SnapLensLab
Snap Inc. x Royal College of Art: 29th July - 16th August 2024
Brief: Exploring augmented reality, what it is, what it can be and how it can impact our world.
Savour every bite, save every bit.
Project Overview
Snap Lens Lab is a three-week immersive work experience programmed hosted by Snap. Inc and the Royal College of Art, where creatives are promoted to explore the way in which we can utilise augmented reality to address current issues in our everyday lives. After an initial collaborative ideation process within our Snap Lens Lab cohort, my team was delegated the challenge of using augmented reality (AR) to address an issue within nature and sustainability. With a focus on sustainable food practice, our teamโs objective was to use real-time feedback and visualisation through the medium of AR to create accessible experiences in tackling issues of food waste in London.
Savina
UX Research Lead
Nyree
UX Design Lead
Koice
Marketing Lead
The project followed the below workflow:
UX Research
Branding
Ideation
Design
Marketing
User Research
To gain a deeper understanding of a usersโ needs and behaviours, we conducted comprehensive user research on our Snap Lens Lab cohort, family and friends. Our survey aimed to identify user opinions and gaps in knowledge to understand how we can best cater to our audiencesโ desires.
80% of participants didnโt know much or were completely unaware of the role that food waste has on sustainability
80% of participants felt negatively towards food being wasted.
50% of participants liked being educated through social media content and campaigns.
User Personas
Our user research drove the creation of our user personas. We identified two main target audiences, young people, and families (parents and young children). By conceptualising our personas, we were able to further develop our value proposition.
Brand Identity
Our aim is to transform household food management. By leveraging innovative AR technology and social media, SaveAR empowers individuals to explore sustainability more widely by reducing food waste and promoting a deeper appreciation and connection with the food they consume.
Sustainability
We are committed to reducing food waste levels in London and promoting eco-friendly practice.
Innovation
We utilise cutting-edge AR technology to provide practical solutions for everyday housholds.
Education
We are committed to educating our user demographic on the importance of food efficiency and sustainability.
Community
Our aim is to build a community of like-minded individuals who have a passion for saving food and innovative eating.
Ideation Process
Since we only had a time frame of 3 weeks, we aimed to draw focus on one specific food type. Bananas. 190,000 tonnes of bananas are wasted in the UK every year and are good starting point for identifying goodness (ripeness). Once we have tackled the world of bananas, with further expansion, we would want to apply our food waste practice to as many food types as we can.
Final User Flow
Design Process
ML Banana Ripeness Detection
Tools: Roboflow, TensorFlow, Lens Studio
Banana Basketball Hoop Game
Tools: Blender, Womp, Lens Studio
Cultural Recipe Pop-Up
Product Marketing and Expansion
Our product marketing strategy for SaveAR is centred around creating an engaging interactive experience, that raises awareness about food sustainability in a fun way. We created a 3D front-facing lens designed to appeal to our younger audiences, making food awareness fun and initiating conversations about better food practice. To amplify our reach, we intend to engage with popular hashtags and trends, ensuring SaveAR becomes a relevant and timely addition to conversations on sustainability.
In regard to expansion, our initial target audience are the people of London, where we found through our user research, that 80% of participants were familiar with food waste platforms like Too Good to Go. It presents the opportunity for SaveAR to partner with similar brands like Olio and Odd Box, aligning efforts to reduce food waste through joint campaigns. Furthermore, collaborations with the government, such as initiatives supported by the Mayor of London, could further amplify our impact.
SaveAR also has the potential for global partnerships through Snap exclusive content, incorporating collaborative recipes by celebrity chefs. This can consequently help to drive up engagement as users access the filter and share recipes with friends.
Reflection
My time with Snap and the Royal College of Art has been one of my favourite professional and creative experiences. Being surrounded by so many like-minded individuals, who were just as keen to expand their creative skillet whilst addressing real issues, was a wholesome experience, highlighting how technology can be used to help us in all these little ways.
check out more of my work here! เซฎ๊ฐ หถโข เผ โขหถ๊ฑแ โก
