Minor Project - WarisanXR（MR Exhibition）

20/12/2024 - 8/1/2025
Week 9 - Week 15
Ng Jia Ern 0363033
Minor Project - WarisanXR（MR Exhibition）

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Proposal

Final Presentation:

Weekly Progression

Week 1:

I conducted background research on the client’s company and analyzed its competitors. I also studied the technologies required for the project. Additionally, I searched online for feedback from visitors who had experienced AR glasses in museums to identify any common issues they faced. Furthermore, my team and I scheduled a visit to Museum Negara to observe the current AR technology in use and discover some existing problems.

I did a mindmap to compile all my research findings: (Contextual Research)

We visited Muzium Negara:

The space we gonna set up the exhibition

Week 2:

We started writing the user personas, dividing them into three categories: local families, foreign tourists, and students. I was assigned, along with another teammate, to work on the user persona for foreign tourists.

Week 3:

Our user personas were incorrect and needed revision based on feedback from our lecturer. Afterwards, we listed the questions for our survey.

Survey Questionnaire:

Week 4:

We collected responses for our survey. I shared the survey with my family and friends, who happened to match our user persona criteria, and asked them to help fill it out. In total, we collected 141 responses, successfully meeting our target.

Week 5:

During this week’s class, the client visited our school and demonstrated the AR glasses (Xreal Air 2).
Findings:

The field of view for AR glasses is very narrow, so virtual objects can only be displayed on a table.
AR glasses do not allow users to see what others wearing AR glasses see, so there is no interaction between users.
The glasses are heavy, causing discomfort after prolonged use. They are not compatible with regular glasses, although prescription lenses can be fitted, but the process is inconvenient if frequent changes are required.
The software for the AR glasses is prone to glitches. One of my friends accidentally caused the glasses to freeze, requiring a restart to fix the issue.
AR glasses work better in dim environments; in bright conditions, virtual objects are not visible.

Xreal Air 2:

Week 6:

We worked on the user journey, and each team member came up with five ideas. We selected the five best ideas and wrote an insight statement. We also started preparing the presentation slides.

Our hardworking teammates

Week 7:

We brainstormed the floor plan, and I drew the storyboard for the user journey.

Week 8:

Although there were no classes this week, we presented to the client online on 15/11/2024 (Friday). Before the presentation, we had to finalize the content and storyline. I came up with a storyline for the project.

Story Background

The protagonist, a kind-hearted and curious young individual, is entrusted with a special mission: to awaken the long-slumbering Flower of Harmony by collecting blessings from the New Year celebrations of various cultural groups. By gathering the power of five blessings, the protagonist can bring joy and unity back to the village. Through an immersive MR experience, visitors will journey through different cultural festivities, embracing the beauty and significance of multicultural traditions.

First Station: Chinese New Year

Setting:

The protagonist arrives in a Chinese community adorned with red lanterns, couplets, and Chinese knots, creating a festive and lively atmosphere. They witness lion and dragon dances, immersing themselves in the rich cultural celebration.

Mission Guide:

An elder explains that the Chinese New Year blessings symbolize peace and prosperity. To receive the blessing's power, the protagonist must find a hidden red envelope.

Interactive Task:

The protagonist participates in a mini-game to locate the red envelope. Upon success, they open it to reveal a golden ribbon symbolizing good fortune.

Blessing Power:

Peace and Prosperity

Content Highlights:

3D Animation: Lion dance, firecrackers, and Chinese knots
Video Experience: First-person perspective of "lou sang" (tossing prosperity salad)
Physical Displays: Couplets, red lanterns, and Chinese knots at the entrance
Food Images: Traditional Chinese New Year dishes with descriptions
Interactive Element: Clicking the lion's mouth to reveal couplets

Second Station: Malay New Year (Hari Raya Aidilfitri)

Setting:

In the Malay community, the protagonist experiences a warm atmosphere of villagers exchanging greetings, wearing traditional attire, and enjoying festive delicacies.

Mission Guide:

The village leader explains that the blessings of Hari Raya symbolize harmony and gratitude. The protagonist must participate in making a ketupat (traditional rice dumpling).

Interactive Task:

By weaving a ketupat, the protagonist learns the value of sharing and gratitude, ultimately crafting one successfully.

Blessing Power:

Harmony and Gratitude

Content Highlights:

3D Interaction: Step-by-step ketupat weaving
Decorations: Ketupat ornaments at the entrance
Audio Effects: Festive greetings and celebratory sounds

Third Station: Indian New Year (Deepavali)

Setting:

Drawn to the glowing oil lamps in the Indian community, the protagonist witnesses the celebration of Deepavali, where residents light lamps to symbolize the triumph of light over darkness.

Mission Guide:

An elder explains that Deepavali blessings represent hope and courage. The protagonist must complete a lamp-lighting ritual.

