Arizona Science Center
The Arizona Science Center is an interactive museum in Phoenix offering hands-on exhibits, immersive planetarium shows, and engaging educational programs that inspire curiosity in science and technology.
Date:
Fall 2020
Client wanted an engaging AR filter to promote the Arizona Science Center’s “Your Science Center, Reimagined” campaign, highlighting the institution’s innovative approach to science and technology. A trivia game filter was developed using Spark AR Studio, incorporating a minimalist design aligned with the Center’s branding, making it intuitive and fun for all ages.
The Arizona Science Center, an interactive museum in Phoenix, sought a creative and engaging way to promote its “Your Science Center, Reimagined” campaign. This initiative aimed to highlight the Center’s innovative use of technology and exhibits to inspire curiosity in science and technology. They reached out to me based on a recommendation within my network, bringing me on as a contracted intern to create an AR filter. As the sole designer on the project, I collaborated with the Science Center’s marketing team to conceptualize and deliver a filter that was fun, educational, and aligned with their brand identity.
Targeting a younger audience, the project aimed to develop a filter that was easy to use and engaging for all ages. My goal was to create an interactive experience that showcased the Science Center’s innovative spirit while fostering user engagement on social media platforms.
To ensure the filter resonated with the target audience, I began by researching trending social media filters to identify styles with the highest traction. Using this data, I conceptualized and pitched three prototypes: an astronaut-themed AR experience, an Albert Einstein face filter, and a trivia game filter. After discussions with the client, we decided to move forward with the trivia game filter due to its fun, interactive nature and potential for repeat use.
Once the prototypes were pitched to the client, I crafted the flow of the trivia filter to include a branded starting slide with the Science Center’s logo. Once recording began, the user would see a random category (Space, Geology, or Dinosaurs), followed by a question and a countdown. At the end of the countdown, the correct answer would be revealed. Users could restart the experience with a simple tap. This design made the filter both intuitive and entertaining.
The client and I collaborated to refine the list of over 50 trivia questions, ensuring they were educational, engaging, and fit within the chosen categories. This iterative process allowed us to ensure the final product was polished and aligned with the campaign’s goals.
Once all the questions were approved, I began work on the filter itself. Meta’s Spark AR Studio was used to create the filter, as the client wanted it available on Facebook and Instagram. An initial, rudimentary version of the filter as a proof of concept.
After the proof of concept was approved, an initial rough draft was created. Client wanted filter to use their brand’s official colors and typography, so this draft showed how both of those elements would look on the filter. The client wanted to add additional imagery to make the filter more visually appealing.
After a few rounds of revisions, the filter was finally in a place that felt solid. I presented the first draft of the filter to the clients.
However, after several rounds of feedback and revisions, we decided to simplify the design, opting for minimalist elements like colored text boxes to keep the focus on the trivia content.
The final version of the AR filter was a sleek, minimalist trivia game designed for Facebook and Instagram. It offered users an engaging experience while subtly promoting the Science Center’s “Your Science Center, Reimagined” campaign. Despite initial challenges in learning Spark AR Studio, I overcame these obstacles through persistence and problem-solving, successfully implementing the logic and functionality of the filter.
The filter launched on the Science Center’s social media pages and remained active through the end of 2021. It effectively showcased the Center’s innovative branding and engaged users with a fun, interactive experience that could be used repeatedly for new trivia challenges.