Future Dispensed
A location-based AR experience at Sheridan’s Trafalgar Campus that uses a virtual vending machine and humor to explore the complex choices students face when balancing education, career goals, and financial realities.
Section
Medium
Year
Oct — Nov, 2024
The Challenge
The primary challenge was creating a location-based AR experience that resonates with the audience. The goal was to craft a site-specific, engaging digital piece for past, present, and prospective Sheridan students. The central task was identifying a shared campus experience that could be translated into an interactive, meaningful story.
Creative Process
Inspired by my experiences as a student and the sociology of class inequality, I explored how background shapes life paths, showing that while choices influence the future, they are not always simple or free.
Color & Material
A low-contrast palette and matte materials were used to draw attention to the “products” inside the machine. By muting the overall design, the graduation hats stand out, clearly conveying the project’s core message.
Animation
Users can tap the screen to trigger a hat dropping, reinforcing the metaphor of students making choices about their future and making the experience more engaging and memorable.
Takeaways
This project taught me how a simple idea can be used to tell a meaningful story. I learned to use a familiar object—a vending machine—as a symbol for the complex decisions students face. I also gained experience with the technical side of augmented reality, from creating a 3D model to placing it in a real-world location. The biggest takeaway was seeing how the final AR experience encouraged people to stop and think about their own choices in a new perspective.
Final Solution
|
