Minor Project
21.4.2025 - 27.7.2025 || Week 1 - Week 14
Yong Zhen Xing || 0359473
Minor Project || Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Contents
Topic Selection
Soon, from the findings, we were to split it into 3-5 categories for the most important insights. Our group leader then consulted and got the green flag from Mr.Mike to continue on our proposal.
Yong Zhen Xing || 0359473
Minor Project || Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Contents
Instructions
Topic Selection
In the first week, we were first brief regarding the topics that we could choose for our project. After looking through all of the topics, I have decided to go with either WayangMind or WarisanXR as they looked the most appealing to me. After asking around regarding the group, I landed on a group with people that I have know for WarisanXR.
Proposal
For the first part, we needed to do contextual research regarding AR/VR. So the group leader split us into what we can focus on based on out specialization. Since mine is entertainment design, I focused on researching 3D models. Below is my contextual research board.
fig 1.1 Contextual Research (8/5/2025)
In the following week, we were to expand more on our contextual research. This time we did research about museum and customers. This research is also helpful as we planned to visit a museum and ask passerby there regarding implementing AR technology into museums. The picture below is my part in the museum research I did. It was really interesting studying using these AR/VR technology into museums.
fig 1.2 Museum Research (8/5/2025)
Then we needed to work on finding our user personas. For this part, as mentioned earlier, we went to the museum and interviewed some people that were local and also foreigners. We recorded the interview and then I was tasked to transcript one of the few interviews that we did. Below is the transcript from the recording and also a quick summary on it.
fig 1.3 Interview Transcript and Summary (6/6/2025)
To understand our target audience better, we also needed to make a questionnaire/survey. Me and 2 more of my members were tasked to draft the questions to be made into a google form. Below is the question draft that we did. My part was thinking of questions for the navigation and experience portion.
fig 1.4 Survey Draft (23/5/2025)
Soon after we finish drafting, another groupmate was responsible in making the survey in google forms. We all then distribute the survey to family, family and people who might be interested in anything AR related. After achieving 60 responses, we then compiled all the responses and summarized it. The image below shows the question asked as well as the summary that we have concluded.
fig 1.5 Survey Questions and Summary (6/6/2025)
After finishing the summary, we each then need to write down 5 findings from the responses we got from the survey. Below is the 5 findings that I wrote.
fig 1.6 5 Findings (6/6/2025)
Soon, from the findings, we were to split it into 3-5 categories for the most important insights. Our group leader then consulted and got the green flag from Mr.Mike to continue on our proposal.
Our idea/storyline is about reuniting four cultural emblem that has been withered and forgotten over time. The visitor/user's are to gather these 4 emblems again to once again reunite with every culture and create the final unity emblem.
My next task was to come up with guided character that we could use as a guide in our storyline. It needed to be a character that the user should be able to relate to, so that is something I kept on mind when thinking of the character. So I first came up with a rough character idea draft as shown below. I also sketched one of the characters that I think would fit for our storyline.
After dividing the task, I was given the Indian stage/room concept. So, I worked on designing the stage as well as the first 4 emblem design. The compilation below shows the props designs, broken/fixed props on stage and stage with performance.
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fig 1.11 4 Emblem Design (18/6/2025)
fig 2.6 Emblem Animation 3 [Unity] (24/7/2025)
Reflection
fig 1.7 3 Character Draft (12/6/2025)
fig 1.8 "The Tree Fairy" Character Sketch (13/6/2025)
Unfortunately, this idea would be scrapped as we further refined on our idea/proposal. Our group then continue working on the ideation and soon after we showed Mr.Mike. After we got approval, we then split our work for the next part. The document below shows our ideation.
fig 1.9 Ideation Document (14/6/2025)
fig 1.10 Indian Stage (18/6/2025)
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While this was a good start, it definitely could be refined more. The emblem design for the Malay and Chinese could have a more border like the Indian and Indigenous emblem to be more consistent.
