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DuolingoXR

Duolingo concepted for augmented reality, designed for the XR Design Challenge 2024-2025

Introduction

DuolingoXR is conceptual extension of Duolingo designed for augmented reality created by team Lemon Sharks for XR Design Challenge 2024.

DuolingoXR won Best Mobile App to XR App and Best Use of Shapes XR, and was a Best Packaging Finalist out of 200+ projects and 3,000+ attendees.

project overview

Role 3D Artist, Animator, Video Editor

Duration 6 Weeks

Skills Character modeling, rigging, and animation; storyboarding, video editing

Collaborators Kate Bielotserkovska, Eldon Lin, Alisa Maltseva, Tanguy Le Crom, Dave Mills

Collaborative Tasks

shared research and design work

Brand research Identifying the Duolingo mission, core values, and brand brand identity, including user-retention features like "Streak."

UI design Creating 2D UI in Duolingo's style to be imported into AR prototypes, and creating 3D UI mockups in Blender.

UX prototyping Reimagining core features for AR and designing new AR-specific features and interactions.

Competitor research Benchmarking educational AR/VR experiences and understanding their core features.

3D Modeling and Animation (Individual)

Duo character model and animations

Modelled, rigged, textured, and animated Duo, the mascot of Duolingo and digital companion in DuolingoXR. Duo has 47 animations and can dance, emote at, and react to the user.

Tools: Blender, Substance Painter, Unity

supporting character models

Duolingo's characters are playful, fun and abstract. However, they're designed in 2D in mind, meaning that most elements needed to be redesigned to be possible in 3D. To preserve the Duolingo style, it was important to use primitive shapes– spheres, beveled cubes, pills – and flat colors to keep the 2D feel.

Tools: Blender, Substance Painter, Unity, Photoshop

prop work

3D assets were created following similar principles of abstraction. Each asset represents vocabulary word used in the language learning exercises.

Video Production (Individual)

storyboarding, editing, and production

Created a 60-second trailer showcasing the features of DuolingoXR.

Storyboarding Planned out key scenes on Figma, wrote script for voice actor

Editing Edited video in DaVinci Resolve and Premiere Pro

Production Composited and motion tracked additional scenes in Blender, sourced voice actor

The completed video follows our user, Tanguy, getting a notification to do his Japanese practice, and getting transported into the augmented reality experience of DuolingoXR, where completes his lesson by interacting with Duo and playing language minigames.