Launch Experience

Beneath the Surface,
Otter Rock AR Experience –
UX Design & 3D Asset Creation
for Snapchat Spectacles

@ Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife in partnership with Snapchat

University of Oregon 2024-2025

As part of the Snap AR Scholars program, I collaborated with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to design an augmented reality experience that educates the public about Otter Rock Marine Reserve. I contributed to the overall UX design, created and textured 3D assets, and helped refine the storytelling and interaction flow. Our cross-disciplinary team used Snap’s Lens Studio and Spectacles to build immersive AR encounters that encourage marine conservation through hands-on learning and visual storytelling.

Illustrated storyboards and interaction maps for the hands-free AR experience.

3rd Place

Contributed to both mobile and Spectacles versions of the AR experience

3D Asset creation for XR.

Top 5 finalist for XR Experience with the Best Societal Impact at Augment World Expo 2025

Project Overview

In this immersive storytelling collaboration with ODFW, our goal was to bring Otter Rock Marine Reserve to life through Augmented Reality (AR). I helped lead UX design decisions, textured and optimized 3D marine environments, and contributed to UX feedback analysis. Our AR experience invited users to explore tide pools, kelp forests, and underwater reefs—culminating in an interactive underwater moment with a humpback whale. Designed for both mobile and Spectacles users, the project combined research, environmental science, and playful design to deepen empathy for Oregon’s coastlines.

Research & Design Team ​

Research team (PhD Candidates & Masters)

  • Songyi Ahn​

  • Rai Arriaga​

  • Dalton Bouzek​

  • Shane Burrell (Research Co-Director)​

  • Maxwell Ely​

  • Laura Gattis​

  • Sam Lorenzo​

  • Emmanuel Maduneme​

  • Nishat Parvez​

  • Ramtin Ranjpour​

  • Priya Sage (Research Co-Director)​

  • Martha Tejedara

Design Team (Masters Students)​

  • Kathleen Darby - Lead design

  • Luke Walker​ - Develop/Build

  • Jason deParrie-Turner​ - Producer

  • Rachel Marty​ - Design

  • Sam Morrison​ - Producer

  • Kea Powell (Co-Creative Director)​

Faculty Leads​

  • Danny Pimentel​

  • Dr. Donna Davis​

  • Dr. Jakki Bailey​

  • Nikki Dunsire

Phase 1: Preliminary Research, Data Collection Fall 2024 ​

Before building the XR experience: On November 7, 2024, our team, along with Nathan Bowser from Niantic, a software development company who created the popular AR game Pokémon Go, visited the Otter Rock Marine Reserve to capture scans for the AR design. We also spoke with visitors to understand their perceptions of marine reserves and gather insights for creating an educational immersive experience.​ Through semi-structured interviews with seven participants visiting Otter Rock Marine Reserve, our researchers gathered valuable insights. Thanks to our partnership with Snapchat, some participants also tested Snapchat Spectacles to experience AR tools firsthand.​

100%

of participants expressed a desire to learn more about the marine life at Otter Rock.​

Preliminary Research Results

75%

stated they would like to know more about the history of Otter Rock.​

71%

stated they would like to learn more about other marine life at Otter Rock.​

Content Balance​

  • Blend educational and entertainment elements​

  • Include both basic and detailed information​

  • Maintain connection to natural environment

Educational Approach​:

  • Focus on conservation messaging​

  • Include historical context​

  • Emphasize local ecosystem importance​

  • Connect to broader environmental issues​

Multiple User Considerations​

  • Design for both children and adults​

  • Account for various technology comfort levels​

  • Consider stationary viewing stations​

Storyboarding for Augmented Reality Spectacles Experience using preliminary research insights

I created storyboards to guide the user journey through the AR Spectacles experience, translating early concepts into visual sequences that shaped scene transitions, gesture-based interactions, and environmental storytelling. The storyboards served as a bridge between research insights and interactive design, ensuring the experience felt intuitive, educational, and emotionally resonant while accounting for the unique constraints of wearable AR.

3D Asset Creation

To bring Otter Rock’s marine habitats to life, we used a hybrid 3D asset pipeline that combined photogrammetry and manual modeling & texturing.

All assets were hand-textured to match the visual identity of the project and ensure clarity across both Spectacles and mobile AR platforms. This flexible workflow allowed us to balance realism with performance and maintain a cohesive look throughout the experience.

I worked with scanned environment meshes I took in Scaniverse to capture realistic terrain, then cleaned and optimized them for mobile performance. For species and specific objects, we used Meshy’s 2D-to-3D tools as a base, refining and hand-modeling details in Blender and Substance Painter.

Luke Walker Built AR Experience in Snapchat Lens Studio

Snapchat Challenge Winner

3rd Place.

Phase 2: Ongoing User Testing & Research

Phase 1 research shaped the design and vision for “Beneath the Surface”, an AR experience immersing users in Otter Rock’s history, habitats, and species. Phase 2 will refine this vision by testing mobile and Spectacles formats, assessing usability, engagement, and their impact on fostering conservation awareness.​