Being proficient in 3D and other design tools like Adobe AfterEffects, Rhino and Procreate, I created the final designs for Memento curating a comprehensive storyboard, interactions and the final video.
AR & VR Prototyping
3D Conception +Modelling
User Journey
Creative Storyboarding
Video Prototypes
Videography
On exploring non linear time, human memory and current AR/VR applications during our research I defined our challenge statement-
“How can we use Augmented and Virtual Reality as a supplementary tool to create a spatial dimension that allows users to engage with their memories in a non-linear, transient manner, enabling them to perceive them as a fluid, ever-changing reality to be interacted with for a better understanding of themselves.”
(The project was created as an Interaction Design academic exploration where we were given maximum creative bandwidth to explore AR and VR technologies to design a ‘time machine’).
1. User interacts with portal in the palm of his hands in augmented reality
2. User tosses the handheld portal into air to make it into a portal
3. User enters virtal reality as background starts to fade
4. User uses controller to induce memory
5. User enters the portal and into memory
6. User editing a memory
7. User saving a memory association in a spatial memory map
I drew out a detailed storyboard to understand the user's journey. This storyboard also served as a guide to help curate the final product video (watch above).
“Design a ‘TimeMachine’ focused on an immersive calendar experience, exploring the future of interaction design in AR/VR. Explore comprehensive design concepts, narratives, and high fidelity prototypes that demonstrate visions for novel spatial interactions that goes beyond the screen or device-based interactions.”
We interpreted the ‘time machine’ as a opportunity to play around with the perception of time.
Creating novel spatial interactions urged us to tell a profound story that encompassed 'human understanding of time.'
The brief urged us to look at what the ‘future’ of AR/VR could look like and think beyond conventions of existing applications.
Because the brief was broad and allowed maximum creative bandwidth, I decided to conduct exploratory research within media - film and literature which have historically been known to foster unconventional and new ways of storytelling.
Non-linear storytelling techniques can provide a deeper exploration of the human experience of time and perception.
Human Understanding of time is linked to memory and memory is linked to identity. Human experience of memory is nonlinear and fluid
The is an opportunity to leverage the immersive nature of virtual reality to provide an emotional connection to one's memories.
It was important to curate a mood board to use it as a reference for visual grounding and storytelling. The mood-board was created out of the exploratory research in Film and Literature.
To understand the user’s journey, I broke down the process of re-living a memory.
Using the story board for re-living a memory as a reference, I was able to draw the user journey map and plan the various UI elements that were needed to be designed to allow Azaan to visit these memories through Memento.
I used Rhino, Sketchup, Enscape, Figma, Photoshop, Premier Pro, and Bezel to create static and dynamic Ui elements for the Landing UI of Memento.
Each concentric circle represents a variable like date, place, person, season and emotion.
I took inspiration from the non - linear nature of memories and time, and the fibonocci sequence to create a circular UI composed of memories. I wanted the memories to rotate dreamily and later expand into a walkable tunnel. The concentric circles have memories corresponding to date, place, person, season and emotion.
The user uses a controller or inducer composed of concentric dials. Each dial is used to set a specific variable like date, place, season etc. to set a specific memory.
I wanted the controller to be handheld and scaled down for a more intuitive interaction. The dials are respective to the various concentric memory variables of the portal. When the user sets the dials to align at a specific memory, the concentric memory bands rotate and align themselves as the portal changes to the selected memory association.
The portal opens up and expands to allow the user to walk into it their memories.
I wanted to simulate the feeling of a tunnel, a personal memory portal the user could walk into. Hence the various memory concentric rings rotate and create a dreamy virtual world opening a portal in the end where the memory association can be accessed.
The user is able to add music, add a new association, add notes or tag the memory, at any point while experiencing the memory association.
I wanted to keep the interaction as intuitive as possible. When the user does a horizontal gesture, the editing options pop up where the user is able to edit the memory.
.png){kind=small}
The user is able to add music, add a new association, add notes or tag the memory, at any point while experiencing the memory association.
Taking inspiration from the ‘Rhizome Theory’, I created a non-linear spatial dimension composed of island clusters. This cluster represents the spatial dimension of one’s memories where they may access and store their memory associations.
We received two main feedbacks from the critique session summarized as-
1. Instead of presenting users with a large and potentially overwhelming portal right from the start, it might be better to begin with a simpler interaction that allows them to access the portal.
2. The visual representation of saving a memory into the spatial memory map could be made more clear.
Based on the critique, I created a comprehensive storyboard improving user interactions and the incorporating the process of saving memory clusters. This story board helped me curate the final video for our product.
Here is the video in case you missed it earlier!
Engaging users in a creative and wholesome activity through nostalgia can give a greater sense of meaning to one’s life.
Memento can potentially be used for trauma therapy by helping users relive and reconcile with traumatic events from their life in a controlled environment.
The power of reliving memories through Memento can be used to strengthen human relationships and bonds.
Some of the areas that Memento needs work on include-
1. Finessing the editing UI screens
2. Utilizing the full potential of AR and VR and improving the aesthetic of Memeno to a finessed level to achieve a transient, almost dreamy experience.
3. User testing interactions.User feedback on overall experience and takeaways.
1. Capturing memories as seen by the user in real time is a challenge.
2. Privacy issues related to places, people and data these memories could potentially capture and censorship.
1. Misuse of personal information if data is breached.
2. Potential dystopian alternate results like unhealthy obsession with what can never be again or disconnecting users from the present.
We are working on creating a mobile application for easy access and storage, creating a hybrid AR/VR platform. Here are some screens.
Select Memories from Island clusters made of previously saved memories.
Create memory associations by choosing Date, Time, Place, Person, etc.
Add notes, images, music, effects or connect memories