World History
Museum Experience

Role
Lead Unity Developer & Designer

Description
An interactive WebGL/AR experience set in five virtual museum buildings—Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment, and 19th Century—each showcasing period-accurate 3D exhibits and artifacts. Students explore the museums, collect items that reinforce key historical concepts, participate in review games, and ultimately receive a QR code to view an AR 3D model relevant to each specific era.

Purpose
Developed as a supplemental educational tool for an online world history curriculum, the project immerses high school students in major historical periods, allowing them to engage with artifacts, environments, and review games that deepen their understanding of world history.

Key Responsibilities

  • Unity Development: Built core scenes, integrated 3D assets, and programmed artifact collection systems.
  • Exhibit/Level Design: Created immersive environments representing each historical period.
  • Gameplay Mechanics: Designed and implemented review minigames to reinforce learning.
  • Collaboration: Coordinated with educators, artists, and subject matter experts to ensure historical accuracy and cohesive user experience.

Tech Stack

  • Game Engine: Unity
  • Version Control: Git, GitHub
  • Scripting: C#

Design Tools

  • Figma (for UI mockups and wireframes)
  • Blender, Maya (for 3D modeling)
  • Photoshop (for texture editing and graphic assets)

Platform(s)

  • Desktop, Chrome Browser Support for the museum exploration (depending on hardware availability)
  • Mobile (for QR code scanning and AR model viewing)

Core Mechanics / Features

  • Artifact Discovery: Students locate and collect period-specific 3D-modeled artifacts within each museum.
  • Immersive 3D Environments: Transition into authentically themed settings upon completing each museum exhibit.
  • Review Games: Puzzle-based activities that test students’ understanding of each historical era.
  • AR Integration: QR codes leading to an augmented reality model, bringing artifacts into real-world spaces.

Accessibility

  • Keyboard-Only Navigation: All interactive elements and menus can be accessed without a mouse.
  • High Contrast Visuals: UI and color schemes optimized for users with visual impairments.
  • Full Voiceovers: Narration for all textual content, accommodating those with hearing or reading challenges.

Challenges Faced

  • Performance & Optimization: Managing large scenes and detailed assets across multiple historical periods.
  • Historical Accuracy: Ensuring each era’s content was authentic while maintaining cohesive gameplay.
  • User Engagement: Balancing comprehensive educational content with fun, interactive elements.
  • Cross-Platform Functionality: Supporting browser-based and mobile AR without compromising performance.
  • Universal Accessibility: Making the experience fully navigable for diverse user needs.

Solutions

  • Scene Streaming & Asset Management: Employed modular scene loading, texture compression, and optimized 3D models.
  • Collaboration with SMEs: Worked with historians and educators for accurate, compelling exhibits.
  • Engaging Mechanics: Combined artifact collection, puzzle-like review games, and AR components to maintain learner interest.
  • Accessibility by Design: Integrated keyboard controls, high-contrast UI, and voiceovers from the start for an inclusive user experience.

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