teddy roosevelt presidential library
Rangers wanted: ar-POWERED educational app
roles
UX Research, Compliance
Competitive Analysis
Concept Design, Ideation
Game Mechanics
product vision
Our goal was to create an experience with a compelling narrative and delightful gameplay to both bring attention to the grand opening of the Teddy Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) and encourage conservatorship amongst the youth. The challenge was to make this app both fun and educational while upholding the mission and values of the TRPL organization.
CORE ELEMENTS
● CTA to go out and connect with nature (Missions)
○ Locate resources in nature via Semantics: sky, natural ground, water, foliage, grass
● Virtual conservation play that fosters learning
○ Collected resources are transformed and used for habitat restoration via AR Meshing
● AR creature rewards
○ Creatures emerge from healthy habitats and teach about themselves
○ (how TBD - animation, voice narration, etc)
● Build a collection
○ Build your own AR natural history collection/cabinet of virtual zoo based on your creature unlocks
○ Explore and interact with your collection in AR anytime
● Educational Content and TR values infused throughout
○ Charlie as TR SME + Conservation SME or resources
● A compelling game loop that get players to go back out into nature
○ Collection and variety to drive repeat gameplay
ar experience mockups
market landcape
early concept mockups
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Rangers Wanted app, made by the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in collaboration with Niantic and the Future of Storytelling and built by Trigger XR, blends augmented reality technology and educational content for young audiences. Users discover animals like beavers, bumblebees, ocelots, foxes, and woodpeckers, learning fun facts through interactive gameplay. Gamification elements, such as earning badges for learning achievements, foster a sense of responsibility toward conservation efforts. The Rangers Wanted app is kidSAFE certified.
build your own natural history museummeshingdiscover and collectkey takeaways
competitive analysis
I conducted thorough competitive analysis of dozens of apps and experiences to draw inspiration, identify product design deficiencies and understand where this app can thrive in the market. Exploring apps like youth-centric games, XR experiences, conservation tracking and sound and image recognition, I was able to present a compelling argument of “do’s and dont’s” to stakeholders.
top inspirations
conceptual approach
relevant apps at-a-glance
design concepts
cta: drive user to collectsemantic recognition & Collection