The Downtown AR stories team will be using augmented reality to tell the stories of historical buildings in Downtown Muncie that no longer exist. There are now parking lots in the places where these buildings once stood. The team narrowed in on four key locations, each with its own story to tell. After meeting with a representative from DWNTWN Muncie, and developing a user journey, the team took a trip Downtown. Seeing the locations in person helped them identify possible usability and even safety issues they needed to consider. They also explored the possibility of using projection mapping.
The team decided to focus on one story which would serve as the foundation for how the other stories would be developed. They started with the story on the Indiana Union Traction and developed a low-fidelity prototype for how the story would work on Figma. After a series of tests among their team, a mid-fidelity prototype of the story was developed. The team brought in external people this time to test the story flow on Figma using the Wizard of Oz method.
The team is working on the project in three distinct phases; content, development, and marketing. The content team has developed a script for the first story and has tested it. They worked with other departments like the Department of Theatre and Dance and have recruited actors for all the stories they will be developing. The actor who will be playing George Rolland (the main character in the first story) has been taken through a script reading and will be filmed on Friday, December 2nd. The team will also be working with a costume shop director to provide costumes for our actors to make the story look more authentic since they all take place in the early 19th and 20th centuries. The development team is working to move the story into an augmented reality software called 8th wall. The marketing team is working on designing signages that users can read and scan to experience the stories.
After recording the actor, the team plans to create a 2D video to be placed on the 8th wall. They will continue to work on the script and storyline for the other stories. They have already started drafting the script for the next story. They will also meet with a project partner, Cheryl, who is a representative from DWNTWN Muncie to update her on the progress of the project.