Experiential Design - Task 2: Project Proposal

 20/05/2025 - 03/06/2025  / Week 5 - Week 7

Velicia Raquel Dewi Setiawan | 0369188 | Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Experiential Design

JUMPLINK:

1. Lecture
2. Instruction
3. Task 2: Project Proposal 
• Topic
• Progress 
• Final Submission
4. Feedback
5. Reflection

1. LECTURE

2. INSTRUCTION

3. TASK 2: PROJECT PROPOSAL 

Description

Based on initial idea discussions, students are required to come up with an experience design project from a subject/topic of their choice. This can be anything from screen experience to physical space experience. They are required to create a professional experience design proposal document that explains their project idea and how will the experience be for the user. The proposal should contain analysis of current experience, comparison with similar solutions and how it can be better, Sketches to visualize the experience, Mock design of how the final outcome should be from the user’s perspective.

Requirements

The project looks to develop the students’ understanding of what is an experience design and their creativity to come up with a good, unique, and magical experience design. It also looks to their ability to analyze, explain and breakdown their ideas into a proposal document.

Submission

1. Slides submitted as .pdf format 

2. Online posts in your E-portfolio as your reflective studies

1. Project Overview

PLLI Portal – PLAVE AR Pop-Up is a mobile augmented reality (AR) experience that activates when users scan a themed real-world item—like a sticker, café pass, or lightstick card. This triggers a miniature, animated pop-up booth inspired by PLAVE's signature style and aesthetics. Users can interact with various features including performance clips, merchandise showcases, lore quizzes, and symbolic effects tied to each member. The goal is to simulate the excitement of attending a real PLAVE pop-up event, but through the lens of AR—making it accessible to fans anywhere in the world.

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2. Problem Statement

PLAVE's popularity has grown far beyond South Korea, but many official fan experiences remain physically tied to local events or venues. International fans often find themselves unable to participate in exclusive merchandise sales, limited-time pop-ups, and immersive event spaces due to geography and timezone limitations. These barriers create a fractured experience of fandom, leaving global supporters feeling disconnected.

AR offers a unique solution to this—allowing fans to experience pop-ups and content drops in a new way that doesn’t depend on being physically present.

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3. Project Goals

• To create an immersive, playful fan space that allows PLAVE supporters to connect with content and community in a meaningful way, no matter where they are.

• To digitally recreate the feeling of a physical pop-up event, using AR to bring visuals, music, and symbolic elements to life.

• To experiment with lightweight, modular storytelling by mixing small performance loops, trivia, and collectible-style features to build a flexible platform for fan interaction.

• To test new ways of showcasing virtual merchandise and content in ways that feel personal and tangible.

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4. Research – About the Artist/Concept

PLAVE is a five-member virtual idol group known for their strong online presence, vibrant worldbuilding (centered around a universe called Asterum), and emotional connection with fans. Although their identity is rooted in digital space, much of their fan culture still relies on physical merch drops, in-person cafés, and pop-up stores—often based in South Korea.

Fans outside the region are often unable to buy exclusive items or attend themed events due to regional restrictions, short release windows, and timezone challenges. This tension between PLAVE’s digital identity and their physical fan experiences sparked the idea of creating a virtual alternative—a pop-up event made accessible through AR.

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5. Target Audience

• International PLAVE fans, especially those aged 13–30, who are active on social media, interested in digital art, and emotionally engaged with the group.

• K-pop fans who are interested in immersive and active on fandom platforms

• New fans that’s interested in the band and seeking emotionally rewarding interactions.

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6. Persona

First of all, I thought about the kind of people who would actually use this AR application. Since it’s based on PLAVE, I naturally focused on international fans who love the group but often miss out on events and merch. These are fans who are active online, always keeping up with updates, and genuinely want to feel included—just like local fans do.

I imagined someone around the age of 13 to 30, likely a student or young adult, who’s already used to engaging with fandom content through their phone. 

