Seed to Feed
Growing Hope, One Seed at a Time: Empowering Food Security with AR Lens
Project Duration
July 2024 - August 2024
Application Used
Lens Studio, Blender, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
My Role
Project Manager | Visual Designer
Key Stakeholders
Snap Inc., Snapchat Users, NPOs
Partner
Estefan Rebolledo, Xavier Ngwala
Project Overview
This project was developed as part of my final showcase at Snap Academy, where I had the honor of being one of just 15 students selected nationwide for Snap Inc.'s prestigious Lens Academy program. We presented this project in front of Snap executives, employees, mentors, alumni, and friends, blending creativity with purpose.
Seed to Feed is an AR lens designed to tackle the critical issue of food insecurity by empowering users to grow their own virtual crops while learning about sustainable living. Drawing inspiration from farming games and community gardens, the lens offers a gamified, interactive experience. Users can plant and harvest crops in a vibrant virtual garden, receiving messages that celebrate their impact on feeding their families and communities. This lens aims to inspire action, merging creativity, education, and purpose into one immersive experience.
What’s Food Insecurity?
Food security is a significant challenge for many communities, particularly those living in food deserts where access to fresh, nutritious food is limited.
“In the United States alone, about 14.7% of households face low or very low food security. This equates to nearly 50 million people, including 1 in 5 children.”
Design Challenge
How might we design an AR lens that transforms learning about food security into a fun and gamified experience, making it accessible to all ages?
Project Goals
The goal of "Seed to Feed" is to raise awareness about food insecurity while inspiring users to take action toward sustainable living. By creating a fun and accessible AR experience, the Lens empowers individuals to grow their own food and promotes environmental stewardship. Through an engaging and immersive design, it aims to captivate users and encourage meaningful steps toward self-sufficiency and sustainability.
Seed to Feed
Seed to Feed invites users into a world where every seed sown leads to something meaningful. Through a captivating AR experience, users get to nurture their own virtual garden, watching it grow from a simple seed to a flourishing crop.
This hands-on interaction not only teaches the value of sustainable gardening but also shows how small actions can make a big difference in the fight against food insecurity.
With each harvest, users are reminded of the real-world impact they can have, bringing them closer to a future where healthy, homegrown food is accessible to all.
Plant seeds, grow hope.
Secure food, secure future.
Brainstorming
Who’s this Lens for?
This Lens is designed for individuals and families who are passionate about sustainability, curious about gardening, or seeking a fun and interactive way to learn about food security. It’s particularly for those who may not have access to fresh produce or are looking for an inspiring first step toward growing their own food, regardless of age or experience.
Moodboard Creation
Delfy’s branding—navy blue and bright orange—formed the foundation. I aimed for a sleek, minimal design that felt modern, approachable, and aligned with Delfy’s tech-forward identity.
Lens Development
2D Designing
The 2D designing process focused on crafting visually appealing and user-friendly UI elements to guide users seamlessly through the Lens experience.
3D Modeling
For 3D modeling, we brought the concept to life with realistic yet playful virtual produce and interactive animations, ensuring every detail felt immersive and engaging.
Garment Transfer
The garment transfer feature was a pivotal aspect of our Lens, allowing users to seamlessly visualize clothing on their avatars. This required precise attention to detail, as we ensured that the textures and patterns aligned naturally with various body types. Balancing aesthetics with technical accuracy was challenging but rewarding, adding a dynamic and interactive layer to the user experience.
Challenge: File Size
One of the biggest challenges we faced was managing the file size of the Lens. Initially, the assets and visuals made the file too large for smooth functionality. Through careful optimization, including compressing assets and refining designs, we successfully reduced the file size while maintaining quality, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Front Camera Evolution
Back Camera Evolution
Final Work
Seed to Feed
Seed to Feed invites users into a world where every seed sown leads to something meaningful. Through a captivating AR experience, users get to nurture their own virtual garden, watching it grow from a simple seed to a flourishing crop.
This hands-on interaction not only teaches the value of sustainable gardening but also shows how small actions can make a big difference in the fight against food insecurity.
With each harvest, users are reminded of the real-world impact they can have, bringing them closer to a future where healthy, homegrown food is accessible to all.
Plant seeds, grow hope.
Secure food, secure future.
Reflection
This project was about more than just building a Lens—it was about finding a way to address food insecurity in a way that felt meaningful and approachable. We wanted to create something that didn’t just look good but left people feeling inspired, even in small ways, to make a difference.
Throughout the process, we faced challenges—finding the right balance between creativity and technical limitations, and making sure the message stayed clear and impactful. But those challenges reminded us why we started. Every step, from brainstorming to seeing the final Lens come to life, reinforced the purpose behind the work: to connect people to an issue that matters and show that even small actions can have a ripple effect.
This project showed us the real power of design and storytelling when rooted in empathy. More than anything, it was a reminder that creativity can be more than just beautiful—it can make an impact. We hope this Lens sparks conversation, action, and hope for a future where food security is within reach for everyone.