VR Anima Safari Application with Design Thinking and Usability Testing Method

The rapid advancement of virtual reality (VR) technology has opened new possibilities for creating immersive and interactive experiences across various fields. This research addresses the challenge of enhancing visitor experiences at a large 13.9-hectare zoo in Surakarta, where exploring the entire area on foot can be tiring, especially in unfavorable weather. To solve this problem, the study developed Anima Safari, a VR application aimed at providing an engaging and educational exploration of wildlife in a simulated environment, thereby bridging the gap between entertainment and education. The application enables users to interact with diverse animal species and learn about their behaviors and habitats in an immersive way.The development process employed the Design Thinking methodology, which involved iterative prototyping and continuous refinement based on user feedback. Key stages included empathy-building, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing. Usability testing was conducted using the Slovin formula to determine the sample size, involving 33 participants who provided quantitative feedback. The testing focused on four aspects: Learnability, Flexibility, Effectiveness, and Attitude.Results showed an overall usability score of 79.05%, indicating that Anima Safari is effective in delivering an educational and engaging experience. Strengths identified include the application's ability to provide a realistic and enjoyable safari experience, while areas for improvement were noted in navigation and system notifications. This study demonstrates the value of integrating Design Thinking and usability testing in VR application development, contributing to best practices for creating user-centered applications that meet educational and entertainment needs. Recommendations for future work include optimizing file size for better performance and expanding usability tests with larger user groups.