows.
• Built full VR training logic: step validation, machine interaction scripting, safety-lock systems, error prevention, and multi-stage tutorials.
• Designed modular machine-interaction framework reusable for future VR training pipelines.
• Implemented sound cues, UI prompts, vibration hints, and feedback systems to mirror real-world machine operation.
• Delivered a functional VR training tool later used in a children’s safety education program.