A Night of Social Movements
A moody experience set in a dark warehouse storage facility. Students search for artifacts related to various American social movements (anti-war, civil rights, women's rights, Native American activism) that come 'alive' via hologram narratives.
- ROLE
- Lead Unity Developer & Designer
- PLATFORMS
- VR Headsets (initial build) / WebGL (browser exploration)
My contributions
- 01
Warehouse Level Design: Crafted an atmospheric environment with stacked crates, hidden objects, and hologram triggers.
- 02
Hologram Presentation: Programmed artifact interactions that spawn 3D holograms of historical figures like Mary Beth Tinker, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, etc.
- 03
Narrative Integration: Wrote or integrated scripts describing each movement, ensuring alignment with curriculum goals.
- 04
Cross-Platform Support: Retained interactive exploration and voiced dialogues when porting to WebGL.
Overview
A moody experience set in a dark warehouse storage facility. Students search for artifacts related to various American social movements (anti-war, civil rights, women's rights, Native American activism, etc.) that come 'alive' via hologram narratives. A WebGL version allows for keyboard-based exploration.
Purpose
Immerse high school students in the stories of key social movements throughout American history. By uncovering artifacts in a dimly lit environment, learners are compelled to explore, listen, and reflect on major figures and legislation tied to civil rights, women's rights, Native American rights, and more.
Core features
- 01
Artifact Discovery: Players find items linked to specific figures or legal milestones (e.g., an armband for anti-war movements, a bus for Rosa Parks).
- 02
Hologram Narratives: Each artifact triggers a character monologue that explains the movement's history and impact.
- 03
Interactive Storage Room: Dark, flashlight-led exploration fosters a sense of discovery.
- 04
Repository/Collection Mechanic: Storing found artifacts in a central repository that marks progress.
Challenges
- 01
Atmospheric Lighting: Maintaining a dark, moody environment while keeping objects discoverable.
- 02
Multiple Movements: Ensuring each social movement's content was presented concisely and accurately.
- 03
VR to WebGL Transition: Minimizing performance drops when loading numerous 3D artifacts and voice clips in a browser.
- 04
Inclusive Representation: Presenting diverse social movements with sensitivity and accuracy.
Solutions
- 01
Adjustable Light Zones: Key artifacts and hologram points featured local light sources for clarity.
- 02
Curated Content: Focused on pivotal figures/legislation (e.g., Cesar Chavez, Title IX, AIM) rather than too many details.
- 03
Asset Optimization: Reduced polygon count and compressed audio for stable WebGL performance.
- 04
Expert Review: Collaborated with social studies educators to confirm factual and respectful coverage.
Accessibility
- 01
High Contrast & Lighting Options: Adjusted in-game brightness or color-coded highlights for visually impaired users.
- 02
Full Voiceovers: Scripts for historical figures are fully narrated, aiding those with reading or hearing challenges.