Indonesia faces recurring earthquakes, yet disaster education in schools often relies on lectures and drills that provide limited impact on preparedness and resilience. This paper presents the design phase of a virtual reality (VR) – based transmedia learning intervention for earthquake preparedness, developed in collaboration with Indonesian middle school students, teachers, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) practitioners. The intervention combines immersive VR scenarios with complementary classroom resources to create a multi-platform learning environment. Participatory co-design ensured cultural relevance, curriculum alignment, and practical usability, while addressing barriers such as limited infrastructure, device access, and teacher readiness. The paper details the project’s conceptual framework, narrative structure, and prototype assets, and positions the work within design-based research as an early stage in an iterative process. The planned evaluation will examine engagement, knowledge, and preparedness behaviors; however, the primary contribution lies in documenting the design rationale and strategies for integrating immersive narratives into disaster education. By highlighting lessons from this pre-production stage, the study offers guidance for researchers and practitioners seeking to adapt VR-based interventions to diverse educational and cultural contexts.