I was also interested in exploring digital products that provide an educational purpose rather than a functional use like After Ice. Justin Brice Guariglia is an American interaction designer and environmental activist. In 2017, Guariglia launched the iOS app: “After Ice”. The app uses augmented reality formatting in the form of a camera filter to show the user at what depth their current location will be submerged under water in 2080 due to Climate Change.
(above) Screenshots presenting After Ice’s animated UI
Guariglia utilised digital drawing to create a realistically animated blue-toned, semi-transparent layer which shows over the user’s image that emulates the movement and colour of water. This creates the illusion that the user has literally been transported to a terrifying future in which we may be as much as two hundred feet underwater. I think Guariglia successfully utilised a tool like camera filters the user is familiar with from popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and SnapChat to highlight an important social issue - tapping into the user’s mental model.