John Waters AR Experience
As part of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures retrospective celebrating the filmography of John Waters, we developed an interactive face-swapping AR installation that invited fans to embody the spirit of his most iconic characters. The experience allowed visitors to step into the world of Waters’ cult classics.
brief
The challenge was to create an AR experience for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures that would complement their retrospective on John Waters.
my Role
As Lead UI/UX Designer, I defined the user flow and visual direction for the AR experience, ensuring it was intuitive, accessible, and aligned with John Waters’ irreverent aesthetic. I created moodboards, storyboards, and custom 3D type, and collaborated closely with the 3D designer and developer to integrate design with real-time interaction.
Iconic Characters in AR
Bluecadet and the Academy Museum brought to life five of John Waters’ most iconic characters—Divine, Hatchet-Face, Tracy, Edie, and Waters himself—to showcase the diversity of his career. John Waters was actively involved as a key stakeholder, personally reviewing and approving the app to ensure it captured his unique vision.
Mapping the User Flow
I created detailed storyboards to map out the user flow and interface layout for the AR experience. These storyboards served as a blueprint for the full interaction—from onboarding to capture—ensuring a clear, intuitive, and seamless journey for users.
Storyboarding Character Look and Motion
Additionally, I focused on storyboarding the look and motion of each character. I guided how users would transform into iconic John Waters personas through expressive animations and poses that captured the humor, camp, and personality of his unique world.
Accessible Augmented Reality
In keeping with John Waters’ inclusive spirit, we prioritized accessibility throughout the AR experience. We built a high-performance browser-based app that includes a ‘Non-AR’ mode, enabling users without AR-compatible devices to still engage by viewing each character as a detailed mannequin bust. This ensured the experience was welcoming and usable for audiences of all abilities and technology levels.
Bringing John Waters’ World to Life
I collaborated closely with the 3D designer by providing custom 3D text assets and 2D textures that helped bring each character to vivid life. Together with the developer, we balanced detailed artistic elements with technical requirements to create realistic, immersive 3D models optimized for AR, capturing the unique spirit of John Waters’ world.
The App in Use
To promote the experience, the Academy Museum produced a dynamic AR app trailer featuring Waters himself using the app! Our result was a shareable, immersive experience that aligned with Waters’ aesthetic and expanded the exhibit’s reach beyond the screen.
Team
Creative Director – Kim Gim
Senior Designer – Emily Lin
3D & Character Designer – Andy Moliski
Senior Producer – Corey Anklam
Senior Developer – Katie Han
© Emily Lin 2025
Thanks for visiting ☻