Visual design for empathy in virtual reality: a systematic review of emotional engagement (2018–2023)

This study investigates how visual design elements—specifically color, lighting, and spatial composition—affect emotional and empathetic engagement in Virtual Reality (VR) environments. It focuses on adult users across diverse domains such as education, psychotherapy, and humanitarian advocacy. A systematic review of literature from 2018 to 2023 was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, and JSTOR, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. A total of 21 peer-reviewed studies were selected based on their focus on visual modalities in VR and empathy-related outcomes for adult users. The review identifies a consistent impact of visual elements on users’ empathetic and emotional responses in immersive VR contexts. However, it also uncovers key challenges: (1) a lack of standardized, validated metrics for measuring empathy in VR; (2) a fragmented approach to visual emotion analysis that isolates design elements rather than considering their interplay; and (3) limited investigation into cultural variability in interpreting visual stimuli. This study offers a novel contribution by synthesizing visual design practices in VR to foster empathy, a focus not previously addressed in our research. Unlike existing studies, including any prior work by our team, this review integrates cross-cultural perspectives, proposes standardized empathy metrics, and examines the interplay of visual elements (color, lighting, spatial composition) across diverse domains, providing a cohesive framework for empathy-driven VR design.