World-building · Interactive StorytellingMicrosoft | AR/MR/VR Experiences
For Microsoft's BUILD developer conference, we were asked to imagine what might be possible when VR and HoloLens players could share the same virtual world. The starting idea was a simple maze, with players navigating and guiding each other from different perspectives. We thought we could have a little more fun with that.
And so Isla was born. We designed a floating island with distinct desert, ice, and jungle environments. VR players wandered through the terrain, tackling obstacles with help from HoloLens players who could see the entire island from above. In the ice caves, that meant you might look up to find a giant penguin (wearing a HoloLens) watching over you.
I led the creative work from concept through production, working closely with Microsoft's team and coordinating our designers, artists, and developers. We developed a sculptural, triangular art style that let us build an entire world within the hardware's polygon limits.
After BUILD, we saw an opportunity to take Isla beyond the headset. My team created an AR invitation and a take-home piece for future events, giving visitors a glimpse of the world before they arrived and something to explore afterward.
Pushing beyond the original brief also helped our team develop new skills and opened doors to more client work.
Take a look around the ice caves
A 360° video. Click and drag to explore the world from our VR penguin's point of view.