Snap Lens Studio | Trash Talking
3D, 2D and Cel Exploration, Snapchat Studio Lens
This case study explores a solution for Snap Lens Studio to showcase new lens functionality. The goal for the client is a fun and shareable lens.
This case study explores a solution for Snap Lens Studio to showcase new lens functionality. The goal for the client is a fun and shareable lens.
The peak design challenge the client wanted addressed was a lens that would create the need to interact with and share around Snap Chat. Ideally this lens content would be fun and have a sense of humor with the humor driving the need to share. The target demographic was tech savvy tweens to young adults.
The secondary design challenge was to use the new functionalities of Snap Lens Studio. Showcasing what Snap Lens Studio's recent developments can do and why it's a stellar AR resource to use and create content with. The look for the promo and shirt is brought together with perfectly kerned Comic Sans.
Tools Used Maxon Cinema 4D - Snap Lens Studio - Adobe Photoshop | Aftereffects
New Feature Integration
What We’re Looking At?
This is the Trash King. The person coming to give the gritty and naughty discourse. The fun crap talker and side-eye-er.
The challenges this design faced all involved packaging the idea of "trash" into a functional design. Some issues included figuring out how to match the concept of "trash talking" and blending that with Snap Lens' new functionality.
How We’re Looking At It
There are a few important side points of this solution that brings it together .The shirts trashcan is set to a specific blend mode so all filter are a bit different from shirt color to shirt color. From small adjustments in color to the vocal change these little things help give the King his ability to reign over his subjects.
The effect on this shirt was created with Upper-Body Segmentation. It was challenging to use as a garment replacement, as set up had no actual tutorials to follow.
The segmentation works first through creating a mask that recognizes the torso and can be applied to a camera. The challenge then changes to how do you keep the assets in their intended view.
The challenge was addressed by adding body tracking elements to the masked out camera assets for the shirt. Pinning it to the neck and then aligning them to a general area of visibility.
Experimental frame | Trash Talk
The proto-design frame that started the development.
A few elements were further developed to help deliver the concept with more strength. Can the trash-can feel more like a crown? Could the frame feel messy but not invasive? These were the things we kept in mind moving to the next step.
The New Feature
One of the biggest challenges was making the filter interesting with regards to the concepts: be trashy, and talk trashy.
With the limitations of Snap as far as file sizes per project we saw that mouth triggers with animated junk falling from the mouth wasn't feasible. Instead, we opted for voice augmentation.
The augmentation tweaks your voice to sound a bit more childish, naggy, and petulant. Hitting the vibe of a trash talker.
Previous Explorations
Here are some previous iterations and explorations from the deck to your screen. Challenges are annotated in the margins. Feel free to click for a better look.
Sketch Frame
The concept starts only when the mouth is opening for speech.
Varied trash objects would spatter and tumble out of the mouth when it moved open. This though, was only loosely tied to the concept of speaking and didn't quite feel resolved.
Initial Exploration | Trash Talking
This concept was the prototype to be developed into the final solution.
Initially it was only mouth trigger but how would this address the need for new snap features to be showcased? Is it interesting enough to be shared by itself? It definitely needed development with that in mind.
Trash Talk King | Dev Directions
This sketch was the chosen final direction development. It used the Upper-Body segmentation feature to create a design that read trashy and classless.
The rest was tied together with the crown and voice augmentation to solidify the concept: Trash Talk King.
Previous Crown Iterations
The model moved from the modern plastic trash-bin we're typically used to seeing and made a bit more classic with the aluminum can.
As this was developed we kept in mind how to make it feel more and more like a crown. The addition of bottles and dings in the can helped solidify the idea of "trashy" and merge it with "King."
The first exploration of the trash head. The shape language didn't read well and the design was too simple.
The can developed with the idea of it moving towards a crown. The design was fussy and could be simplified.
The frame was developed to integrate the rest of the design. The trash crown was simplified to make the silhouette cleaner. The shirt segmentation was added to finish the look.