In the following week however, I worked on the totems instead. The picture below shows one of the totem designs for the Malay culture with different sketches for the base.
fig 1.12 4 Totem Idea Sketches (23/6/2025)
Proposal Slides
In the same week, we also had a proposal presentation which can be seen below. The client was on board with our idea which was great to hear!
fig 1.13 4 Proposal Slides (25/6/2025)
After the presentation, we continued on developing our concept. Tasks were split and we continue working on our parts. As for me, I needed to refine and finalize the emblem designs which can be seen below.
fig 2.1 Coloured Emblem Designs (10/7/2025)
The totem designs also needed to be made into a illustration in illustrator so that is what I did. While I have designed the Malay totem design, 2 of my other group members designed the remaining totem designs. One of my group members designed the base and made the Chinese totem design in illustrator, while I simply followed that style for the rest of the cultures. Below shows the totem design.
fig 2.2 Final Totem Designs (18/7/2025)
On that same week, I also worked on finalizing the emblem designs as well as the final unity design which can be seen below.
fig 2.3 Final Emblem Designs (18/7/2025)
I was also tasked to work on some of the emblem animation that plays when the user successfully completes a section. These animations are for the Chinese and Indian culture, but I also needed to work on the unity emblem animation too.
fig 2.4 Emblem Animation 1 [Chinese Culture] (24/7/2025)
fig 2.5 Emblem Animation 2 [Indian Culture] (24/7/2025)
Lastly, I was also tasked to do a part of the storyboard, more specifically the part with the totem designs. As our storyboard is huge, we each split the storyboard evenly to further refine the storyboard sketch to something more presentable. Below are the parts of the storyboard that I worked on.
fig 2.7 Storyboard Part (24/7/2025)
Final Presentation Slides
fig 2.8, Final Presentation Slides
Feedback
Week 3 :
The feedback was positive as the research covered a wide range of areas, including technologies used by TrueXR, case studies of other MR/AR museums, cultural elements of Malaysian heritage, and immersive design features. It was suggested that we start consolidating the research into a structured format for easier reference when designing the exhibition concept.
Week 4 :
Mr. Mike reviewed our personas and suggested that we also look up online data and reports from the National Museum website to support our findings with more credible statistics on visitor demographics. One of his key recommendations was to adjust the local visitor persona to be more family-oriented, as local visitors often visit the museum with their families rather than individually. Our weekday visit may have limited our exposure to family groups, as families are more likely to visit on weekends. Mr. Mike also confirmed that the student and foreign visitor personas are suitable and aligned well with our project goals.
Week 5 :
Mr. Mike provided gave feedback on the survey questions, he emphasized that the questions should not be leading or directing users toward a specific answer, but instead remain neutral to avoid bias. He also advised that each question should provide specific value by aligning closely with the information we want to gather for our exhibition design decisions. Additionally, Mr. Mike suggested adding a new section to ask visitors about the themes they are most interested in, which would help us identify the cultural stories and performances to prioritize in the MR experience.
Week 6 :
During the consultation, Mr. Mike reviewed our analysis and praised the work for being detailed and thorough. He suggested that we integrate insights from the in-person interviews conducted at the museum earlier, so that our findings would be more holistic and supported by both quantitative and qualitative data.
Week 7 :
Mr. Mike provided feedback that the chosen theme must clearly align with our main goal which is to promote Malaysia’s cultural heritage in an engaging and meaningful way. He also reminded us to focus on designing and planning one cultural station first as a prototype before expanding to the other stages. This will help us validate our ideas and interaction flow early. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of using a unified set of gestures (tap, swipe, rotate) across all stations. This consistency will reduce the learning curve for visitors, ensuring the experience is intuitive for all age groups.
Week 9 :
He reminded us that while the AR experience is the main feature, we also need to consider a marketing strategy to attract visitors to the exhibition. He suggested that we work on promotional materials such as posters, social media campaigns, websites, and other outreach methods to raise awareness about WarisanXR.
Week 10 :
Mr. Mike commented on the poster that while the poster looked clean and professional, it appeared more like an official Ministry of Tourism poster rather than one promoting an AR/MR experience. He also suggested that we emphasize the AR and immersive aspects more clearly through visuals, icons, or text that communicate interactivity and technology.
Week 11 :
He suggested that our social media posters include more variations instead of sticking to a plain black background. He also recommended photoshopping the posters into realistic contexts, such as airports, MRT stations, or tourist hotspots, to visualize how they would appear in real-life promotional scenarios. For the microsite, Mr. Mike commented that the current design and layout are acceptable but can be further enhanced as we refine the overall branding.
Week 12 :
In Week 12, we presented the onboarding stages of the AR experience for the completed Chinese Station to Mr. Mike. This included the user flow from putting on the AR glasses to interacting with the revived cultural elements on the stage. The visuals and interactions for the Chinese Station were well-received, and Mr. Mike commented that the visual quality and flow were satisfactory. He reminded the team to maintain consistency across all cultural stations, ensuring that the art direction, interaction gestures, and onboarding style remain unified to reduce the learning curve for visitors.
