Spatial computing x Journalism
Photo from The New York Times R&D
ABOUT
In 2022, I worked on a team at The New York Times R&D exploring and prototyping futures uses of spatial computing for journalism applications. These experiences were made primarily using the Hololens and Quest.
1) 3d reporter notebook
The New York Times is known for their 3D scene re-creation, which involves extensive on-the-ground reporting and time intensive reconstruction using 3D modeling programs. Our team created a Hololens app to support this workflow, allowing journalists to take a quick 3D scan of an environment and add text and voice annotations to it. We also developed a companion web app that allowed for real-time viewing and later downloading of the 3D mesh and digital notes.
My primary role was to lead the UX design and user testing. We conducted user tests with journalists from the newsroom and tested the app on location at The New York Times Archive.
Learn more and watch the video at The New York Times R&D website here.
2) place-based articles
Many New York Times articles tell the story of a place - the politics, the people, the history. Currently these articles are accessed disparately online, in the paper or on mobile. We wondered, what would it be like to experience this archive on location? Our team developed a prototype for a Hololens app to allow readers to explore and read place-based articles.
The app focuses on Washington Square Park in the heart of New York City. In my role I led the UX design for the prototype and supported technical field testing in Washington Square Park and pre-testing in Chinatown.
Learn more and watch the video at The New York Times R&D website here.