Meow Wolf: HoloPrism
competitive research
wireframing
prototyping
A mobile phone accessory with an accompanying digital app that displays videos and images in a three-dimensional space.
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Client
Meow Wolf + MaCher
Academic Project with Industry Partners
Academic Project with Industry Partners
Time Frame
8 Weeks
My Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
Team
Chrissy Stevens
Miranda White
Yena Kim
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project overview
Problem
People spend up to 10 hours exploring the immersive worlds of Meow Wolf: Convergence Station. However, visitors tend to only scratch the surface of the exhibit’s narrative. How can we create a user experience that allows users to relive their memories of the visit and discover more engaging and puzzling content?
Insight
Meow Wolf’s niche amongst other immersive experiences is their puzzling storylines and extensive plots. Holographic experiences are becoming more popularized today with brands like Adidas, Stella McCartney, and Coachella using the medium to creatively engage their audience.
Solution
HoloPrism physical product with an accompanying digital app. The physical product is a mobile phone accessory that displays videos and images in a three-dimensional space. The digital app helps users to follow the complex storyline with hints and Easter eggs displayed through reflected images, videos, or animations from a mobile screen.
Jump to final solution
project brief
1. Create a physical product to be sold at the Convergence Station gift store in Denver, Colorado.
2. Design a digital app to accompany the product.
Further extend the content and storyline from the Meow Wolf exhibit.
3. Further extend the content and storyline from the Meow Wolf exhibit.
discovery
What is Meow Wolf?
Meow Wolf's Convergence Station is an immersive art exhibit located in Denver, Colorado. Convergence Station's mysterious storyline is built around four alien worlds that were joined together in a rare cosmic event. To better immerse into the story of these four worlds, visitors are offered to solve the secret of what happened to the Forgotten Four.
Convergence Station Website
Netnography
Meow Wolf's fans enjoy mysterious storylines that keep them in the exhibits for up to 10 hours. At the same time, not everyone enjoyed the mystery, and some needed more guidance to enjoy the experience.
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Yelp Reviews of the Convergence Station
Holographic Experiences
The global holographic display market size was valued at $1.13 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach $11.65 billion by 2030. This opens up an opportunity for an interactive gift shop product.
Adidas & Stella McCartney Yoga Experience
Tupac’s 2012 Coachella Performance
User Persona
A user persona was created based on research insights.
User Journey Map
Four steps and mood mapping imagined persona use of concept.
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Storyboard
Illustrations imagined the emotional and situational context, where HoloPrism inspires creative thinking and motivates user-generated content.
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Storyboard by Yena K.
approaching solution
User Flow Diagram
Created to understand the complexity of the different micro-interactions and features we wanted to implement into our app. As a result, three main features were designed:
1
Map of the Worlds of Convergence, where users can explore four worlds from the exhibition, receive hints, and play memories on their HoloPrism Mobile Accessory.
2
Camera that allows users to take pictures and videos, apply the HoloPrism filter, and share them on social media platforms.
3
Help Button in the center of the Map/Home page for users to ask or type questions regarding the Convergence Station's storyline or app functionality.
User Flow Chart by Masha I.
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Low-fidelity prototypes were built to prepare for usability testing.
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User Testing
After conducting user testing sessions with 5 participants, the following changes were made to the prototype:
1
Redesigned the map to allow exploration and better reflect the non-linear nature of the Convergence Station experience.
2
Added the error page to inform users of potential issues when rendering a 3D hologram.
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3
Gave users the opportunity to skip onboarding.
4
Moved the hologram up toward the top of the screen to let users select additional videos and use the app while viewing a 3D hologram.
Physical Design
Four rounds of iteration resulted in a functioning 3D prototype of HoloPrism that is easy to carry and attach to any smartphone model. Additionally, HoloPrism's design features Meow Wolf and Converge Station branding elements.
Initial Sketches
Exploded View
Physical Prototype by Miranda W.
3D Model by Chrissy S.
final solution
HoloPrism
A mobile phone accessory with an accompanying digital app that displays videos and images in a three-dimensional space and helps users to follow the complex Convergence Station storyline.
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HoloPrism 3D Model by Chrissy S.
Digital Prototype
Onboarding
As soon as the user opens the app, they are greeted by Superconductor General Oleander, one of the main characters in the story. The optional app tutorial explains the main features of the app.
Home Page
A map of the Convergence provides an overview of the 4 alien worlds that the user can interact with. It is also the Home page of the app.
Stored Memories & Hints
Each of the world's pages contains a short description and a collection of holographic experiences. These serve as an extension to the Convergence Station experience and provide hints to the exhibition's visitors.
To add an element of gamification to the experience, we designed a memory reliability scale.
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Hologram
Once a memory is discovered, it can be projected onto the HoloPrism device. This interaction starts with a calibration process to ensure that the prism is in the correct position. Then, a new unlocked memory starts playing.
Example of a holographic projector functionality by Unbox Therapy
Camera Filter
With the HoloPrism camera, users can take pictures and videos, apply the HoloPrism filter, and share them with friends on social media.
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Style Guide
A style guide was created for brand identity and consistency, including typography, colors, and UI elements.
Next Steps
Meow Wolf has a diverse fan base of people from all over the world. Developing multiple language options will improve the experience of people who don’t speak English and bring more customers in.
When we developed our camera filter feature, our main intention was for people to share pictures with their friends. A social network can make it easy for Meow Wolf fans to share their experiences and get answers to any questions they might have.
Ideally, we want to launch new filters regularly to keep users engaged. In addition to the previous point, this feature will help develop brand notoriety.
Many guests mentioned that it was easy to get lost in the exhibition. In order to make this experience as enjoyable as possible, Meow Wolf could offer Air Tags to those who need them.
