August Luhrs
DYAD is an IKEA-themed, relationship-testing AR game that experiments with how to use networked devices in physical spaces to create experiences that encourage participants to communicate, connect, and grow together.
https://augustluhrs.art/portfolio#/dyad/
Description
My core research topic for thesis emerged as “How can we best create Communal Transcendence through Physidigital Play”, basically how to take the best parts of online and in-person interactive experiences and highlight the aspects that make the audience or users feel more joy, power, and connection. My goal was to build an experience that leveraged connected devices and digital tools to augment fun interactions taking place between a group in meat space, or offline, (Physidigital Play) and that through this experience, participants felt the emergence of a shared power arising as they collaborated to overcome a challenge, exceeding the limits of what would be possible for them on their own (Communal Transcendence).
Dyad AR, is one project that experiments with this question, but specifically under the lens of AR — is augmented reality perhaps the best answer to those looking for a type of digital tool that highlights and engages with the user’s physical environment? Dyad is an AR mobile game where people play as a couple trying not to break up as they decorate their apartment with IKEA furniture they drop from the sky. My goal was to create a sandbox where people could play in the same location while utilizing engaging networked AR tools, and in the process, learn a little more about how they communicate their wants and needs, how to listen to their partners, and how to compromise for the good of the relationship. Linking it to my core research idea, my hope was that the obstacle of a tense, absurd, semi-cooperative puzzle game would challenge them to work together in a way where they would leave the game feeling more connected, more heard, and more equipped to communicate better with everyone in their lives.
Classes
Thesis Part 2: Production, 100 Days of Making
Presentation Video
https://www.instagram.com/100daysof_emp/