Launching an AR App from 0 to 1 for Locals
I led the end-to-end design of an AR mobile experience tailored to local users, blending creative thinking and product strategy from concept to launch.
MY ROLE
UI/UX Design
UX Research
Engineer
TEAM
2 Marketer
1 2D Visual Designer
1 3D Visual Designer
1 UI Designer
TOOL
Unity
C#
Xmind
Figma
TIMELINE
Jun - Sep 2021
Contribution
Market Resesrch
UX Design
Programming
Testing
Probelm
Local bars struggled to attract and retain customers during the pandemic due to a lack of engaging, tech-enabled promotional experiences.
Introducing
A marketing-focused AR experience designed to deepen customer connection through playful interaction
impact
+2
Potential Investors
We received interest from two investors and were invited to pitch at their offices.
140+
Beta Users
Engaged by commenting on posts and expressing interest in testing the product within a week.
+92
NPS
23 out of 25 testers rating 9 or 10 in their likelihood to recommend.
Research Findings
What’s holding the experience back?
Research Insights
What led us to identify the problem?
SWOT & 5W1H Analysis uncovered 3 prioritized pain points:
1
Decreased foot traffic due to pandemic and passive offline experience
2
Lack of engaging digital marketing tools
3
Limited customer interaction and brand connection
Contextual inquiry revealed limited digital presence and low online interaction during the pandemic, leading to missed opportunities to attract new customers.
Cost-benefit analysis showed that while AR development and marketing require initial investment, they offer strong ROI by increasing engagement, customer retention, and boosting restaurant revenue.
Design opportunities
How might we help local bars create more interactive, tech-powered brand experiences to attract and retain customers?
📣
Boost Brand Visibility with Immersive AR
Use playful AR to make local bars stand out, attract foot traffic, and drive social buzz
🧩
Enhance On-Site Engagement
Turn passive dining into an interactive journey through themed stories, characters, or games.
📲
Connect Online and Offline Touchpoints
Use AR and QR triggers to extend the dining experience before, during, and after visits, building loyalty and return engagement.
Design
How We Bring the Brand, Product, and Service to Life?
Concept
“Bodo” is a homonym of “Treasure Island” in Taiwanese. Our goal was to create a cozy, end-of-day hideout infused with retro Taiwanese culture where guests could unwind with beer and cats. Hello Bodo isn’t a bar that gets you high; it’s a bar that helps you chill.
Vision
Bringing Taiwan’s local spirit closer to everyday life.
Slogan
Thank God It’s Bodo (#TGIB)
Product Design
Each beer was inspired by a team member’s hometown, combining ancient place names, cat characters, and unique flavor profiles.
AR Experience Design
I created a functional map to define the content structure, feature hierarchy, and user flow, helping the team visualize key interactions and verify all functional states aligned with our marketing goals.
3D Homepage Design
Scanning the QR code launches a first-person virtual bar. Users can explore by rotating their phone and navigate via floating interactive buttons.
Programming Design
Built screen-to-screen interactions in C# to create a first-person perspective experience.
Testing Insights
With each release, we tested across devices and systems to identify bugs, track issues, and resolve technical challenges through research or instructor support.
Iteration
After 25 iterations, we finalized Version 2.5 as our polished release
Version 0.1
iOS - Unity
Version 1.5
iOS - Unity
Version 2.5
iOS - WebAR
Final design
A marketing-focused AR experience designed to deepen customer connection
Feature 1
Customizable Menu Experience
Choose how you explore: browse beers by cat or cats by beer, tailored to your preference.
Feature 2
Virtual Bodo
Place and rotate our shop cat, Bodo, in your space, and snap a photo for a playful, shareable moment.
Feature 3
Social Info Integration
Tap into our latest events and promos via linked Facebook posts, bridging AR with real-time community updates.
Marketing
Blending online and offline marketing for greater brand exposure
Marketing Strategy
Offline Marketing
We designed a printed business card for a real consuming experience in a brick-and-mortar store. Users can scan the card through the function of the image tracker, and then link to multiple social media through the augmented reality icons.
Takeaways
Learnings and takeaways
🔧
Cross-Disciplinary Growth
Gained hands-on experience in both brand development and engineering within an agile workflow.
💬
Sharpened Problem-Solving
Improved my ability to think logically, define issues clearly, and collaborate effectively across team roles.
🔁
Embraced Iteration
Learned to adapt through rapid prototyping and continuous feedback in an agile design process.