XR Development

Kamiak Butte VR

Kamiak Butte VR is a project that I started as an undergraduate student in collaboration with a professor in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to distance learning.

Kamiak Butte VR is an interactive experience that enables students virtually explore and learn about Kamiak Butte County Park in 360° view. 

Role:

UI/UX Design, Database Curation, Instructional Design, 3D Modeling & Textures, Game Design, C# Programmer, Spherical Cameraman

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Project Overview

I developed the Kamiak Butte VR software application through an iterative design process over a three-year period as an undergraduate and graduate student at Washington State University.

I utilized Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Maya, Unity, and 3DVista to build the Kamiak Butte VR program. I also incorporated student feedback from surveys to improve and evolve the software.

I was fortunate to work alongside a multidisciplinary team of professors, undergraduate students, and graduate students to develop various aspects of the project. 

My project team was fortunate to win two technology grants for the project and raised $44,550 to continue to develop and improve Kamiak Butte VR.

Software Elements

In the experience, you can use a user interface in a virtual visitor center to explore different components of Ecology at the county park. 

Users can explore seasonal change, view wildlife interactions, plant species, bird identification, and more.

Results

Kamiak Butte VR was implemented in the Natural Resource Ecology course curriculum for six semesters of instruction across a three year period. Over 500 students have used the software as apart of their classroom activities and the software is still in use today by the course alongside the physical field trip to Kamiak Butte.

My master’s thesis focused on the use of the Kamiak Butte VR alongside the physical field trip in the Natural Resource Ecology course.

The results from the research study showed students valued the hybrid field trip and believed the activities supported their ability to learn about the ecology at Kamiak Butte.

Progress over the years

Kamiak Butte VR, along with my role as a designer and developer, has grown significantly over the years.

This journey has been transformative, shaping both the project and my own growth as a professional.

2022 User Interface Design
2021 User Interface Design
2020 User Interface Design
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Kamiak Butte VR

App Development

My Role

Kamiak Butte VR is an interactive educational project I started during my undergraduate and graduate studies at Washington State University. It was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the transition to distance learning. The project allows students to virtually explore and learn about Kamiak Butte County Park in a 360° view. I used various software tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Maya, Unity, and 3DVista to develop the program, incorporating student feedback to continually improve it.
 
Working with a diverse team of professors and students, we secured two technology grants and raised $44,550 to further enhance Kamiak Butte VR. The software has been successfully integrated into the Natural Resource Ecology course curriculum for six semesters, benefiting over 500 students, and it continues to be used alongside the physical field trip to Kamiak Butte.
 

Project Type

Master’s Thesis Work

Deliverables

VR Application, WebGL App

Tools Used

Adobe Photoshop, Unity, 3D Maya, Figma, Adobe Premire Pro, Adobe Illastrator

Itartiatve Design Driven by Research

My master’s thesis focused on the use of the Kamiak Butte VR alongside the physical field trip in the Natural Resource Ecology course.

The results from the research study showed students valued the hybrid field trip and believed the activities supported their ability to learn about the ecology at Kamiak Butte. 

I also collected data on students’ use of the software which helped me further develop the product for students. 

User Interface Design

User Interface Design

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student
Ph.D. student preparing drone for a flight.

Developed & Curated E-Learning Content with User Input

My master’s thesis focused on the use of the Kamiak Butte VR alongside the physical field trip in the Natural Resource Ecology course.

The results from the research study showed students valued the hybrid field trip and believed the activities supported their ability to learn about the ecology at Kamiak Butte. 

I also collected data on students’ use of the software which helped me further develop the product for students. 

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student

UI Labels & Interactions Improvements

My master’s thesis focused on the use of the Kamiak Butte VR alongside the physical field trip in the Natural Resource Ecology course.

The results from the research study showed students valued the hybrid field trip and believed the activities supported their ability to learn about the ecology at Kamiak Butte. 

I also collected data on students’ use of the software which helped me further develop the product for students. 

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student

Prototyping Real World UI

My master’s thesis focused on the use of the Kamiak Butte VR alongside the physical field trip in the Natural Resource Ecology course.

The results from the research study showed students valued the hybrid field trip and believed the activities supported their ability to learn about the ecology at Kamiak Butte. 

I also collected data on students’ use of the software which helped me further develop the product for students. 

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student

Information Architecture & Level Design

Information Architecture was edited to better reflect the brand and offer visitors more to interact with on the site. 

