Will Henniker

A noticeable contrast emerges in the mood of a young person when they accompany their parents to a supermarket versus a theme park, for both, the theme park is always far more enjoyable. To ensure an enjoyable experience for attendees spanning various age groups, activities to a range of ages is essential. In response to this need, many modern exhibitions incorporate Easter Egg Hunts as a popular solution.

Developed with Unity 5, this AR Easter egg hunt was developed for Android and Apple mobile devices. Its primary objective was to address the aforementioned challenge, engaging around 200 attendees at the University of Gloucestershire’s annual creative computing showcase, ComX.

To achieve this, the experience utilised eight strategically placed posters to create a AR treasure hunt experience within the exhibition.

Eight 3D models and posters where created and themed around computer components and the ComX branding. Users could scan a poster to collect a part and check on their progress using the completion counter on the bottom right of their screen, or by returning to the starting poster to track their progress by visually seeing what parts they where still missing.

The ability to track their progress back at the start was also useful as the staff running the event could provide hints if they became stuck.

Once a visitor had scanned all eight posters and collected all of the computer components, the time would stop and allow for event staff to log a high score for a chance of winning a prize.

Working alongside the event organiser to ensure consistent branding and experience, I created the 3D models, user interface and app functionality with a two week turn around time.

Whilst I also developed the experience, I also ran the AR Easter Egg hunt at the event, engaging the public and industry and ensuring the smooth operation of the experience. Its always fulfilling seeing users engage with the end product and is part of why I love what i get to do as a developer and designer.