Experiential Design / Task 2

on

20/5/2025 - 7/6/2025 (Week 5 - Week 7)
Wee Jun Jie / 0375271
Experiential Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 2: Proposal Development

All class notes have been stored here: My Notes

 INSTRUCTIONS 

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 Week 5 - Designing Mockup & Art Direction & Slide Presentation 


Comparison
Booka' (my AR App) is a fresh take on learning letters, offering a more interactive experience compared to existing tools. Traditional flashcards and educational videos help kids recognize letters, but they don’t engage them in active learning. Some AR apps, like AR Flashcards, add 3D animations to printed cards, but they don’t include structured lessons or memory-boosting games. This project takes things a step further by combining letter recognition, sound feedback, and a fun matching mini game to help kids remember letters better. Features like “Replay” and “Next” make it easy for children to navigate on their own, encouraging independent learning. By blending physical and digital interaction, the AR Alphabet Explorer makes letter learning more exciting and immersive for young learners.



 REFLECTION 
Experience
At this stage, I’ve been focusing on developing the core concept and visual design of my AR Alphabet Explorer app. The process of turning an educational idea into a structured interaction has helped me think more deeply about how young children engage with technology. Designing for this age group is very different from older users. It requires simplicity, visual clarity, and playful feedback at every step.

Creating the user journey and mockups has been a helpful way to test the flow of the experience before development begins. I’ve been sketching screens like the home page, the AR scanning view, and the letter-matching mini game to show how users move through the app. Even though the designs are not final, they help visualize how the child interacts with the content and where key buttons like “Replay” or “Next” should be placed.

Observations 
While working on the early design mockups, I’ve noticed several important considerations:

  • Visual hierarchy is essential — icons and buttons must be large and easy to tap, and the screen shouldn’t feel cluttered.

  • Children benefit from strong visual and audio guidance — a friendly voice telling them what to do is more helpful than written instructions.

  • Consistency matters — children need visual cues (like colors and shapes) that remain the same across screens to avoid confusion.

  • A balance between stimulation and simplicity is important — too much motion or sound can be overwhelming, but too little can make the app feel dull.

Findings 
Through the process of designing mockups for the Booka', I’ve gained several important insights. I found that even at this early stage, sketching and visualizing the user flow helped clarify how young users would navigate the app. It became clear that children at the young age range need clear, consistent visual cues, large tap targets, and simple screen layouts to avoid confusion. The addition of replay buttons and mini games was not just a fun idea. It actually supports learning by reinforcing memory through repetition and interaction. I also discovered that designing with specific personas in mind made my decisions more focused, ensuring the features align with real user needs. Overall, I’ve realized that thoughtful, user-centered design is critical even in the early phases, and that effective educational AR doesn't need to be complex. It just needs to be purposeful and playful.