Vista: AR App
Challenge
Create an original concept for an activity-centered app, including an augmented reality (AR) function.
Process
My app concept is Vista, an iPad Pro app for artists. Its main function is the AR projector tool, which casts the mural design onto the wall, making it easier to choose colors that match the space. In the future, the AR tool could be used with a glasses device (like Google Glass), so that the artist’s hands are free to paint while seeing the digital outline on the wall. This solves problems with the current methods used to map the design onto the wall, such as how long the grid method takes, and the lighting limitations involved with the projector method. The app also gives artists a place to organize their projects—especially helpful for muralists who have to juggle multiple jobs at once.
Process
The app’s name, Vista, means “a pleasing view,” and is related to the word mural. The graphics were inspired by physical projectors which use light to cast an image on a wall; the visibility of the projected image depends on the environment being as dark as possible. This concept of light in darkness was the basis for both the glowing logotype on the login screen and the spectrum of colors used throughout the app, both set against the black backdrop. The logo, seen on the loading screen and the app icon, is a combination of the letters V and A from the name, as well as a simple representation of the way light bounces through a lens, such as in a camera or in our eyes.
Results
The final result of the project is an app concept and prototype that makes use of AR technology to solve real-world problems. View the prototype here (or type bit.ly/vistaapp into your browser).
A future version of the app could include a library of mural designs to choose from, which would expand the app’s audience to the general public, for people who want to create a DIY mural but have limited experience. Another feature that could be developed is an AR space for artists to design the mural on the wall in real time, using their Adobe asset libraries.