Week 13 :
Mr. Mike reviewed our progress and commented that the flow between stations was improving, but reminded us to polish minor visual inconsistencies and double-check that all cultural elements were accurately represented. He also encouraged us to prepare a cohesive presentation structure that highlights both the research journey and final product, as this would be essential for the final showcase.
Week 14 :
Mr. Mike reviewed the completed materials and approved the final outputs, noting that the project effectively met its goal of promoting Malaysian cultural heritage in an interactive way. He also emphasized the importance of structuring the final presentation to clearly show the final deliverables for maximum impact.
Reflection
Weekly
Week 3 :
In week 3, I needed to focus on doing contextual research regarding my field of
study more and that is entertainment design. In my contextual research, I studied 3 topics which
are, analyzing existing AR/VR heritage, 3D model requirement for AR environment and cultural
assets, and the best practices in optimizing models for mobile/XREAL-based AR. With this, I
have done a dive into companies using AR/VR to view heritage sites/locations which was quite
fascinating. Getting into what is needed to model was also interesting as I now understand the
requirements for modelling such as blender to model and substance painter to texture the
model. As 3D modelling is complex and often demanding, optimization is also key to best
performance especially when in AR/VR. Doing this contextual research was beneficial as now I
can consider all the different aspects and implementations that have already been
made/attempted and also improve on when doing any modeling work. As I am learning this, this
is also very beneficial for my future endeavors as I will likely be doing more modeling work in the
future, so it is important to establish a base first.
Week 4 :
In week 4, we visited the national museum where we interviewed visitors that ranged from local to foreigners. One main reason for visiting was definitely to see how the interior and exterior of “Istana Satu” looked, but unfortunately we could only see the interior as it was off limits. However, through seeing the building in person, we could visualize how big the space would be when implementing that space in AR. As mentioned earlier, we also interviewed visitors around the museum to gather their insights on what they think. From the interview we now better understand their motives and even what they think regarding the implementation of AR technology into these kinds of space. Knowing our target audience better allows for a more user friendly experience when we design our space.
Week 5 :
This week I worked on drafting some of the survey questions, more specifically on the navigation of an AR app and also regarding the overall experience of the app. Forming questions regarding these 2 fields open up my mind to consider many different aspects when navigating any form of AR’s interface especially for people that are less tech-savvy. Knowing this, I thought of questions that asked the most important elements when navigating any form of interface in AR. Knowing the respondents past experience in AR could also be helpful in knowing what we could do to improve their next experience.
Week 6 :
This week, my team finished and began distributing the survey form made in google forms. I helped distribute the survey by sharing it with my friends as well as through my group. It was intimidating to have to gather 70 respondents in such a short time, but I am glad that we managed to do it. Having this many respondents will certainly help eliminate any data that could be incorrect and pinpoint what our target audience wants more specifically. This will help us in ensuring that the audience will stay engaged when using the AR technology.
Week 7 :
In week 7, I worked on transcribing one of the interview sessions during the museum trip, more specifically the foreigner one. Listening through their thoughts on our subject matter was really fascinating as he did not really know much about AR yet he was willing to try it. This tells us that they are people interested in trying new things even though that could mean a completely different experience. Since we completed the data collection phase, we also then needed to summarize our data collected including the ones from the interview. I summarized the interview with the foreign user while the rest of the data was split among my other group members. Afterwards we each needed to write out our top 5 findings from all the data we collected, this will then help narrow down on what we need to focus on.
Week 9 :
From week 8 to week 9, I continued to work on designing the Indian stage with props, emblem design as well as the character that will be assisting the user in the journey. This would make it easier to visualize how the AR space would be. For the Indian stage with its props, it was relatively easy as the props are known things in the culture, but the guided character design however was a bit more tricky as I needed to always consider how to link it to Malaysia. The emblem design was also quite difficult as it needed to represent each culture respectively. I looked through many references and images when sketching the design ensuring that each part of design made sense and was not just random. It was interesting to look at each culture’s motifs as well as their main cultural highlights. In the same week we also had a presentation and we had positive feedback! The client seemed to like our idea and we could continue on with our project.
