DoctorKris Tong

Kris Tong is a postdoctoral fellow at HIT Lab NZ, University of Canterbury. His research focuses on immersive and interactive storytelling, particularly in cultural heritage applications.

At HIT Lab NZ, Kris contributed to the Ātea project, evaluating attention-guiding cues for cinematic virtual reality (CVR) creators and exploring viewer interaction design in VR systems. He also led a co-design project with Māori collaborators in Bluff, developing a digital storytelling experience grounded in Tikanga Māori principles. This initiative expanded into two further cultural-heritage studies: the Matariki Mixed Reality (MR) experience, designed to teach tātai arorangi (Māori astronomy), and the Virtual Tour Creator, which empowers communities to build their own virtual tours for cultural outreach.

In addition to his research, Kris has taught courses in digital product design, focusing on user experience across 2D and 3D platforms. His current research interests center on how immersive and interactive storytelling techniques can enhance cultural heritage experiences, combining expertise in CVR, interaction design, and digital narratives.