Fig 3.1 Persona #1, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

Fig 3.2 Persona #2, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

Fig 3.3 Persona #3, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

7. Empathy Map

While thinking about the persona and target users, I tried to really put myself in their shoes. As someone who’s experienced the feeling of being left out due to location or timing.

For fans of PLAVE, who already love a group that lives entirely online, it must feel even more confusing or disappointing when the biggest events and merch drops are tied to real-life places they can’t go to. 

Fig 3.4 Empathy Map, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

8. User Experience Map (Current Journey)

To better understand the problem, I imagined the experience of an dedicated international fan—trying to access a PLAVE pop-up event or exclusive merch drop. I broke down the process into steps and identified pain points at each stage.

Fig 3.5 Current User Journey Map, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

9. Describe Your Solution

PLLI Portal is a mobile AR experience launched via scanning a PLAVE-themed card or sticker. It simulates an event booth with:

• A floating screen playing full-length dance performances

• Tappable merch models that animate closer and spin

• A Lore Quiz Panel with trivia-based rewards

• A Lore Book containing short, bite-sized narrative content

• Emoji-based FX that bring symbolic energy and delight

Fig 3.6 Problem and Solution, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

10. New Journey Map (Proposed AR Experience) 

Fig 3.7 New Journey Map, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

11. Visualization

Mock-Up Process

To start visualizing the PLLI Portal, I made a digital mock-up using Adobe Illustrator and Figma. 

Visualization – Figma, the explaniantion for each page is already explain in canva, so ill just explain my thought process here. 

First, I made the prototype 3D models on Illustrator, then I exported them to Figma to use. These greyscale models are just the placeholder for the eventual 3D model.

Fig 3.8 3D Models Illustration, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

At first, I just used pink and blue for the color palette, but near the end, I didn’t like the colors and changed it to have more of a gradient style. It also added to the readability contrast compared to the previous one.

Fig 3.9 Old UI Design, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

Fig 3.10 New UI Design, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

These are all of the buttons, cards, fonts, and graphic decorations I used for the UI.

Fig 3.11 Iconography, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

Fig 3.12 The Whole Figma, Week 6 (02/06/2025)

Final Submission

Project Presentation Slides

Canva Link 

Project Presentation Slides

Figma Link 

Project Presentation Video

4. Feedback

• No feedback
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5. Reflection

1. Experience 

Working on the PLLI Portal was honestly a mix of excitement and a bit of challenge. It started with just wanting to make something fun and accessible for fans who usually get left out. As someone who’s experienced that feeling, it made the process feel more personal. I went back and forth a lot with the mock-up—figuring out layout, testing color palettes, trying different UI versions. I used Illustrator for the 3D base models and Figma to bring everything together. At first, the pink and blue color palette didn’t feel right, so I changed it to a gradient-based style that matched the PLAVE MV reference better. 

2. Observation

While building and testing the interface, I noticed a few things that stood out. The placement of buttons was a big one—some versions had them too close to the booth, which blocked the view, while others pushed them too far out. I decided the first variation worked better because it felt more natural and less distracting. I also realized how much the visuals affected the experience. The gradient color palette added contrast and made everything feel more alive compared to the earlier flat colors. I kept experimenting with sticker placements, book designs, and merch display interactions. For example, I had two versions of the Lore Book and ended up choosing the second one since it could fit more text and decoration. I also learned that UI shadows and depth looked great in Figma but might not show up the same in AR—so I’ll need to test that more later.

3. Findings

While designing the UI pages, I learned how important layout, color, and font choices are in creating a smooth and engaging experience. Small changes—like adjusting button placement or switching to a gradient color palette—made a big difference in clarity and visual balance. I tested a few variations and found that simpler layouts worked better for keeping the AR content visible. I also noticed that some visual effects, like shadows, looked good in Figma but might not show up the same in AR, so those will need more testing later. Overall, having a consistent visual style that matches PLAVE’s theme really helped tie everything together.