Experiential Design / Final Project
Natalie Chu Jing Xuan, 0354589
Experiential Design, Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Final Project
Table of Contents
Module Information Booklet (MIB)
Fig.1 Module Information Booklet (MIB)
Task 3: Project MVP Prototype
Instructions:
- Students will synthesise the knowledge gained in task 1, 2 and 3 for application in task 4.
- Students will create integrate visual asset and refine the prototype into a complete working and functional product experience.
About the app
AR WonderWords is a fun and interactive learning app for kids aged 4–10. Using Augmented Reality (AR), it brings animal flashcards to life with 3D animations, real sounds, and multilingual word translations. Children can scan a flashcard to see the animal appear, hear its sound, and learn how to say its name in different languages. They can also play mini-games like spelling and sound matching to reinforce what they’ve learned.
Project Updates
Since Task 3, the biggest improvement we made was enhancing the flashcard experience from static visuals to immersive 3D animation. Originally, when the user scanned a flashcard, a flat 2D image of the animal (like a tiger) appeared.
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| Fig.2.1 Previous flashcard experience |
However, we realized that this limited the sense of excitement and interactivity. To make the app more engaging, we replaced the 2D image with a 3D animated tiger that moves and makes realistic sounds.
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| Fig.2.2 3D Tiger Asset from Unity Asset Store |
To make this happen, I found this animated 3D tiger in Unity Asset Store and add it in Unity.
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| Fig.2.3 Open the Asset in Unity Hub |
It was our first time working with animated models, so we had to figure out how to position it properly, scale it to fit the flashcard, and make sure the animation played smoothly when the AR scene loaded. The first few times nothing showed up, but after some error and trial, we finally made it.
The animated Unity Asset for the 3D tiger had its own built-in animation script, which made our job easier when it came to bringing the model to life. However, we added a few custom scripts like FollowCamera.cs and LookAtCamera.cs to make the tiger feel more dynamic in AR. These scripts helped the tiger face the user no matter where the camera moved, making the interaction feel more responsive and immersive.
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| Fig.2.4 'FollowCamera.cs' and 'LookAtCamera.cs' |
After setting up the 3D tiger and testing the AR scene, I ran into one of the most frustrating problems during the build process. Every time I tried to build the project in Unity, it would get stuck with an error saying “Cannot build player while editor is importing assets or compiling scripts.” Even when I wasn’t editing anything, Unity refused to move forward.
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| Fig.2.5 Error encounted |
I honestly don’t know exactly what fixed it, but after a few hours of trying different things, the build finally went through.
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| Fig.2.6 Final Outcome of the 3D tiger |
Submission
Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jS5RbIvkD4P-yz1yZgao1aQR3LpE0Igs?usp=sharing
Video Presentation:
Feedbacks
Week 14:
The quiz section is well done, but the AR experience still needs improvement. Currently, scanning the flashcard only shows a static 2D tiger. Consider replacing it with a 3D animated model to make the interaction more engaging, for example, having the tiger move.
Reflection
Looking back from Task 1 to Task 4, this project has been a huge learning journey from initial ideation to getting a working AR prototype on an actual phone. In Task 1, we started with just few random ideas. As we moved forward, the concept evolved into AR WonderWords, an app that combines 3D animals, real sounds, and multilingual learning.
By Task 3, we had built a working MVP prototype in Unity that included the full user flow: scanning a flashcard, showing an animal, hearing its sound and name, and accessing mini-games like spelling and matching. Although we used a static 2D tiger image at this stage, the core functions of the app were already in place, and it gave us a strong foundation to test and improve.
Final Project focused on enhancing the AR experience by replacing the flat 2D tiger with a 3D animated tiger model. This update made the app feel much more alive and immersive, especially with added features like camera-following scripts and real-time animation.
I also faced technical struggles, especially with Unity’s build errors during script compiling. Although I didn’t fully understand what caused it, I eventually got it working after hours of trial and error. Finally exporting the app and running it smoothly on my iPhone felt like a big win. Overall, I’m proud of how far this project has come. From just an idea to a fully interactive AR learning app, I’ve gained experience in both design and development.
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