AR CASE STUDY
ASPECT AR APP
ASPECT IS AN AUGMENTED REALITY VIEWER THAT BRINGS ARTWORK TO LIFE.
[2015]
[AR]
The Draw & Code team wanted to create an AR experience that complements the original artists’ work and enables the viewer to feel like they have the art in their hands. It had to be accessible on a majority of smartphones and tablets, yet it also needed to be built around a powerful enough platform to enable us to add interactive elements.
Augmented reality and art have come together on occasion, but often it is a clunky experience. It was essential that this felt compelling and professional enough to attract gallery visitors to download the Aspect app.
First Draw & Code’s own creative minds sat down with some of our favourite local artists to see what they envisioned their art could become in the digital space. Then our animators and technical team helped them to take their work to new places in what was a true collaboration.
One of Aspect’s key features is the ability to create a truly interactive environment. A passive AR experience will not cut it in the years ahead, so we are building Aspect’s content around the powerful Unity 3D gaming engine. This will give the artist the flexibility to take their art into a truly immersive world.
With little more than a cerise pink uplight in the space allocated for the experience, the device worked impeccably. Only clouds of dry ice passing through the area gave it any trouble, but redirecting them to give the space a hazy presence rather than a full-on smokescreen cured this issue.
Draw & Code co-hosted a launch event for Aspect in 92 Degrees Coffee with the artist collective The Critter Shed. Guests were amazed as the static images came to life and began animating before their eyes. You can see the event in the video of the augmented reality art show here.
Since this event, Aspect has been utilised in shows with established artists such as The Singh Twins along with being used as a platform for allowing us to host augmented reality art workshops to foster engagement with creative technologies.
To download the Aspect app for Android or Apple devices simply head to the Play Store or the App Store and search ‘Aspect’.