It Takes Two: Assessing collaborative brainstorming tasks in Virtual Reality and desktop environments

Abstract Collaboration builds the collective development of new ideas, perspectives, and ways of working. By engaging in shared collaborative tasks, teams can strengthen professional relationships and improve creative outcomes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of digital tools for remote collaboration has grown rapidly, with desktop-based applications now widely used to manage teams, conduct workshops, and support ideation. In parallel, advances in Virtual Reality (VR) technology and the availability of affordable commercial headsets have enabled immersive tools for collaborative work. While prior research has shown that VR can effectively support team-based activities such as training and simulation, its comparative value for creative collaboration relative to traditional desktop platforms remains under explored This study addresses this gap by evaluating collaborative brainstorming across Desktop (DT) and VR platforms, investigating the extent to which VR enables collaboration comparable to that in traditional desktop environments. Using a triangulated methodology combining task performance, sentiment analysis, and thematic evaluation, we examine how teams collaborate across these modalities. Participants (n = 56) worked in pairs (npairs = 28) to collectively generate ideas. Results show no significant performance differences between DT and VR, with both conditions producing comparable levels of idea generation and communication. However, team workload was higher in VR, suggesting increased perceived task effort. Overall, findings indicate that VR can support collaborative brainstorming comparable to DT while offering an immersive alternative. The study contributes a mixed-method framework for assessing collaboration across immersive and non-immersive systems, providing empirical insight into methodological triangulation in VR research.