Week 10 :
In week 10, I worked on a rough sketch of how the AR totem would look like for the users to scan the QR code. The design of the totem should not be too complicated yet matches the style of the surrounding environment. The structure of the totem would be the same but the main design on it would be changed according to the culture. This is so that each totem is consistent and it would not confuse the user when entering the other cultures. Doing one of the designs for the motifs has led me to exploring its culture and it was interesting to see its design language. This is important so that I can capture the feel of the culture through simple motifs. Learning to design through an existing reference was quite challenging especially when culture is involved but it is a great way to showcase my exploration and understanding in designing.
Week 11 :
Week 11 was more of a planning week on what I have to be doing for the next upcoming weeks since I was really busy working on my other modules. I took this week to discuss with my group members on shared parts to see how we would split the work. For my part, I needed to work on finishing and refining the emblem design with colour, making some of its animation, as well as making the design of totem motifs in the form of an illustration. While it was quite a lot of work, I believe that the task split was very fair.
Week 12 :
On week 12, I worked on refining and finishing the 4 emblem designs with colour. After showing and getting the green flag from the group leader, I then sent 2 of the designs to be animated by another group member. I also got started on designing the unity emblem. Another member has already briefly sketched it to show the idea but I needed to refine it further. Initially the unity emblem was supposed to be something more abstract but after discussing with our group members, we opted for something more literal instead so it would not be too confusing for the users when they see it. Another part was brought up during our group discussion and that was our storyboard. Since it needed to be more refined, we all divided the storyboard into our own part for us to refine. Since I made the totem concept, that was my part I needed to work on for the storyboard.
Week 13 :
This week, I worked on redrawing the totem motifs design on illustrator. The motif designs were already made by 2 other members and I just simply needed to make it in illustrator. The reason we are redrawing it on illustrator is to make the design more precise and accurate when showcasing. Redrawing the design on illustrator was definitely a time consuming process as some of the motif designs were complicated, but it was honestly a great way to refresh my memory on the software as I haven’t used Illustrator in a long time. This will certainly come in handy if I want to use it again in the near future. I also spent this week finishing the unity emblem from last week. While the final design is a bit colourful, I think it’s a good way to showcase unity as it comes from many different cultures.
Week 14 :
In this final week, I worked on finishing all my remaining work for my part, which includes the storyboard part and some of the emblem animation. For the storyboard, we all followed a simplistic artstyle with simple mostly flat colours. Since the storyboard sketch was already done, I simply just followed the sketch but turned it into the simplistic artstyle. After looking back at my work, I should have made this in illustrator as the style is easier to replicate there. I will definitely keep that in mind when recreating this kind of style in the future. For the emblem animation, I followed the animation style of one of my group members that has already done it to ensure that the animation is consistent. The main thing I followed was doing it through frame by frame animation as well as the explosion animation that they did. As for the transition before the explosion, I had to think of ways to make it fit following the emblem and then just animated it following my idea. While it was extremely time consuming to animate it frame by frame, I was happy with how it turned out! While I still dislike doing animation, it was still fun to revisit it.
Final Thoughts
Experience Throughout the 14 weeks, it has been a mixed bag of ups and downs. While I am glad my teammates were great and helpful, there are always some hiccups along the ways. It is clear to me that strong sense of communication and teamwork is important in a group project like this. One thing that was difficult to do in this module was meeting deadlines. While other modules also needed weekly feedbacks, because it is a group project, deadlines for work to be done always seem to alter depending on the individual doing their part. While this module did had some part that requires designing, I still feel that wasn't emphasized enough. It still feels that working as a team and completing your part seemed to be the main focus.
Observation
In the 14 weeks, I have noticed that work division is important but since everyone has a different style, some of the work a member has done from the beginning till the end should be the same member to ensure consistency. Another thing I notice is that while deadlines are important, some focus on a certain part of the project too much until the rest of the remaining parts lack quality and consistency. This can be avoided through planning ahead better or dividing the task even more.
Findings
I need to manage my time more effectively as I always seem to overestimate how much I can do within a certain timeframe. I should instead have a backup plan instead if I don't finish a task in a certain time. I have also learned that deadlines should be properly met or the team will fall behind in progress.
I need to manage my time more effectively as I always seem to overestimate how much I can do within a certain timeframe. I should instead have a backup plan instead if I don't finish a task in a certain time. I have also learned that deadlines should be properly met or the team will fall behind in progress.
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