Two separate AR initiatives required designing immersive, easy-to-use applications for specialized public safety scenarios:

1. Firefighter Equipment App – Showcase life-saving gear in a way that allowed users to explore functions in 3D space.
   

2. Drone Use for Crowd Control App – Demonstrate the drone’s two-way long-range acoustic communication system in realistic urban crowd scenarios.
   

Both needed to communicate complex technology in an intuitive format, accessible for both training and public demonstrations.

• Create engaging, interactive AR experiences tailored to public safety needs.
  

• Ensure AR interactions were intuitive for non-technical users.
  

• Support multiple use cases: public engagement, training simulations, and demonstrations at conferences.
  

• Develop wireframe-first concepts that could scale into full production apps.

• Led UX and interaction design for both AR experiences.
  

• Created wireframes mapping spatial interactions and user flows.
  

• Directed visual concepts to ensure realism and clarity of AR objects.
  

• Collaborated with AR developers to confirm technical feasibility within ARKit.
  

• Defined content strategies for guided exploration within the AR environments.

• Research

  • Interviewed subject matter experts (fire chiefs, drone operators).

  • Observed live equipment demonstrations to understand real-world usage.

  • Analyzed AR design best practices for user onboarding and object manipulation.

• Define

  • Developed personas for public safety trainees, field operators, and public demo attendees.

  • Mapped out user flows for guided tours vs. free exploration modes.

• Ideate

  • Designed AR interaction patterns such as object rotation, hotspot callouts, and scenario-based triggers.

  • Created wireframes that documented both UI overlays and physical space interactions.

• Prototype

  • Built low-fidelity AR wireframe prototypes showing key UI placements and spatial content triggers.

  • Mapped onboarding sequences to guide first-time users.

• Test

  • Conducted informal prototype walkthroughs with safety personnel to validate ease of use.

  • Adjusted interaction hotspots and reduced steps to access critical information.

• Deliver

  • Provided annotated wireframes, interaction maps, and asset lists for AR development.

  • Supplied creative direction for 3D model accuracy and lighting realism.

• Realism in 3D models was critical for credibility in training contexts.
  

• Clear onboarding reduced user hesitation in interacting with AR elements.
  

• Designing for spatial awareness required rethinking traditional wireframe approaches.

• Provided proof-of-concept wireframes that guided ARKit-based development.
  

• Positioned both apps for use at public safety conferences and in formal training environments.
  

• Helped agencies visualize AR’s role in both public engagement and operational training.

This project reinforced my passion for bridging emerging technologies with real-world problem-solving. It showed how AR can make complex, mission-critical equipment approachable to both specialists and the public.