Dive in, learn more. Experience marine conservation with augmented reality (AR) powered by Snap
Interaction Designer
In Progress
Kathleen Darby, Jason deParrie-Turner, Rachel Marty, Sam Morrison, Kea Powell, Luke Walker, Isaac Wu
Snap AR Scholars is a student-led initiative by Snap AR and the University of Oregon’s OR Lab, empowering students to create impactful AR experiences using Lens Studio. The program connects students with local and national organizations to tell meaningful stories through immersive technology.
One of these projects, Beneath the Surface, is an interactive AR experience developed in partnership with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). The experience aims to foster ocean empathy and raise awareness about marine reserves, allowing users to explore the Otter Rock Marine Reserve through Snap Spectacles and mobile devices.
While Oregon’s marine reserves are recognized, public knowledge of their specific locations, purposes, and ecological benefits is limited. ODFW sought an engaging and accessible educational tool to raise awareness and encourage conservation-minded behavior.
In partnership with ODFW, we aim to develop an immersive AR experience that enhances users’ understanding of the Otter Rock Marine Reserve, fosters ocean empathy, and raises awareness of the public’s role in marine health and responsible environmental stewardship.
RESEARCH & DATA COLLECTION
On November 7, 2024, our team and Nathan Bowser from Niantic visited the Otter Rock Marine Reserve to capture scans for the AR design and gather user insights. We interviewed seven participants to understand their views on marine reserves and guide the development of an educational AR experience. With Snapchat’s support, some participants also tested the Snap Spectacles firsthand.
The data revealed that 57% of visitors were frequent guests, primarily drawn to the scenery, with 43% seeking to “unplug.” Participants showed strong interest in learning about marine life and the reserve’s history, favoring features like interactive displays and virtual tours. While many appreciated AR’s ability to reveal inaccessible areas, some raised concerns about device comfort, safety, and preserving the natural experience. These insights underscore the importance of designing an intuitive, educational AR experience that balances engagement with conservation.
PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT & DESIGN
With the insights gathered from our users, we began developing the user flow for the mobile version of the AR experience. This flow outlines how users navigate the application, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience that aligns with their needs and expectations.
In this experience, users can explore three unique environments based on the Otter Rock Marine Reserve. Upon completing their exploration, they unlock a special “whale” animation as a rewarding finale to their journey.
After finalizing the user flow for the mobile version, we moved on to prototyping. Given that our target demographic primarily consists of older adults, we focused on creating an experience that is easy to navigate with an intuitive design. Here are some of the changes we implemented based on our initial sketches created in Figma.
Now, it’s time to transition our initial design into Lens Studio, transforming it from a 2D concept into a fully interactive 3D AR experience. Since not everyone has Snapchat, Web AR emerged as the most suitable option due to its accessibility and ease of use. However, the web-based nature of the experience presents some limitations in achieving the full immersive potential of AR compared to native applications. Striking a balance between accessibility and immersive design became a key focus during this phase.
In addition to conducting user testing with participants, we invited Dr. Sarah Klain from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) this week to demo our prototypes for the Otter Rock Marine Reserve. Her feedback provided valuable insights to refine the experience further.
Refining the current mobile prototype to enhance usability and improve the overall user experience.
Developing the individual tide pool experience for Snap Spectacles, focusing on creating an engaging and immersive AR interaction.