Project Brief

This project is conceived within a doctorate thesis in DeVisu’s laboratory. In the north of France, inside a former charcoal mine, there is a group of researchers and experts dedicated to preserve and communicate the mine’s history. For this particular case, the goal is to develop an interactive device capable of telling the human side of this traditional, beloved and severe profession.

Challenge

The heart of this project is the miner’s testimony. With the stories as a starting point, I selected all the media available to visually reinforce them. Photographs and documents of the time, historical videos and real objects were my primary source of inspiration. At the end, I classified the content in three categories: mine’s evolution (historical information), work environment (tools) and anecdotes (narrative).

Solution

The result? “Histoires de Mines” an augmented reality book. Factual text supported by photos and documents, the mine’s ambiance reflected in 3D models of real tools, and a story full of testimonies illustrated by six scenes. My work is conceived in a way where the reader can access the content through any of the three axes and in any desired order, given at the end, an interactive and learning experience.

Augmented Reality Book

Skills applied in this project

3D + AR

Creating a 3D model of an object by scanning real-world tools. Integration of digital media with the book in order to overlay new information on top of it.

Editorial Design

Organizing text, imagery and colors to create a composition that is not only visually pleasing but also efficient at communicating the information.

UX / UI

Designing the interaction experience, from the aesthetic appearance of the app and the content within, until its relation with the physical book.

Concept Art

Defining a character through his/her physical appearance. Illustration of costumes, scenes, and environments from a story that does not yet exist.

Final Result & Client Satisfaction

My first downhill at 15: it was my destiny.
27 years of background. 27 years of passage through the suspended room. Today it remains only good and bad memories.

Aimable, miner of Wallers-Arenberg
The mine was my life.
In my coron we were all in a nest, in the family of miners
Henri, miner of Wallers-Arenberg