Overview
What You Getting?
Sector
Digital Art, Media & Entertainment
Type
Augmented Reality, Digital Art
Role
Digital Artist
Year
2024
The Challenge
The primary challenge was to create a location-based art piece that could connect with the audience. My goal was to produce a digital experience that was not only site-specific but also emotionally and engaging for past, present, and prospective Sheridan students. The central problem was to find a shared story or experience related to the campus that I could translate into an interactive and meaningful AR piece.
Creative Process
My primary source of inspiration came from my own experiences as a student, coupled with insights from a sociology course on class inequality. I found it fascinating how our background can influence our life path, and I wanted to explore the idea that while our choices can shape our future, those choices aren't always simple or free. The on-campus research, where I photographed actual vending machines, helped me ground the final design in reality and ensure the model was believable.
Color & Material
I used a low-colour contrast palette and less reflective materials. This choice was intentional—I wanted the user's attention to be drawn to the "products" inside the machine, which are the main focus of the piece. By muting the overall design, I ensured that the items for sale (the graduation hats) stood out and conveyed the project's core message without distraction.
Visual Style
The 3D model was designed with a high level of detail, including a keypad, a card reader, and coin slots, to make it feel as realistic as possible. This realism was crucial for the AR experience to feel seamless, as if a real vending machine had been placed in the campus entrance. The animation of a hat dropping when a user taps the screen adds a layer of interactivity that reinforces the metaphor, 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)
|