Interactive Task:

The protagonist lights an oil lamp, symbolizing inner courage and faith, successfully receiving the blessing's power.

Blessing Power:

Hope and Courage

Content Highlights:

3D Interaction: Lighting an oil lamp
Decorations: Rows of oil lamps creating a warm atmosphere
Audio Effects: Traditional music and blessings

Fourth Station: Iban Harvest Festival (Gawai Dayak)

Setting:

In the Iban community, the protagonist joins the Gawai Dayak celebration, filled with music and dancing to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest.

Mission Guide:

The village chief explains that the Iban blessings symbolize abundance and unity, emphasizing harmony with nature. The protagonist must weave a rattan basket to receive the blessing.

Interactive Task:

Through weaving a rattan basket, the protagonist learns the wisdom of cherishing nature and earns a wooden plaque engraved with a rice totem.

Blessing Power:

Abundance and Unity

Content Highlights:

3D Interaction: Rattan basket weaving process
Decorations: Agricultural elements showcasing the harvest season
Audio Effects: Traditional songs and harvest festival sounds

Fifth Station: Kadazan Harvest Festival (Kaamatan)

Setting:

The protagonist arrives in the Kadazan community during the Kaamatan festival, a grand celebration honoring Bambaazon, the Rice Spirit. Villagers perform dances in gratitude for the harvest.

Mission Guide:

A Kadazan elder explains that their blessings signify gratitude and rebirth, representing hope for the future. The protagonist must participate in a rice planting ritual.

Interactive Task:

By planting rice seedlings in a paddy field, the protagonist demonstrates reverence for the earth and receives a small bundle of rice stalks as a token.

Blessing Power:

Gratitude and Rebirth

Content Highlights:

3D Interaction: Hands-on rice planting process
Decorations: Paddy field and rice stalk ornaments
Audio Effects: Celebration songs and natural field sounds

Final Chapter: The Awakening of the Flower of Harmony

Once the protagonist gathers the five blessings, they infuse their powers into the Flower of Harmony. The flower bursts into vibrant colors, radiating warmth and light. This symbolizes unity, harmony, and inclusivity, enveloping the village in an atmosphere of peace and joy. Visitors feel immersed in the beauty of cultural convergence, welcoming a hopeful and harmonious future.

Then, I also draw a floorplan.

3D model a virtual guide (Sunny- Sunbear):

Photobooth design:

Booth Design Mockup:

UI mockup:

User Journey:

15/11/2024 Proposal Presentation (Week 8)

1. Proposal Slide:

Proposal Presentation Feedback Summary:

1. Target Audience:

Clarify whether the focus is on locals or foreigners. Current design leans heavily towards locals.
Consider integrating universal elements relatable to foreigners and their own cultures.

2. Virtual Guide:

Revise the virtual guide design. Replace the sun bear with a flying animal or a flying bear for better engagement.

3. Flow & Space Management:

Avoid overcrowding. If 15 people enter at once, the space may become too congested.
For groups of 3, adjust the layout to ensure smooth traffic flow, accommodating 15 people while maintaining a shorter duration per visit.

4. Photobooth:

Reduce the overly vectorized look. Incorporate more sustainable materials for decoration.
Add elements beyond just the bear mascot for a richer experience.

5. Cultural Representation:

Avoid literal elements; adopt more abstract methods to showcase culture.
Ensure a universal value (e.g., harmony or joy) is clear and ties to diverse cultures.

6. Artwork Consistency:

Maintain a consistent style across all artworks to avoid a messy appearance.

7. Color & UI Design:

Ensure colors and UI reflect heritage clearly and cohesively.

8. Sequence and Universal Appeal:

Introduce universal elements foreigners can recognize, possibly showing cultural stories (e.g., CNY) step by step in sequence.
Highlight harmony among different races and create a global connection.

9. Design Considerations:

Incorporate symbolic elements (not literal) that represent harmony and unity globally.

Week 9: 22/11/2024 no class

Although we did not have physical classes this week, we held an online meeting to discuss the project. During the meeting, we focused on improving the floor plan and refining the virtual guide design.

Floorplan Sketches:

We conducted a vote and ultimately selected Option 12.

I was responsible for coming up with ideas for the virtual guide and sketching them out.

We also conducted a vote to decide on one design, and ultimately chose Option 1 to proceed with.

Week 10: 29/11/2024

I continue on virtual guide design.
I created a 3D model for Option 1 and also experimented with modeling Options 2 and 4 for comparison.

Option 1: Balloon Bear

Option 2: Super Bear

Option 3: Angel Bear

In addition, I also created a 3D model of a person wearing traditional Kadazan attire to test whether it could be integrated into the content as part of a mockup.

