On the streets
UX Design | Augmented Reality | Speculative
Overview
Guided AR tour app that walks users through a neighborhood's streets and tells its history/fun facts using interactive AR elements
A guided augmented reality (AR) tour app is a mobile application that can be connected with the user’s smart glasses, that uses AR technology to enhance a user's experience of exploring a neighborhood or city. This crossover app also uses geolocation technology to identify the user's location and suggest a starting point for the tour. It can then guide the user through the streets, pointing out notable buildings, monuments, and other landmarks, and providing context and historical information about each site.
The app may use interactive AR elements, such as 3D models, animations, and videos, to bring the history of the neighborhood to life. Users can customize their experience by choosing different themes for their tour and setting the pace. Overall, a guided AR tour app is an innovative and exciting tool that can be used to enhance the experience of exploring a new neighborhood or city
My Role: Idea conceptualization, Create 3D models, Video recordings, Project Compilation, Prototyping, Presentation
Team Members: 2 UX Designers
Duration: 4 weeks
Tools: Figma, WebAR, Github, Blender, Visual Studio Code, Adobe Premiere Pro
A walk-through on the 14th St from the ConEd building to Little Island
Demo Video
EXPLORE
Help tourists and passersby learn more about the neighborhood they are visiting with interactive AR elements
ENGAGE
Aid city tour individuals in their guided tours by highlighting AR elements on command during their explanation
FUTURISTIC
Integration of multimedia content - explanatory visualizations, videos and animations
Goals
Providing an engaging and educational experience for users
Target Audience
Who is the main focus of this futuristic app?
The target audience for this app includes tourists, travelers, students, and anyone who wants to learn more about a neighborhood or city. It can be especially useful for people who are visiting a new city and want to explore its history and culture in a fun and interactive way.
Additionally, it can be used by locals who want to learn more about their own neighborhood or city. The app is suitable for all age groups and can be customized to cater to specific interests and preferences.
Opportunity
Enhance the user experience, improve accessibility, and offer new and innovative features to users
The crossover of AR and smart glasses presents numerous opportunities for the guided AR tour app. It offers a more immersive and interactive experience for the users. Smart glasses are wearable devices that overlay digital information onto the real world, providing a seamless and hands-free AR experience for the user.
With smart glasses, users can see the AR elements overlaid in the real world without having to hold up a smartphone or tablet, making it a more convenient and natural way to explore. Additional features such as voice commands, gesture recognition, and biometric sensors, can further enhance the user experience.
Users with visual impairments or mobility issues can benefit from a hands-free and audio-guided experience, and provide real-time navigation and directions.
User Flow
Understanding the routes users can take on this app
Guide Tour
If there are multiple explorers or individuals they can choose a guided tour where a guide can aid them and guide them throughout the neighborhood. This option works better for groups or people with kids.
Discover on your own (focus for this project)
When the user decides to discover a neighborhood on their own there is an element of gamification that adds in. This makes the journey more interesting plus motivates explorers to collect as many points as possible to get a voucher worth it at the end.
Prototyping
Designing the app interactions
Final step after the explorer has collected points
Conclusion
In conclusion, the AR neighborhood exploration app design project was an innovative and exciting challenge. The project aimed to create a unique experience for users to explore their surroundings with interactive elements and smart glasses. Throughout the development process, we faced several challenges, including the integration of AR technology, user interface design, and optimizing performance. With further development and refinement, the app could become a valuable tool for exploring new neighborhoods and discovering hidden gems in familiar surroundings.
Augmented Reality is the future and going to be a part of our lives. With the help of these technologies, we can make learning and explore new things more interactive.