Augmented Reality Specialist

Objective: In this task, the student will conceptualize and design a unique augmented reality (AR) application. The aim is to develop a comprehensive design plan that outlines the application concept, user scenarios, required technologies, and a basic workflow diagram. This task focuses on planning and strategizing the application design, ensuring that the AR solution is viable and innovative.

Expected Deliverable: A detailed design document (PDF or Word file) containing the concept description, feature list, technology stack analysis, user journey maps, and workflow diagrams.

Key Steps:

• Research current AR trends and successful AR application case studies from public sources.
• Brainstorm ideas for an innovative AR application tailored to a specific industry or user group.
• Create a detailed plan that includes goal statements, a high-level feature list, and a technological breakdown.
• Design user journey maps and process workflow diagrams that illustrate the user interaction and the AR application's operation.
• Compile and structure your research findings and design elements into a comprehensive document.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Clarity and depth of the concept.
• Practicality and innovativeness of design ideas.
• Detail and organization of the document, including a clearly articulated technology roadmap and user flow.
• adherence to the provided guidelines.

This task is designed to require approximately 30 to 35 hours of work. The student must engage deeply with the concept of AR development by performing extensive research and using creative thinking to design a novel application concept. The deliverable should reflect a strong understanding of how augmented reality can be integrated into business or consumer contexts, and demonstrate the student’s ability to plan detailed AR projects independently, without relying on external feedback.

Objective: In this week’s task, the student is required to build a simplified prototype of the previously conceptualized AR application. This exercise focuses strongly on execution, involving practical hands-on work using an AR development platform (such as Unity with Vuforia, ARCore, or similar publicly-accessible tools). The goal is to transform conceptual designs into a virtual prototype demonstration that simulates key functionalities of the intended AR application.

Expected Deliverable: A compiled prototype file along with a brief technical report (PDF format) detailing the development process, tool selection, encountered challenges, and an explanation of how the prototype meets the design objectives.

Key Steps:

• Select a publicly available AR development tool that you are comfortable with.
• Translate the conceptual design into a working prototype that demonstrates at least two core functionalities of the planned AR application.
• Document the development process, including setup steps, testing methods, and screen captures or video recording showing the prototype in action.
• Synthesize technical challenges and solutions in a separate report.
• Ensure that your prototype is self-contained and can be easily executed on a standard development environment.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Functionality of the prototype in demonstrating key AR features.
• Quality and clarity of the technical report.
• Creativity in addressing potential usability challenges.
• Overall integration of design with practical execution.

This practical task requires detailed engagement with AR tools and methodologies, ensuring that the student not only understands AR concepts but is also able to execute them in a simulated development environment independently over the span of roughly 30 to 35 hours.

Objective: The focus of this task is on user interaction within augmented reality applications. The student is required to explore, document, and analyze the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) aspects of AR environments. This includes assessing usability, intuitive design, and engagement strategies tailored to AR. The task aims to bridge the gap between technical implementation and user-centric design, ensuring the AR application will be accessible and effective.

Expected Deliverable: A comprehensive analysis report (PDF file) that includes user interaction flowcharts, usability testing methodologies, analysis of potential user challenges, and recommendations for improving user experience in AR.

Key Steps:

• Conduct a literature review on UI/UX best practices in augmented reality applications using publicly accessible information.
• Create user personas and scenarios that might interact with your AR application.
• Design survey or usability test outlines which can hypothetically be used to gather user feedback (simulate possible results if necessary).
• Analyze potential pain points and challenges users might face while interacting with AR features.
• Compile your findings into a structured report with detailed flowcharts and recommendations for enhancing the user experience.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Depth and relevance of the user research and analysis.
• Clarity and practicality of the design recommendations.
• Accuracy in identifying potential usability issues.
• Quality of documentation in the analysis report.

This exercise is designed to engage students in the critical evaluation of AR technologies from a user perspective. Over the course of 30 to 35 hours, the student should independently complete deep research, analytical mapping, and propose viable solutions that enhance overall user experience within an AR setting.

Objective: The final task focuses on evaluating the performance and effectiveness of the developed AR prototype, followed by proposing improvements. In this task, students will simulate performance testing and user feedback analysis for the AR application they prototyped earlier. The goal is to identify key areas for improvement and iterate on the design based on defined performance metrics.

Expected Deliverable: A detailed performance evaluation report (PDF or Word document) that includes testing methodologies, performance metrics, identified issues, recommendations for iteration, and a proposed roadmap for the next version of the AR application.

Key Steps:

• Define performance metrics relevant to the AR application, such as frame rate stability, latency, user interaction lag, and error rates.
• Simulate a testing environment using your prototype and any available virtual testing tools.
• Document the performance evaluation process including any logs, charted data, or observation notes.
• Identify areas where the AR experience does not meet user comfort or functional expectations.
• Develop a structured plan for iterating and improving the prototype, including specific technical and UX enhancements.

Evaluation Criteria:

• Thoroughness of the performance testing methodology and test documentation.
• Insightfulness of the analysis regarding strengths and limitations in the prototype.
• Feasibility and potential impact of the proposed iteration roadmap.
• Overall clarity and professionalism of the evaluation report.

This task requires approximately 30 to 35 hours of dedicated work to deeply engage with both technical evaluation and design iteration processes. The student is expected to leverage critical thinking and technical assessment skills independently, culminating in a detailed performance evaluation that shows the ability to iteratively improve an AR-based application without external feedback.