Week 11: 6/12/2024

Floorplan made by my teammate (Huiyi):

We show the lecturer our progress. He gave us some feedback:

Week 11 Progress Feedback Summary:

Photobooth Placement:
- Conceal the photobooth initially to create a sense of surprise. Position it towards the end for a climactic experience.
Space & Flow Management:
- Avoid overcrowding by managing the entry of visitors (e.g., groups of 3 at a time).
- Ensure each petal’s viewing time is carefully timed to prevent jams in the flow.
Interactive Elements:
- Make the bear guide more noticeable, such as giving it a glowing balloon.
- Align all presented elements with the overarching story for coherence.
- Maintain consistent processes and experiences across all cultural stations.
Story Integration:
- Define what the bear will say and what 2D elements will be displayed.
- Create a connected story, e.g., teaching the concept of prosperity when searching for an angpau.
Interactive Feature:
- Allow users to collect five items and drag them into a poster. Use motion graphics to enhance the interaction.
Storyboard:
- Develop an animated GIF storyboard for presentation, showing layered visuals:
  - Layer 1: Background projection.
  - Layer 2: Lantern elements.
  - Layer 3: 3D models.
  - Layer 4: UI interactions.
Art Direction:
- Ensure a unified and consistent art direction throughout all elements.
Projection Mapping:
- If using projection mapping on the ceiling, consider adding black metal rods for practical installation.
- Avoid excessive projection mapping to prevent visual overload.

my lovely teammates on wk 11

I created a 3D model of the floor plan to facilitate the mockup process.

Week 12: 13/12/2024

My teammates work on projection mapping and every booth mockup.

I focus on editing the storyboard.

wk 12

Week 13: 20/12/2024

For this week:

Adjusting the key visual
Think of a backup plan for the virtual guide, because Mr Mike said the colour of the bear was too dark.

We have an online meeting again...

I redesigned the virtual guide with a new conceptual approach. This time, the idea is that the virtual guide could be the guardian of the hibiscus, embodying themes of a spirit, butterfly, or a bear with abstract wings.

After conducting a vote, Option 5 was selected.

I added colors to the design and experimented with several color palettes to find the most suitable one.

We held another vote, and the yellow-green color palette was selected.

Then, I proceed to 3D

Week 14: 3/1/2025

Mr. Mike provided feedback suggesting that our mascot could change colors at each station to avoid clashing with the background, as it blends too much with the green background of the Hari Raya station.

So I let Bloomy (the virtual guide) be colourful:

Key Visual for each stations:

I also 3D model a hibiscus to use on photobooth

I also create an animation to showcase our mini-game idea:

Mini-game:

Photobooth Design:

Week 15: 9/1/2025 (Final Presentation)

Final Presentation Slide:

CONSULTATION LOG:

W1: Project Progress Report
During Week 1, Mr. Mike briefed us on the minor project requirements, and we chose to work on the TrueXR project. After that, I started contextual research at home, investigating TrueXR’s background, analyzing competitors' strengths and weaknesses, learning about relevant technologies, and gathering user feedback on AR experiences in museums. I organized the findings into a mind map. This research helped me avoid confusion and provided clarity on what is essential for the project. Understanding this information will help me develop more coherent ideas for the project moving forward, and this learning will guide my decisions throughout the project, proving valuable for future work in immersive tech.

W2: Project Progress Report
During Week 2, Mr. Mike arranged an online meeting with the client, and we prepared questions beforehand. During the meeting, we asked about content design, required technologies like AR glasses and volumetric video, and the type of user experience they envisioned. The client emphasized the importance of user research and asked us to design the full visitor journey experience for the MR exhibition. They wanted us to come up with concept ideas on how to welcome visitors and attract more museum-goers to the exhibition. This new focus gave us a clearer direction on designing an engaging and immersive experience from start to finish, ensuring that visitors feel welcomed and drawn into the exhibit through meaningful interactions and thoughtful design. This meeting helped us better understand the project’s direction and improved our confidence in moving forward.

W3: Project Progress Report
This week, we completed the user personas and presented them to Mr. Mike. He advised that our personas should represent broader audience groups and suggested revising the goals and needs to better align with a wider audience. Based on his feedback, we made adjustments to ensure the personas reflect more universal objectives and requirements.

W4: Project Progress Report
We finalized our questionnaire and prepared a Google Form to collect responses. Each group member was assigned a target number of respondents to gather data from. I distributed the form to individuals matching our user personas, including my friends and family, to ensure diverse and relevant feedback.

W5: Project Progress Report
In class this week, we had a meeting with the client to test the Xreal Air 2 AR glasses. Mr. Justin, the client, brought a pair of Xreal Air 2 glasses for our team to try. Through this hands-on experience, we gained a better understanding of the limitations of AR glasses. For instance, the field of view is relatively small, meaning volumetric videos need to be scaled down to fit entirely within the AR display. This insight will be critical when designing exhibition content that aligns with the technological constraints.

