Details
Client
AMGI Studios are an independent animation technology company that specialise in world class animation and gaming. They comprise of tech veterans and animators from the likes of Pixar, Disney and Dreamworks.
Challenges
The team at AMGI tasked us with integrating their impressive AR technology into a user-friendly experience that allowed users to create and share short films with a 3D avatar of their face. The challenge was to showcase face recognition and tracking advancements without overwhelming the user with new concepts. The design needed to be securely within the scope of a small development team's resources.
Excitement at the touch
Goal
With AMGI’s brief, we had to prioritise an intuitive interface within a fun, child-friendly aesthetic. The main goal was allowing new users to download the app and have no trouble using it instantly.
Pick-up-and-go-ability
Approach
The child-friendly aesthetic was achieved with soft colours, friendly icons, and simple design patterns reminiscent of popular video hosting services like TikTok or Vine. However, the real challenge was adding delight without detracting from the AR technology. Playful motion was added to a few transitions. For example, when animating the character screen transition I took reference videos of a wire being ‘whipped’ to reflect a truly fluid, smooth transition. Once the UI was approved, I added a custom sound package with a magical, lighthearted feel inspired by Disney films. The goal was to strike the right balance and enhance the user experience without overshadowing the app's technology.
Conclusion
To sit in front of ex-pixar employees and ask for feedback on animation was a humbling but incredible experience. I feel like our goal of creating a pick-up-and-go experience in an intuitive interface was well met, and the IMMI app continues to be a worldwide success today.
Custom Sounds for IMMI
End video
Render video
Video rendered
Character swap transition
Change character
Pick up clip
Drop clip
Delete clip