This blog post is an assignment for Designing for Mixed Realities (DES241). We were tasked to create an Augmented Reality filter for Snapchat using the software Lens Studio.
I enrolled in this paper as I had essentially zero knowledge of mixed realities in particular augmented reality; therefore, I felt very nervous about this assignment. However, after attending the Lens studio workshop on Monday, I felt much more confident with the software, knowing how to add a face image, text, and assistance from my lecturers.
I began by brainstorming a mind map of things that I was interested in, which could spark my Snapchat filter interest. One of my ideas was to create a horoscope filter; I also had a look online for existing Snapchat filters and couldn't find many that related to horoscopes. Therefore I decided to make a filter to represent myself as a Taurus through imagery colours and symbols.
I began by drawing an image of a bull on adobe illustrator to represent the Taurus star sign. I used neutral greens and yellows as Taurus is an earth sign; however, I also incorporated pops of pink as it added contrast and made it more eye-catching.
Then I wrote the word Taurus on photoshop with a groovy font in pink to help tie in the drawing.
The final aspect was to draw out the moon phases as they tied in the astrology theme.
Once I had all the different aspects of my filter, I imported them into Lens studio using the 'face image' and 'screen image' options. I played around with the scale, positioning and rotation to finally settle on the composition of my final filter.
I am pleased with how my Snapchat filter has turned out, as it is how I envisioned it. I had success in creating the different aspects of the filter, such as the text and imagery, as I had previous experience with illustrator and photoshop. I managed my time effectively and made sure to not leave everything to the last minute by keeping track of what had to be done in my diary.
However, I also encountered difficulties such as navigating and accessing specific tools on Lens studio. In particular, I wanted to make a tap to change command where it would switch to a different star sign; however, I didn't have the knowledge to do the coding. I tried to solve this issue by searching up a youtube video; however, I still couldn't figure it out with the time given. I also believe that a limitation of my filter is that it appeals more to females, limiting the filter's exposure and success. However, my intention for this filter was to create a filter I would personally use, and I have successfully done that. I would also change my settings on illustrator in order to make my drawing clearer and not as pixilated when imported into Lens Studio if was to make it again.
Overall, I am very happy with my final Taurus Snapchat filter and my progress with Lens Studio. I plan on creating more filters in the future now that I know the basic tools on Lens studio and will continue to educate myself on youtube and google.
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