Overview
Save the Sea Lions is an augmented reality experience built using Lens Studio for Snapchat. The brief was to design something that raises awareness about an environmental issue. We chose endangered sea lions and built an experience that lets users interact with 3D sea lion models, learn about their habitat and threats, and take action toward conservation.
My role covered the full design process: research, wireframing, prototyping, and refining the AR interactions across two rounds of user testing.
The aim
Most conservation awareness content is passive. You read something, maybe feel guilty, and move on. We wanted the opposite: something that puts you in the same space as the animal, made you interact with it, and left you with a concrete next step. The AR format let us do that in a way a poster or video couldn't.
Design and iteration
We started with research into sea lion behaviour, habitat, and conservation status, then moved into wireframes and an initial prototype. The first round of think-aloud user testing surfaced a few clear problems: the marker tracking was too far to the side of the field of view, making it hard to read, and there was too much text on screen at once.
Based on that feedback we made targeted changes: moved the marker tracking to a more central position, trimmed the text and added visual imagery, introduced a "Look around" prompt for the rear camera, and added a face filter trigger. Smiling or opening your mouth plays a sea lion sound.
Second iteration
The second round of testing led to another set of refinements. We added a soundboard, buttons users could press to hear different sea lion calls, which made the educational layer feel more interactive rather than just informational. Image resolution in the marker tracking was improved, and we added a specific call to action linking to a conservation site.
The final experience has three main interaction types: exploring the 3D sea lion model, triggering sounds via the face filter and soundboard, and accessing conservation information with a direct link to act.
Reflection
This project pushed me into a tool I had never used before and a design context, AR, that has very different constraints to screen-based design. Field of view, spatial awareness, and the physical position of UI elements all become design decisions in a way they simply aren't on a flat screen. It reinforced how much context shapes interaction design, and how important it is to test in the actual environment rather than relying on simulations.