Overview
Our project is an AR creative companion designed for traditional artists working in physical mediums such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, and sketching. Many artists rely on phones, laptops, or tablets for references, tutorials, and feedback during the creative process, but repeatedly switching between physical work and digital interfaces can interrupt focus and creative momentum. This friction becomes even more noticeable in messy, hands-busy environments where interacting with touchscreens is inconvenient or disruptive.
Using Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, our system allows artists to access contextual creative support directly within their field of view through voice commands, hand gestures, and spatial AR overlays. Artists can pin references into their workspace, ask for critiques on specific areas of their work using a lasso tool, explore alternative directions, and receive technique guidance without leaving the physical act of making.
Design Rationale
Our concept was informed by research surrounding creative block, attention fragmentation, and AR-assisted creative workflows. Research on “art block” suggests that creative paralysis is often tied to stress, perfectionism, and cognitive overload rather than simply “running out of ideas” [1]. We used this as a foundation for designing tools that support reflection, experimentation, and flow rather than replacing artistic decision-making.
We also looked at studies on attention and task switching. Gloria Mark’s research on digital interruptions found that constant context switching can reduce focus quality and increase cognitive fatigue [2]. This became especially relevant when thinking about artists repeatedly stopping to unlock phones, search for references, or navigate tutorials during physical creative sessions.
We chose AR as a form factor because traditional artists often work in physically immersive, hands-busy environments where interacting with phones, tablets, or laptops can interrupt concentration and creative momentum. Rather than forcing artists to shift attention away from their work, AR allows references, critiques, and creative guidance to exist directly within the physical workspace itself. This creates a more seamless workflow where artists can access contextual support while remaining engaged in the tactile process of making.
Innovation
Rather than positioning AI as an art generator, we designed it as a creative companion. The system focuses on helping artists stay in flow through contextual critique, in-space experimentation, reference retrieval, and process reflection. By combining AR interaction with a mobile companion app for project history, moodboards, and AI critique tracking, our solution supports both the physical act of creation and the reflective process surrounding it.
Works Cited
Built With
- figma
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