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Tools Used

Unity, Vuforia, Spark AR, Figma, Cinema 4D

It has been predicted that Augmented Reality (AR) will become a prevalent feature in many applications within the next 5 to 10 years due to advancing technology. To be considered for future jobs in user experience, one must learn how to develop for these platforms. With the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, I have had time to learn a new skill. Here are some little projects that have helped me get a head start on these near-future possibilities.

Why Am I Doing This?

To Be a Better Designer

I am learning the fundamentals of augmented reality development so that I can collaborate more efficiently with teams of coders, similar to how user interface designers learn HTML, CSS, and Javascript to work with front-end developers.

To Learn Empathy 

To help me understand the needs of an augmented reality developer and the potential uses of AR.

01 -

Starting Unity

This project came about on impulse when I was printing some photos at Walgreens and saw a pack of Pokémon cards by the checkout. I had the idea of having a Pokémon's information pop up in a 3D space when the card is scanned. So, I bought a pack and started learning Unity.

Afterwards, I created a few rough sketches to help visualize my concept for camera positioning and to depict the envisioned action.

I opted for a diorama-style display as it facilitated readability of all the information in a scannable card format.

02 -

Advice Cat

Advice Cat is a small project that provides users with a small, rude friend who gives blunt advice to demonstrate gaze interactions. Since one hand will be holding your phone while using AR applications (and in some cases, the other hand will be holding the AR trigger), it is important to consider interactions that can be performed without a second hand.

The cat will toggle the message on and off depending on whether the user is looking at the model, creating a hands-free experience.

How To Gaze

The trigger for the message to activate is a small cube that cannot be seen by the user. When the user looks at the head of the Advice Cat, the message appears, while giving the user the impression that the cat is delivering it.

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Introduction to Spark AR

This was my first Spark AR project, in which I was tasked with modeling and creating an AR experience for the Liddleme brand. I had to model a pair of glasses and code a filter that allowed users to switch between different designs and see themselves wearing the product, in order to decide whether they wanted to purchase it.

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