Skating to where the virtual puck is headeD

I believe that we will soon transition from screen-based interfaces to more immersive and embedded ones, in the same way that we moved dramatically from print to screen. So it also means screens will not completely go away. However, the more engaging experiences will be those that expand and augment our reality.

As a designer, I felt the need to understand this new medium and how unique its challenges are. Like print to screen, the competencies learned in screen interaction designer will not necessarily translate to XR (cross reality) experiences such as augmented, virtual, or mixed realities.

CONCEPT

I settled on the idea of a game that you play when you train your phone's camera on your credit card. A challenge pick-up game launches that increases your Rewards earnings when you do well in the game, i.e. when you collect coins in an obstacle course.

I started by sketching ideas of how the obstacle course might look like and what it's themes would be. I focused on dressing up the level with lifestyle details such as travel, shopping, dining, and entertainment. By sketching as much concepts as thumbnails, I was able to reach a refined state much faster.

learning blender 3d

As a game development platform, Unity excels in programming game applications however it is not a 3D modeling or authoring software. I still needed to import in the 3D objects that are part of the level design.

I turned this into an opportunity to accomplish what I had struggled in the past: learn to model 3D assets and apply them to a finished product. Giving myself a weekend crash course on 3D modeling with Blender, the open-source 3D authoring software, I was able to produce all the objects I needed for my game. Everything will be all my handiwork and not relying on downloading other people's models.

Putting it all together

The final work required me to export my models from Blender into my Unity project, which was already a functioning game developed during class, although grey-boxed (with basic geometry for game objects).

I also created a splash level which loaded first and presented the game name, Kash Dash. Once you were ready, you tapped on the play button.

DEVELOPER TOOLS

Another first for me, apart from learning 3D authoring, was using proper development tools to manage my source code. For this, I learned to a Git code repository application to ensure versions of my app development were tracked and safely saved.

As a first, I am extremely proud of what I was able to product given my first foray into programming and working out of my spare time. This AR project immersed me into the workflow of not just game development, but especially in designing a worthwhile AR application which has numerous considerations: image or plane tracking, persistence of virtual object in real space, auditory experience, aesthetics, game mechanics, playability, immersiveness, and so on and so forth. There are multiple fronts to address from theme development to coding to design. All these challenges will only spur me to continue learning so that I can build my own immersive applications that hopefully people will enjoy. 

TOOLS