We designed a concept video for a new AR Snapchat feature.
For this project, we imagined what kind of new, innovative features augmented reality technology could have on our current social media platforms. The result was Snapchat Environments, an augmented reality feature that allows Snapchat users to collaboratively design their environments in AR space.
I worked on the script, storyboard, and motion graphics work for the final video.
ROLE & TEAM
Me - Designer
John Lee - Designer
SKILLS
Motion graphics, concept pitching, scripting, design research, storyboarding, future-casting, new technology
TOOLS
Adobe After Effects, Adobe Illustrator, social media
DURATION
2 months
Concept—
Similar to a Snapchat story for a business, event, or city, when users are geographically near a Snapchat environment, they can select it from their stories list. Once selected, users can use Snapchat’s new AR capabilities to transform their surrounding environment by leaving drawings, stickers, or messages with a 24hr duration. They can also see what other creative transformations others in the community left behind within the last day.
This level of personal connection, that someone could be leaving a secret message for another user in a public environment, would be an experience unique to this feature. Additionally, we believed Snapchat Environments would encourage the use of Snapchat’s other group features, which often get less attention.
EXPLORATION PHASE
Social media comparison research
Brainstorming the narrative
Process—
While developing this concept, we analyzed three popular social media applications: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Snapchat was ultimately the best platform because it mainly services peer-to-peer interactions. Its built in geo-tagging, as well as its existing filters, stickers, and lenses also lent themselves to this idea, because they could encourage further customization of the environment.
From there, it was scripting the narrative and animating the video pitch. We worked on the script and an Illustrator storyboard at the same time, making sure we both made our case for this feature, and properly explained it in a concise way.
Scripting and storyboarding in parallel also showed us what items needed more explanation and less visuals (e.g. our initial pitch in the first 30 seconds), and vice versa (e.g. the demonstration of the feature in action). From there, we recorded the voice over, and used our Illustrator storyboards as a base to animate the video in After Effects.
Mid-fidelity storyboard, done in Illustrator
