PROJECT TITLE:
HeAd Be: An augmented reality (AR) game / User journey & hybrid trajectories
OVERVIEW / PROBLEM STATEMENT / USERS AND AUDIENCE:
The aims of this project were to create a working prototype of an AR-enhanced game, test the physical limitations of a particular locative media application, and create a locative-based experience suitable for a broad range of human participants visiting a specific location. Participants were invited to become players who encountered a series of AR interactions that were revealed to them in sequence while using their smartphones.
TWO METHODS TO CREATE A USER JOURNEY THAT WILL ANALYSE AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM:
METHOD 1: DESIGN WITH A MIXED REALITY IDEATION CARD DECK
A third-party-created mixed reality ideation card deck was used to create create a game concept, a story. Cards were selected, arranged, or discarded in a structured manner in four 'Phases' as shown in the following diagram. At the end of the process real-world paths containing AR interactions formed the game’s structure, hence the title 'hybrid trajectories'. Each AR interaction in a location point became a branch node. In total three branches were made available for players to select. Each branch was designed thematically: Heritage (He) | Architectural Design (Ad) | Benefactors (Be). A part of the “He” branch was extracted and analysed as a working prototype.
METHOD 2: AN ANNOTATED PHOTOSTORY AS WORKING PROTOTYPE FOR AN AR-AUTHORING TOOL
The annotated photostory replicated the game for a player starting on the 'He' branch in Nottingham, England. The player encountered a series of interaction nodes enhanced with AR technology. This was achieved through a third-party developed AR authoring tool. Thanks to the authoring tool and its mobile app, a series of hand-drawn sketches could function as QR codes and have URLs. The URLs contained either information that led to another physical location ('Way-nodes') or information that referred to the same location point in the past ('Info-nodes'). In both cases, sketches functioned as anchors between physical and digital worlds. The only prerequisite for the prototype to function was that sketches needed to be drawn under specific rules and then scanned with a specific app installed in the player's smartphone.
RESULTS / CONSTRAINTS:
The annotated photostory documented effectively how a locative-based experience could be deployed in the field and also revealed some limitations. There were physical limitations in terms of how URL-embedded sketches could be attached onto real-world surfaces steadily, but simultaneously without causing any damage to real-world objects. There were also technical limitations that concerned inconsistent network coverage and poor map accuracy provided for walking paths for the player to transverse between 'Info-nodes'. Overall the prototype was successful in demonstrating a way to provide previously unknown or unseen information while visiting real-world locations seamlessly and in a fun way.
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