MY Role: UI creator/artist, System Designer
Project: Academic Project
Client: Meow Wolf
Duration: Spring 2022 (Feb - May)
Meow wolf is an interactive art museum that has several installments within several different states. As their designs are hailed for being weird and far out the Meow wolf experience is nothing like others.
Meow wolf came to IxD to reach out and see if we can create something unique and visually stunning that mixes the physical and digital experience for their newest installment The Convergence Station.
Problem:
Create an interactive experience that bridges the physical and digital worlds of Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station.
Insight:
We were able to research AR and how it affects its audience. We were also able to have one of our teammates visit a Meow Wolf installment and explain the atmosphere and how entertaining everything was within the installment.
Solution:
OvARride Guide and OvAR app an immersive interactive book using an app
Process
Field Research
Our team decided to research several different fields we could take this project into. One was field research where Samantha went to the Meow Wolf's Las Vegas place called Omega Mart.
Valuable Insights
- Captures the masses interest to a point that attendees stay there for more than one hour.
- There is a pleasant sensory everywhere within the environment.
- Attendees want to understand the story that is hidden away within the art.
- Captures the masses interest to a point that attendees stay there for more than one hour.
- There is a pleasant sensory everywhere within the environment.
- Attendees want to understand the story that is hidden away within the art.
Quotes
"There were some cute things in the gift shop but they were all REALLY expensive" - Marrisa
"Things that normal people could afford. " - Crystal
"Things that normal people could afford. " - Crystal
Existing Products & Service Research
We had to know what was already out there that we could innovate into something more. This is where Jiashi set out to see the scope of already made products we can use to influence our creation. Jiashi focused on the many ways that AR (Argumented Reality) has been used within the media and different companies.
Valuable Insights
- Snap Chat uses lens markers to activate some sort of activity through your phone.
- Coachella was able to use AR with their AR Box. Once you open the box and use your phone you can see a small world.
- Snap Chat uses lens markers to activate some sort of activity through your phone.
- Coachella was able to use AR with their AR Box. Once you open the box and use your phone you can see a small world.
Trends in Games and Design
Knowing that interaction can greatly come from games and designs, I ventured into what type of interactivities these both can give anyone. I was able to find information about Alternate Reality Games, Environmental Storytelling and Argumentative Reality Games.
Valuable Insights
- Alternate Reality Games are usually connected with the real world and use a special narration that helps you go through the game using wit, tools, and many websites to help solve puzzles.
- Environmental Storytelling makes it where you let the environment around a player tell most of the story.
- Argumentative Reality Games which is more of a video game where you use GPS to locate special locations in the real world to gather items or anything else to further your gameplay.
- Alternate Reality Games are usually connected with the real world and use a special narration that helps you go through the game using wit, tools, and many websites to help solve puzzles.
- Environmental Storytelling makes it where you let the environment around a player tell most of the story.
- Argumentative Reality Games which is more of a video game where you use GPS to locate special locations in the real world to gather items or anything else to further your gameplay.
Unique Designs
Meow Wolf's Convergence Station has an interesting design to it, within it's advertisement and through out the whole installment there is an uniqueness to it. With this in mind I wanted to make sure that we had a unique and interesting design to whatever we are creating. I had inspiration from several types of styles such as Retro Futurism, Lofi/ creepy and Digital Anti-Design.
Interviews and Reddit research
Tess and Christina decided to interview and research from the people that have interacted with Meow Wolf. This lead to a few discoveries that we found a lot of interest in.
Valuable Insights
- The immersion of Meow wolf is interesting and fun to be in
- The story isn't that knowledgeable
- A lot of people would like to know what music is playing within the environment
- People would like to know who are the artist that creates these installments within the convergence station
- People are unable to finish the story
- The immersion of Meow wolf is interesting and fun to be in
- The story isn't that knowledgeable
- A lot of people would like to know what music is playing within the environment
- People would like to know who are the artist that creates these installments within the convergence station
- People are unable to finish the story
Lofi Prototype
OvArRide Guide & OvAR App
Our final design was the OvArRide Guide and OvAR App. The OvArRide Guide has a metal made cover with magnets that can attach to the front of it. It is also shaped as a fridge to resemble the many fridges Meow Wolf has in their installments. The pages are thick and covered with alien writing which activates within the OvAr App showing 3D of different parts within the installments. You can also listen to music, make playlist and collect digital awards within the app as well.
UI Design System
OvAR App
Animated Screens
Reflection
I had more of a focus on the OvAr app and the UI for it. It was a fun ride creating the style and interaction within the app as I created a design system for everything within the app. I would like to see how others would interact with the app and how using LightShip for the AR part would act within the APP aswell.
