Digital by design: 3D animation as an interface to gauge users´ response to developments in fragile ecologies

This paper addresses HCI and visualization, and its social aspects. It reports the findings from a survey using 3D animation to illustrate proposed developments within the fragile ecologies of Langkawi. 3D animation has been regarded as an interface in this paper because its key purpose is to facilitate communication. Tourists became the target users who provided feedbacks about the schemes´ environmental-fit within the natural ecologies. The paper examines the contents of the 3D animation as a form of interface and relates it to the tourists´ feedbacks about the proposed schemes. Its potential to offer virtual tours and management of future eco-tourism related facilities is also suggested. Further investigation in HCI is wide open to develop the 3D animation as interfaces for real-life application in the context of eco-tourism.