Link to lens

How I created this augmented reality filter for the TechXplore program at Babcock University, Nigeria...Walk with me.

It all started about a week before the event when I stumbled upon a quick lens tutorial on TikTok. I was interested in how Lens Studio makes AR experiences ‘easy’.

Process

As an experience designer and a committee member under the Programs department for the event, I thought,

'Why not create a filter for our upcoming event? It could be a great way to engage the audience and generate some publicity.'

The primary objective was to connect more effectively with the attendees, which included students from my school, Babcock University, as well as representatives from other invited schools.

For the design aspect, I didn't have to do any manual designs myself. I simply requested the event brand resources from our design team, which included the logo.

Implementation

I used Lens Studio for creating the AR filter.

To create the forehead-matching feature and integrate the event logo, the following steps were taken:

1. Face Tracking: I created a new Lens project, and added a "Face Tracker" component to the scene. This component enabled real-time tracking of the user's face.

2. Image Placement: I imported the event logo as a 2D texture into the project. I then created a new "Plane" object to serve as the surface for the logo. The plane was positioned and scaled to fit the desired size and position on the forehead.

3. Linking Face Tracker and Logo: The face tracker component was used to track the user's face, and the event logo plane was parented to the face tracker. This ensured that the logo would move and rotate in sync with the user's head movements, creating the forehead-matching effect.

Experience

Users would open the Snapchat app and access the filter, either by searching for it or through a friend's Snap that featured the filter. The links were also shared to class group chats.

After granting camera permissions (if needed), they'd see their live image on the screen with the virtual event logo positioned on their forehead, thanks to the face tracking.

Finally, users could capture photos or videos with the filter applied, edit them with text, stickers, or drawings, and share them directly with friends, add them to their Snapchat story, or save them to their camera roll.

Outcomes

I gathered as many pictures of the Lens usage, some of them I took with attendees and the rest I requested from the people who took them.

Data and Numbers

Now, you might be wondering why I chose to create the filter on Snapchat instead of other social media platforms that also offer lens or filter features. Well, there were a few key reasons behind that decision:

Firstly, Snapchat is widely popular, especially among the younger demographic, which aligned perfectly with our target audience of students. The app has a massive user base, making it the go-to platform for maximizing the reach and visibility of our AR experience.

Secondly, Snapchat's lens and filter features are extremely user-friendly and intuitive. Users are already accustomed to interacting with fun AR experiences on the app, so introducing our event filter wouldn't be a steep learning curve for them.

Snapchat's social sharing features played a significant role in our decision. Users can easily capture photos and videos with the filter applied and share them directly with their friends or add them to their stories. This organic sharing mechanism had the potential to amplify the reach of our AR experience beyond just the event attendees.

For a project whose idea came from a Tiktok tutorial, the lens views is at 2,710 views. That’s pretty impressive.

Challenges

As interesting as everything seems, there were hiccups along the way.

1. Initially, the logo wasn't showing up in Lens Studio. It turns out it was masked and placed under the entire layer I was working with. Once I fixed that issue, everything fell into place.

2. For some instances, the lens only recognized one forehead and not two. I restarted the lens and It was fixed (Apparently, that happens sometimes).

Takeaway

Showcases the potential of augmented reality as a powerful tool for event organizers, marketers, and experience designers alike, opening up new avenues for creativity, innovation, and audience engagement.