AR Experience: Interactive APP (2025)
Role: Concept, Design, Development
Tools: Unity 6, AR Foundation, C#, Android (ARCore)
Overview
This 2025 AR prototype is a modern extension of the interactive AR work I first explored in 2018. Rebuilt using Unity 6 and AR Foundation, this project focuses on real-time object placement and manipulation in an ARCore environment.
Instead of the playful, mixed-media interactions of my earlier “Discover Happy” piece, this prototype highlights clean interaction design, stable gesture controls, and modular AR functionality—the foundations required for scalable AR products.
Overview
Discover Happy was an experimental AR experience I created in 2018 for a social event called Rubber Duck. The project invited users to discover and share joy through playful augmented-reality interactions using their phones.
Concept & Testing
The top three images show my target image prototypes used for pre-testing image recognition and surface detection. Each cube design was uniquely patterned to help Vuforia identify markers accurately in various lighting and angle conditions.
User Experience Flow
When users opened the app, they saw a bright, minimalist interface with the message “DISCOVER HAPPY.”
Tapping this button launched the phone’s camera, allowing users to point at one of the printed target images. One of these targets—a large colorful rug—triggered a giant 3D rubber duck animation floating in real space.
After the animation played, the “SHARE THIS HAPPY” button appeared, enabling users to capture and post the experience on social media platforms such as Instagram, encouraging a wave of shared joy and interaction.
Technical Approach
Built using Unity and Vuforia SDK, the app combined 3D models, materials, and animation triggers mapped to specific image targets. It also triggered video content on certain images, allowing users to experience mixed-media storytelling through both animated and video-based AR interactions.
The final screenshot includes Vuforia project keys from 2018, serving as proof of the original development and authenticity of the prototype.
Reflection
This was my first exploration into interactive AR storytelling—an early attempt to merge design, technology, and emotion. It truly opened my eyes to how stories can be told in immersive, experiential ways. That realization planted a seed in my heart that continues to grow today, inspiring my ongoing passion for creating meaningful AR and VR experiences.
AR Experience: Discover Happy (2018)
Role: Concept, Design, Development
Tools: Unity, Vuforia SDK, Xcode, Apple Development Pro, Maya, Photoshop
