SceneAR: Scene-based Micro Narratives for Sharing and Remixing in Augmented Reality

Short-form digital storytelling has become a popular medium for millions of people to express themselves. Traditionally, this medium uses primarily 2D media such as text (e.g., memes), images (e.g., Instagram), GIFs (e.g., Giphy), and videos (e.g., TikTok, Snapchat). To expand the modalities from 2D to 3D media, we present SceneAR, a smartphone application for creating sequential scene-based micro narratives in augmented reality (AR). What sets SceneAR apart from prior work is its ability to share the scene-based stories as AR content. No longer limited to sharing images or videos, users can now experience narratives in their own physical environments. Additionally, SceneAR affords users the ability to remix AR content, empowering them to collectively build on others’ creations. We asked 18 people to use SceneAR in a three-day study, and based on user interviews, analyses of screen recordings, and the stories they created, we extracted three themes. From these themes and the study overall, we derived six strategies for designers interested in supporting short-form AR narratives.