Warrior AR Interactive Mural

Step Into Chinatown's History Through Immersive Augmented Reality

My Role
As a Visual Designer, I led the creation and management of digital assets for this project, ensuring their seamless integration and high performance within the AR environment. I partnered closely with a creative technologist to conduct thorough QA testing, identifying and resolving usability and performance issues across multiple devices, resulting in a more optimized and engaging user experience.
Tools
8th Wall SDK, HTML, CSS and Javascript

Discipline

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Platform

March 2023

Role

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Overview

The Warrior Season 3 AR Mural Experience blended art, technology, and storytelling to promote the show. As a visual activation, murals in key cities came to life using augmented reality, which viewers accessed via QR codes. The interactive experience allowed fans to explore elements from the series, like historical weapons and key set pieces, while also previewing Season 3 content. The project highlighted a unique mix of cultural homage and immersive tech to deepen audience engagement.

The Process

Focus on WebAR Experience

Our decision to create a WebAR experience is to allow our audience to access the interactive mural experience with their mobile phones. This allows our audience to view this project across our activation sites in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City through the mural's QR code.

Pivoting AR Concepts

Our original vision was to have the AR experience triggered when fans pointed their phones at the murals. But implementing three unique murals within a tight three-week window, while the designs were still being created and painted, became a big challenge. We also realized this approach would limit access to only local fans. In a last-minute pivot, we simplified the trigger to a custom QR code embedded in the murals and shared it on social media, allowing fans both locally and globally to engage with the experience.

Showcasing Bruce Lee's World: Connecting the Past with the Future

In collaboration with the Chinese Historical Society of America, Cashmere Agency, HBO, and the mural artists, we designed new interactive elements that educated audiences on the history of San Francisco's Chinatown, the setting of Warrior. We created three key interactions: one showcasing the weapons used in the show, another highlighting the Bruce Lee Foundation, and the final interaction offering a sneak peek at the Season 3 trailer. These interactions provided an engaging way for fans to connect with both the series and its cultural roots.

Augmented Reality Preview

Learnings

During this project, I learned so much from working with agencies like Cashmere and cultural organizations such as the Chinese Historical Society of America. Collaborating with them taught me how to balance creative vision with cultural significance while ensuring the project met everyone's expectations. It was a great experience in teamwork, communication, and bringing together diverse perspectives to shape an AR experience that was both educational and immersive. This process really highlighted the value of collaboration in bringing ambitious ideas to life.

Building an Interactive Project with Code
During this project, I learned how to design an interactive AR experience using 8th Wall SDK, along with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to bring the murals to life. I worked closely with technical constraints to ensure the AR elements were smoothly integrated, accessible, and engaging across multiple devices. This experience strengthened my ability to combine visual design with functional AR development, teaching me how to deliver interactive, immersive experiences that bridge physical and digital worlds.

Testing Interaction across Devices
Another key part of my role was performing constant QA testing to ensure the AR experience was free of bugs and responsive across various devices and locations. I tested the functionality to ensure that users could seamlessly engage with the AR content, whether they were interacting with it in person at the mural sites or remotely via shared QR codes. This testing process helped guarantee a consistent, smooth experience for all users, regardless of their device or location.