Abstract
This study explores how biophilic design cues in virtual reality (VR) interfaces influence users’ visual attention, restorative experience, and mental imagery. Using a between-subjects experimental design, a VR-based eye-tracking experiment was conducted in immersive retail environments featuring either direct biophilic design (authentic natural elements) or indirect biophilic design (nature-inspired graphics). We designated two areas of interest (biophilic background and product area in a store) to capture participants’ gaze behavior. According to the correlation analysis, fixation and saccade metrics were associated with four restorative experience dimensions, mental imagery fluency, and shopping satisfaction. In the direct biophilic condition, saccades across background and product areas increased mental imagery fluency as well as the restorative experience to enhance satisfaction. In the indirect design environment, mental imagery mediated the relationship between restorative experience and satisfaction. The present study offers implications for VR designs that facilitate restorative experience and mental simulation to improve user experiences.