W6: Project Progress Report
Each team member was tasked with coming up with five exhibition ideas. After discussing our concepts, we selected the top five ideas to develop further. Additionally, we started preparing a presentation slide deck to outline these ideas comprehensively.

W7: Project Progress Report
We worked on preparing a proposal presentation slide. This presentation needed to include our research findings, floor plan and material selection, exhibition ideas, photo booth details, content storyboard, and key visuals. As a team, we decided to add a cohesive storyline to the entire exhibition, titled The Harmony Flower Rescue Mission. Visitors will follow a virtual guide and collect five symbolic items across five booths to awaken the "Harmony Flower," which symbolizes peace and unity in the world. The floor plan was also designed to resemble flower petals, reinforcing the storyline and thematic concept.

W9: Project Progress Report
Last week, we presented our proposal to the client and received valuable feedback along with areas for improvement. For instance, the client appreciated our Harmony Flower concept but noted that the floor plan needs revision. The current design, with its five-petal layout, was criticized for having spaces that are too small and a visitor flow that feels overly cramped. The design needs to move away from being too literal and should adopt a more abstract and futuristic approach, emphasizing AR elements and incorporating more interactivity. The photobooth design was deemed excessive and misaligned with the overall art direction. Additionally, the virtual guide character, a bear, was flagged for its inability to fly or float realistically in its current design. The client suggested either redesigning the bear to allow it to float logically or replacing it with another concept.
This process provided us with valuable insights, highlighting the importance of balancing creativity with functionality. The feedback emphasized the need to deliver a more interactive and user-friendly experience while staying true to the original concept. It also underlined the significance of aligning client requirements, user engagement, and design aesthetics. This feedback is highly beneficial as it allows us to address gaps in our initial design and refine our ideas for a more effective exhibition. By incorporating these suggestions, we aim to elevate the project's quality, making it more engaging and immersive. Moving forward, we will focus on refining our conceptualization process, completing the planning phase, and ensuring smooth execution.

W10: Project Progress Report
This week, our group provided a progress update and planned improvements based on client feedback. We decided to retain the five-petal floor plan, focusing on interactive content and culturally symbolic elements. Tasks were assigned, including researching flower backgrounds and exploring projection mapping. Key adjustments include redesigning the layout for better flow, simplifying the photo booth, and unifying the artistic style. These changes aim to enhance the exhibition’s interactivity, cultural inclusivity, and overall visitor experience.

W11: Project Progress Report
This week, we refined the exhibition flow, organizing stations into groups of three to maintain a steady pace and ensure smooth movement. We focused on connecting all stations, including the photo booth, to the overarching storyline, with the photo booth planned as the final surprise for visitors. Following feedback, we began creating a detailed storyboard, breaking the exhibition into layers: projection mapping, lanterns, 3D elements, and UI design. These steps ensured a cohesive and immersive experience while keeping the design systematic and aligned with the cultural themes.

W12: Project Progress Report
This week, we focused on refining the spatial design by creating accurate visualizations of the exhibition space. Using camera simulations and floor markings, we determined optimal attendee positions to enhance the experience. To ground the elements, we planned different types of stages and moved forward with generating 3D layouts. We created five key visuals to represent what attendees would see, exploring perspectives with Blender, including animations or low-poly models. This process emphasized the importance of realism and interaction in design, ensuring the space is both functional and engaging. Moving forward, we aim to finalize visuals and integrate them with cultural themes.

W13: Project Progress Report
This week, we focused on addressing feedback and finalizing details for the exhibition design. Adjustments were made to ensure consistency in lantern visuals, enhance background flowers, and incorporate projection or AR elements into the pedestal. The UI was refined for better readability, with larger text and improved clarity. The photobooth lighting was adjusted to better match the art direction, and the final scene tone was revised to create a climactic ending.
We also prepared for the final presentation, ensuring all elements—problem statement, floor plan, and storyboard—were cohesive and aligned with the project objectives. This process emphasized the importance of refining minor details to enhance the overall experience and ensuring all elements come together seamlessly for a strong final delivery.

W14: Project Progress Report
This week, we focused on finalizing all aspects of our project in preparation for the final presentation. We refined the slides to ensure they were clear, concise, and visually aligned with our objectives. The storyboard was updated to include detailed layers, such as the flower animations and mascot integration, ensuring a cohesive narrative flow.
Additionally, we addressed feedback on visual consistency, incorporating Malaysian-inspired elements into the flower patterns and adjusting the design to enhance user engagement. The photobooth and AR interaction elements were polished for a seamless visitor experience. This week emphasized the importance of attention to detail and collaboration as we worked to deliver a polished and professional final presentation.

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Ng Jia Ern (0363033)