"I really liked it, it was easy to use and interesting to work. I would recommend at the start with the options menu if under each option such as under 'wildlife' it could say what is contained within it, such as 'white-tailed deer' etc to save time trying to find what you are looking for, other than that a really fun, interactive site."

Fall 2021 Student

Anthropogenic Influence

Chief Kamiakin, Early Observations, Indigenous People, Ski Area, Time Line, Whitman County Parks & Rec, Wildfire

Birds

Clark’s Nutcracker, Hairy Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Northern Harrier, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Tawhee, Vesper Sparrow, Western Red-tailed Hawk 

Geologic Foundations

Quartzite

Insects

Ashy Digger Bee, Bicolored Carpenter Ant, Crackling Forest Grasshopper, Seven-spotted Lady Beetle, Variegated Meadowhawk

Seasonal Change

North Aspect, South Aspect 

Tree Species

Douglas-fir, Ponderosa Pine, Norway Maple, Western Larch, Variable Radius Plot Sample

Understory Species

North 

Baldhip Rose, Ghost Pipe, Glacier Lily, Heartleaf Arnica, Longlead Fleabane, Mallow-leaf Ninebark, Ocean Spray, Tall Ragwort

South 

Acute Paintbrush, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Grasswidow, Hairy Vetch, Large-flower Clarkia, Scarlet Gilia, Upland Larkspur, Western Blue Flag 

Wildlife Populations

Red Fox, Coyote, Merriam’s Wild Turkey, Rocky Mountain Elk, Shirasi Moose, Mule Deer, North American Porcupine, White-tailed Deer, 

Collaberative Effort

Received an award from the Digital Technology and Culture Program for the Seattle Pops website redesign project, which recognizes students who explores the principles of web design, coding, information architecture, and usability in a global cultural context.

dr-bill-camera
Dr. Bill hanging a camera trap.
Ph.D. student preparing drone for a flight.
Undergraduate students collecting data on the south aspect of the butte.
Undergradute Student, Mason Maron, capturing high quality audio at the butte.

Award Winning Design

Received an award from the Digital Technology and Culture Program for the Seattle Pops website redesign project, which recognizes students who explores the principles of web design, coding, information architecture, and usability in a global cultural context.

Distinguished Scholar 2020-2021

Results

The owner of Seattle Pops loved the website redesign and implemented my website design into their own hosting service.

After I completed the project, the Digital Technology and Culture program at WSU gave me the Excellence in Interactive Technology and Development award for my project with Seattle Pops. Watch the award video on this page to learn more about the project and award.

Along with the award, the DTC Department at WSU also wrote an article on their website that showcased my work with Seattle Pops. Click here to read the article. 

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Seattle Pops

Web Design

My Role

Seattle Pops is a popsicle store in Seattle, Washington where I worked throughout my undergraduate degree. In the Fall of 2019, I redesigned the Seattle Pops website for a course at Washington State University called Multimedia Authoring.

Throughout the course, I learn about UI/UX design, digital accessibility, and coding. The website encompasses a complete redesign of every webpage, including a new menu structure, the integration of an online store, and enhanced branding and design throughout the site.

Project Type

Freelance

Deliverables

Website UI

New Menu

Tools Used

Wordpress

Adobe Photoshop

HTML

CSS

Colors & Typography

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Typograghy

ABC Diatype

Mint

Mint

Mint

Information Architecture

Information Architecture was edited to better reflect the brand and offer visitors more to interact with on the site. 

Old

Flavors

Locations

Catering

Our Story

Contact Us

Online Shop

New

Flavors

Locations

Catering

Our Story

Contact Us

Online Shop

Prototypes

Received an award from the Digital Technology and Culture Program for the Seattle Pops website redesign project, which recognizes students who explores the principles of web design, coding, information architecture, and usability in a global cultural context.

Old Website

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

New Website

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Award Winning Design

Received an award from the Digital Technology and Culture Program for the Seattle Pops website redesign project, which recognizes students who explores the principles of web design, coding, information architecture, and usability in a global cultural context.

Results

The owner of Seattle Pops loved the website redesign and implemented my website design into their own hosting service.

After I completed the project, the Digital Technology and Culture program at WSU gave me the Excellence in Interactive Technology and Development award for my project with Seattle Pops. Watch the award video on this page to learn more about the project and award.

Along with the award, the DTC Department at WSU also wrote an article on their website that showcased my work with Seattle Pops. Click here to read the article. 

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