A Prototype of a Walking City Tour App with An AR Component
BRIEF
This is a project of an interactive system based on the theme “CITY OF EXPERIENCE”. As we are currently living in the 21st century, the experience of life in the contemporary has surpassed the classic development models of the 20th century. The project is an opportunity to explore the ideologies, structures, and systems in this new way of living, modify the definition of cities and create the experiences of invisible cities that extend beyond the physical infrastructure.
PROJECT INCLUDED
UX Research | Branding | Visual Design | Motion Graphic | AR | Prototyping
RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION
This is the first phase of an interactive system project. We were required to create a visual timeline for the city of experiences that both looks back 100 years and forward 100 years. The goal is to blend primary (the quality of possible interviews, surveys, observations) and secondary (the quality and collection of the past and future facts) research methods to create a visual timeline that illustrates the different patterns and relationships of experiences found in the city.
This timeline would act as a guide or a map as we moved forward into concept development and later interactive system development. In this timeline, we included 50 pieces of information from the past and, 10 pieces of information from the future and incorporated and plot 5 moments of primary research. We visually represented the patterns and relationships that I began to see emerging from the research. As we narrowed research to “the cities we have been to and know of”, the information we selected come together to act as a first chapter for the city of experiences.
THE CONCEPT VIDEO
For the second phase of the project we created 30 seconds videos to explore and pitch three different concepts.
The concept we chose of exploring consists of a city walking tour app that will give the user the opportunity to dig hidden gems, hear untold stories and uncover secrets about the cities they are living in or visiting.
Below you can see our pitch video. It is a quick illustration of how Audio AR could be integrated into the app with smart glasses. As the user is walking in the city, they are prompted by the platform of an existing gem nearby thanks to GPS tracking. The user can tap the button on the glasses to listen to the hidden story of the gem.
INITIAL CONCEPT
As we were exploring hidden gems in cities, the initial concept came to mind was to develop an app that allows users to uncover cities’ secrets/hidden spots. So “Hidden” was decided as the name of app as well as the name of entire project.
The very first version of low fidelity of app prototype:
Hidden - The platform to explore cities’ hidden secrets
You might be tired of tourist destinations invaded by Instagram crowds.
You might be more interested in cities’ hidden gems which let you discover and explore incredible history, cultural stories and local secrets.
Hidden is an invitation to explore cities as living breathing entities. Get curious about each city’s life by listening to its unusual, unspoken past, present and future.
REVISED CONCEPT
During our research and development phase, we realized the scope was a bit too large for the timeframe and resources we have. Hence we decided to focus on Toronto and create a prototype that will reveal local subcultures/scenes that may be “hidden” to others living in or visiting the city. This way we wouldn’t have to rely on the GPS tracking and focus solely on the content to provide.
Our prototype presents 4 subcultures that the audiences may or may not be familiar with, in the format of an app interface and additional little AR snippets to provide an entertaining experience.
Our year end show for school consists of a set up as below:
A monitor playing our app’s promo video on a loop to attract visitors to our compact installation space.
Once at the installation, the user will go on the interface and start discovering each story (4 in total)
They will be prompted by the app to open their Snapchat for additional content about the stories.
We’ll have cards with markers we created on display for each of the stories. The users can scan the markers and interact with the dedicated AR content.
STORIES OF HIDDEN
Our stories are categorized as: Unknown (Kiki Ballroom Scene) , Unseen (Underground Dance Music) , Unusual (Furries) , Unexpected (Drifting)
Unknown - Kiki Ballroom Scene
Kiki Ballroom Scene originated in the 80’s underground New York. It is a movement that has risen from the underground and helped inform over 20 years of pop culture and identity.
The Canadian ballroom scene has established itself a slew of formidable dancers, judges and killer MC’s. It is important to know your way around the “house” (pun intended). Beyond it is basic history, there’s sub-divisions, important language and overall cues about style, performance, competition and etiquette.
Unseen - Underground Dance Music
Toronto’s underground dance culture has gone through some ups and downs over the past few decades, but it is persevered and evolved. After the heydays of 90’s and early 2000’s there are still underground clubs serving beats after hours.
Pop-ups and warehouse-style parties are very much a part of the Toronto scene, especially in the summer. As long as you keep an ear to the ground, you are sure to find some awesome underground jams.
Unusual - Furries
Furries are a group of people that are fans of anthropomorphic animals (animals with human characteristics). Furries create much of the art they enjoy themselves. They encourage each other’s creativity, imagination, and self-expression.
A few years ago, a huge group of furries chartered an entire TTC streetcar over the weekend, delighting anyone who happened to see them cruise by. They literally made the rave train of my dream come true.
Unexpected -Drifting
Drifting is a type of car racing which originated in Japan. The racer is supposed to lose traction intentionally, in order to maintain high speeds on turns. The car continues moving forward at very high speeds, and ideally faces in the right direction once the turn has ended.
Drifting is not legal yet you can find suburban kids drifting in parking lots or empty streets in Toronto. You can even take drifting lessons. Despite somewhat harsh winter conditions drifting seems to be popular and still underground.
HIDDEN BRANDING
Both moodboards provided valuable inspiration for the color palette, design direction, and brand identity of Hidden. From the moodboards, we selected classic orange and dark navy as the primary colors for the brand. The design approach focused on simplicity, clarity, and consistency across various elements such as the logo, title, AR markers, and other assets. By adhering to these principles, we aimed to create a visually cohesive and easily recognizable brand identity for Hidden.
POSTERS AT INSTALLATION
APP PROTOTYPE
Irem was mainly in charge of this part and she coded the site, still in progress, this one is not responsive on mobile yet, but you can still see the progress:
https://iremharnak.github.io/hiddenPrototype/
Another app prototype she developed in Figma, here is the link to view the mobile version:
AR COMPONENTS
We chose to develop the AR components for Hidden using Lens Studio, a user-friendly platform that allows users to download the Snapchat app on their own phones. Although it took some time to familiarize ourselves with Lens Studio and its features, we found it relatively easy to use, especially for importing and creating 2D elements. Each marker in the installation space is associated with a specific story, and when users tap on the corresponding story in the app, they are prompted to switch to the Snapchat app. Within Snapchat, they can scan the markers to reveal and interact with the AR content related to each story.
At the school year-end show, we planned to set up four markers in the installation space. Users will interact with the Hidden app prototype by tapping through the stories. At the end of each story, there will be a link or reminder prompting users to switch to the Snapchat app. By using Snapchat, users can scan the markers placed in the physical space. Once scanned, the markers will trigger the display of AR content related to the stories, allowing users to engage and interact with the augmented reality elements.
TOOLS/TECHNOLOGIES
OUTCOMES
The Hidden project was a collaborative effort between myself and my partner, Irem Harnark. Throughout the project, we faced various challenges that required us to think quickly and adapt our approach to find the right solutions. Since we didn't have a developer on our team, we encountered technical difficulties that we couldn't resolve. As a result, we made the decision to modify our project without compromising its content.
The process of developing Hidden, starting from scratch and reaching the final deliverable, provided us with valuable experiences. We learned to think critically, generate and combine ideas, and effectively communicate and collaborate with each other. We also gained proficiency in using various tools and technologies to achieve our desired results. Unfortunately, the school year-end show was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we transformed our initial plan from a small physical interactive installation into a comprehensive case study. We have included all the work we have done in this documentation. Thank you for taking the time to review our project!
