This project began in a very different place from where it ultimately ended. My initial ideas centred on fields I know best: UI/UX design, interaction flows, and digital interfaces. I explored creating a VR experience where viewers could move through surreal environments, an AR-based collaborative clothing design app that let users interact with garments in augmented space, or a speculative spatial environment for the Metaverse. These ideas made sense given my background, they were logical, structured and grounded in familiar workflows. Yet none of them felt truly compelling. They were extensions of my comfort zone rather than creative challenges.

The turning point came during a class on dome projection. I had seen immersive work before, but I had never been inside a dome or understood how different it feels to have imagery wrap completely around you. The dome transformed viewing into something atmospheric, quiet, and introspective. Unlike a normal video you watch, a dome places you inside the content. You are no longer an observer, but a participant. This realisation shifted my entire direction. I wanted to create something that felt internal, emotional, and deeply immersive and not just interactive. That evening, I kept replaying the dome demonstration in my head. I imagined a dark, infinite space where a single light source floats in the distance. That image became the seed of the world I wanted to build.

Before reaching the final concept, I experimented with another surreal idea: a cube that splits into four resolution-based rooms which are 144p, 480p, 1080p and 4K, each representing a different state of clarity or perception. The concept was visually bold and technically ambitious, filled with cosmic aesthetics and metaphors about memory and resolution. But as visually interesting as it was, I felt disconnected from it. It didn't carry emotional weight. I realised I needed something not only visually striking but also personal. That's when I decided to rethink the story and search for something closer to my own experience.

Ultimately, I arrived at the concept that became the heart of this project. A character wakes up in a pitch-black environment. The floor is dark an eerie and appears to be almost invisible. In the distance, a glowing brain emits subtle pulses of light and faint audio, guiding the character subconsciously toward it. As the character walks closer, the sound intensifies, creating an emotional pull. When the character finally touches the brain, the world collapses into a blackout. A glitch-text sequence appears, revealing the title ERASMUS_ARCHIVE. What follows is a personal vlog, an immersive memory from my Erasmus experience, retrieved as if from the character's mind. This shift from surreal abstraction to personal narrative made the project feel meaningful. It allowed me to blend futurism with emotional storytelling in a way that felt honest and cinematic.