Week 0: Pre-semester Planning
Developing thesis direction, proposal, and presentation outline
January 25, 2026
Overview
This week focused on developing the thesis direction before the semester begins. The goal was to integrate my past work with what I truly care about, and prepare for the 5-minute presentation on the first day of class.
Progress
Concept Exploration
Why spatial memory?
As a lighting designer, I’ve always worked with space. Space is how I perceive the world and communicate feelings. When I started experimenting with 3D Gaussian Splatting, I realized: we can now preserve space itself, not just images of it.
Why this direction?
Photos lock us into a fixed angle. We’re spectators. But what if we could step into a memory? VR gives us an interface that can envelop people. Combined with 3DGS, we can return to spatial memories.
Thesis Direction Established
Core Theme: Spatial Memory
When the medium of memory shifts from “flat images” to “digital spaces,” how will our relationship with memory change?
Proposal Draft Completed
Key elements:
- Working title established
- Motivation articulated (lighting designer background)
- Form defined (VR experience with 3DGS)
- Timeline drafted
Presentation Outline Completed
5-minute presentation structure:
- Hook — Personal story (Nankunshen Temple)
- Context — Photos vs. spatial memory
- Why Me — Lighting designer background
- Core Inquiry — What I want to explore
- Form & Approach — VR + 3DGS + light interaction
- Next Steps — Timeline
Key Insights
On Motivation
“As a lighting designer, space is how I perceive the world and communicate feelings. Space has a unique quality: it can envelop people.”
On Interaction
“What does it feel like to be inside a spatial memory? I don’t know yet. That’s exactly what I want to explore through this thesis.”
Personal Story: Nankunshen Temple
The same space, the same person, completely different feelings over time:
| Time | Feeling about Nankunshen |
|---|---|
| Childhood | Hot, loud, eyes burning from incense |
| Now | Connection to faith, connection to father, peace |
This transformation exemplifies the core inquiry: memory isn’t fixed — our relationship with space changes over time.
Existing Technical Work
- Nankunshen Temple 3DGS — Already captured and processed as a test case
Next Steps
- Finalize presentation slides
- Practice 5-minute presentation
- Complete 3DGS → VR pipeline verification
- Decide which space to scan for the project
- Experiment with different interaction mechanisms
Questions to Explore
- What does it feel like to “return” to a space vs. “look at” a photo?
- How should interaction be designed? Why interact at all?
- Which space should be the focus — personal or collective?
Week 0 | Pre-semester | 2026-01-25