Mapping Blackness
AR Experience Design
User Research
Story-Driven Design
As a UX Designer on Mapping Blackness, I designed an Augmented Reality mobile application end-to-end to preserve and showcase Black cultural landmarks in Okemah, Phoenix through geolocated storytelling and 3D visualizations.
We developed the MVP as part of our submission for the Google Geospatial Challenge, focusing on location-based storytelling and community impact. I collaborated with project managers, researchers, community stakeholders, and Unity developers to shape the user experience, conduct field research, and design custom 3D models of archival sites.
Role:
UX Designer
Team:
Project Managers
Designer
Unity Developers
Film Editor
Timeline:
4 months
(Oct 2023- Jan 2024)
Tools:
Handled UX, research, and 3D modeling to bring Black history to life in AR.
Project Overview
Mapping Blackness is an Augmented Reality mobile application designed to preserve and showcase Black cultural heritage by mapping historically significant sites through immersive, geolocation-based storytelling. Built in collaboration with community stakeholders, the app turns physical locations into interactive historical experiences, blending archival research, 3D visualizations, and mobile AR to make hidden Black histories visible in the real world.
What I Did
As the sole UX Designer on the team, I led the end-to-end design of the project in Figma, from early research to final handoff. I worked closely with engineers to brainstorm ideas and address technical constraints. I conducted a focused 4-week research sprint, including user interviews, surveys, and ethnographic fieldwork to understand community needs. Collaborating with stakeholders, historians, and developers, I defined user flows and designed custom 3D models of Black landmarks, blending interaction design, spatial UX, and storytelling into a meaningful mobile AR experience.
Problem
What was the problem
The rich history and cultural heritage of the Black community in Okemah, Phoenix, are at risk of being forgotten due to limited documentation and lack of public engagement. There is a pressing need for an innovative, accessible, and engaging solution that not only preserves these stories but also brings them to life for future generations.
Limited Engagement
Innovative Preservation
Proposed Solution
The MVP of the project, an augmented reality (AR) mobile application, was proposed to provide an immersive experience, enabling users to explore 3D models of digital reconstructions of historical landmarks, including houses, churches, and schools.
Our Goals
Preserve Black History
Showcase the stories and landmarks of Black communities in Okemah.
Make Black history easily accessible to students, residents, and tourists.
Increase Accessibility
Ensure the solution is user-friendly and accessible to all, including those with disabilities
Design Process
My design process follows three key stages. It starts with understanding business and user goals through research and collaboration.
Research
Strategy & Approach
The design process began with aligning across product, business, and engineering teams to define goals, user needs, and technical constraints. We ran a focused 4-week research sprint, selecting methods through collaborative discussions to best suit the project.
Dived into an intensive 4-week research sprint.
User Research
Ethnographic Research
Stakeholder Collaboration
User Persona
User Research & Interviews
The client provided us with a wealth of archival materials, including historical photos and community stories, which helped ground the design in real context.
Ethnographic Research
Stakeholder Collaboration
Key Insights and Pain Points from Research
1
Lack of accessible ways to preserve and share Okemah's Black community history.
2
Traditional methods like plaques and museums were not engaging enough, especially for younger audiences.
3
Underrepresentation of important cultural narratives, risking the loss of historical knowledge
User Persona
In the Define phase, I started by creating user persona by gathering information from research and interviews. User persona helped me in keeping a project user-focused, fostering empathy.
Story Boarding
I developed storyboards based on the historical information and content we gathered about Okemah. This helped visualize the narrative flow, ensuring the stories of key landmarks and community members were presented clearly and engagingly in the final experience.
3D Assets
I created 3D models in Blender using client-provided images and resources to accurately represent historical landmarks like houses, churches, and schools. These models were used in the app to bring Okemah’s heritage sites to life with authenticity and detail.
UI Design
Gallery View to browse photos, documents, and videos
Time Portal Onboarding to guide users through historical layers
Accessibility
3D Landmark Models created from historical references
Post-Launch
Business Goals
Increased Historical
Engagement
Testing showed that 85% of users felt more connected to the history of Okemah after using the AR app
Community Impact
The project enabled the client to engage 80% of local stakeholders, ensuring the app reflected authentic historical and cultural context.
Increase Accessibility
Ensure the solution is user-friendly and accessible to all, including those with disabilities
What I learned
Project Leadership: Gained experience in leading the entire project, from research to design execution, ensuring all elements were aligned with stakeholder goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Improved communication and teamwork by coordinating with design, development, and stakeholders.
In-Depth Research: Strengthened skills in conducting interviews, surveys, and gathering insights to guide user-centered design and ensure historical accuracy.
