ARC
Become a tourist in your own city!
ARC, or Augmented Reality Cityscape, is a project that marries tourism with augmented reality gaming. For fans of both Pokémon Go and traveling, ARC encourages its users to become tourists in their own city. During the pandemic, being outside was the only option for socializing, and small businesses were struggling. As an avid supporter of the Oklahoma City small-business scene, I wanted to find a way that I could still support local, but in a fun new way while keeping things Covid-friendly. By visiting different ARC locations, users could be rewarded with points that could be exchanged for goods at local businesses that partnered with ARC, creating a positive feedback loop for users that promotes getting exercise and being outdoors, all while supporting their city in a creative way.
Interaction Design
Animation
Adobe XD
Illustrator
Adobe After Effects
Cinema 4D
RESOURCES & STRATEGY
My Strategy:
Before beginning work on ARC, I had to ask “Why”. What problem does ARC solve and will it benefit users in the long run? By identifying a social need for this project, I was able to land on one large issue ARC could solve; Lack of motivation. Oftentimes, it’s much easier to shop online, order fast food without putting thought into where it’s coming from, and to not go outside your comfort zone. While gathering user research for this project, I realized most people just didn’t know about the rich local business landscape that’s developed in OKC, and, given the resources and knowledge, these potential users stated they would be more comfortable exploring these new spaces. Most small businesses can’t afford the large advertising schemes big companies can afford, but ARC would give them a platform where they would be front and center.
After completing my first round of user research and identifying problems, I landed on a low-fidelity outline for the application. The goal was to make it as user-friendly as possible and to make it a space that could allow any curious user to easily discover new places in their community.
Branding:
Branding is an important piece of every project, so I wanted to be sure ARC had a distinguishable face that was simple, approachable, and unique. The design went through many, many iterations, but ultimately turned out as one fluid icon.
Assembled from each letter in the word “ARC”, the final icon represents a series of pathways, meant to resemble a map.
Initial attempts at ARC’s branding
Early ARC icon sketches
How the icon came to be
Final wordmark and icon
The Application:
An interactive map, an augmented reality experience, and a social platform all in one; ARC came together after months of work and fine-tuning. The final application is simple, clean, and meant to appeal to any and all users. The user can rely on ARC as a means to get to their next location, a way of documenting where they’ve been, and a resource to find places tailored to their specific interests.
A future addition to ARC would be adding interactive digital art. While in the augmented reality map view, ARC could allow digital artists to “paint in the digital space”. An animator could place an animated Godzilla in the middle of downtown OKC, or a business could hire a digital artist to paint them a mural on the side of their building, visible through the ARC lens. This opens up an entirely new realm of public art, one that can be made accessible to artists of all kinds.
Watch the videos below to see how ARC works!
A look at the application UI
A look at the augmented reality