Abstract
Located in the city of Tucson, Arizona within the Sonoran Desert, the subject of water conservation and effective water usage is a major one. Being situated in a dry arid environment that directly impacts our way of life, the Illustration, Design, and Animation students at The University of Arizona are assigned a project that combines illustration, motion design, and AR activation, to create art that raises water conservation awareness. This creative practice showcase presents the results of how students critically engage with their surroundings to create art pieces that are meant to educate and inform the public. Each piece contains an embedded augmented reality component that can be scanned with a smartphone device and activated using the Artivive app. Once activated, a short form looping animation will play on the viewer’s device, making the art come alive through further layers of engagement. This assignment is supplemented by various methods to support student learning including field trips to the campus archives collection and a local water conservation organization. Students are also encouraged to develop their own experimental process when creating animation. In Summer 2025, this assignment received a Finalist status in the MODE Fest student motion competition under the Interactive/Experiential category. Augmented reality creation presents the potential to elevate arts-based pedagogy by introducing students to extended reality tools and interdisciplinary approaches. This case study will demonstrate how AR can be used to elevate static illustrations, through immersive techniques that merge sound, narration, and moving images.
Presenters
Jenn LivAssistant Professor, School of Art, The University of Arizona, College of Fine Arts, Arizona, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
New Media, Technology and the Arts
KEYWORDS
Augmented reality, Motion design, Illustration, Water conservation, Immersive media, Environment
