Redesigning Music Discovery with Augmented Reality
Year
2023
Scope
Concept development
Illustration & Video
3D Rigging & Animation
Unity AR Prototype
Overview
In 2022, vinyl records surpassed CDs as the top physical music format for the first time since 1987. However, with the decline of in-store listening options, the way customers discover music has changed. Not only does the option to preview any records before purchase disappear completely, but ironically, it also makes it impossible to explore and discover new artists or albums in a record store.
Concept
Synesthesia has the future of personal devices in mind, with the rise of smart glasses like the Ray-Ban Meta making AR more accessible. Our goal was to empower customers in vinyl record stores to preview music and elevate the listening experience in a shared physical space. Additionally, the concept provides bands and artists with more opportunities to express their brand, music, and packaging.
The name Synesthesia reflects the multisensory experience with audio and visuals together, like the syndrome synesthesia that describes people who experience music as colors and shapes.
Demo Development
The process from concept to working prototype/demo involved experimentation and prototyping in Figma and ShapesXR, with the final build completed in UnityAR. The demo syncs visuals and audio, functioning on both sides of the vinyl record Howl's Moving Castle by Studio Ghibli. For this, we gathered, rigged, and animated assets, and also designed basic UI elements to support key interactions and functionality.
