noah
The Noah Project is a systemic intervention designed to combat the biodiversity crisis in the Amazon rainforest by reconnecting urban citizens with the wildlife they are systematically disconnected from. By integrating AR technology with sustainable physical touchpoints, the project seeks to increase biospheric value and drive real-world funding toward conservation efforts.
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problem
The Amazon rainforest is currently facing a catastrophic tipping point where a biodiversity loss of 20%–25% would cause the entire ecosystem to cease functioning. This global crisis is compounded by an "extinction of experience" (EOE) among urban populations, where artificial infrastructure has nearly eliminated interactions with the natural world. In cities like New York, up to 72% of residents lack meaningful nature experiences, creating a profound disconnect between environmental awareness and proactive behavior. This isolation prevents individuals from visualizing the impact of their daily footprints on distant, endangered habitats, resulting in a systemic failure to address the 94% decline in Latin American wildlife populations observed since 1970.
solution
The Noah Project addresses this divide through a three-party system that utilizes immersive technology to bridge urban reality with the Amazonian wild. By integrating sustainable, 100% recycled AR stickers with a mobile application, the project transforms abstract conservation into a tangible and "spreadable" experience. Users purchase eco-friendly stickers that act as physical-to-digital portals; when scanned via the Noah app, these markers trigger animated 3D models of endangered species, providing immediate, measurable feedback on their financial contributions. This "phygital" intervention fosters a proactive environmental community by cultivating biospheric value and reconnecting city dwellers with the very ecosystems they are working to protect.
01 Design Story: The Amazon Eco-Crisis
The Amazon rainforest is currently facing a critical tipping point; once biodiversity loss reaches 20%–25%, the ecosystem will cease to function. Since 1970, wildlife populations in this region have plummeted by an average of 94%. The Noah Project was developed to attract a wider audience and raise essential funds by transforming the abstract concept of environmental loss into a tangible, immersive experience for city dwellers.
02 The Extroversion of Infrastructure
In metropolitan areas, humans have fully transformed nature into artificial infrastructure. This has led to an Extinction of Experience, where up to 72% of New York City citizens lack direct interaction with nature in their daily lives. This physical disconnect inhibits a person’s ability to imagine the impact of their actions on distant ecosystems, resulting in a gap between environmental awareness and proactive behavior.
03 Defined Design Criteria: A Three-Party System
To bridge the Amazon’s endangered species with global users, the Noah ecosystem is governed by three critical pillars:
Profitable: Ensuring both digital and physical products drive actual conservation funding.
Measurable: Visualizing user contributions through design to provide immediate feedback and motivation.
Spreadable: Utilizing portable physical mediums to spark dialogue and reach potential new users.
04 Ideation & Prototyping
The ideation phase began with a search for a high-impact, low-friction medium capable of infiltrating the dense artificial infrastructure of urban environments. I initially focused on the tactile ubiquity of stickers and adhesive tape—objects that offer maximum portability and the freedom to be attached to any surface, transforming everyday items into ecological touchpoints. The original concept centered on a "scan-to-collect" mechanic, allowing users to build a digital library of Amazonian species through physical discovery.
04.1 Storyboard
This storyboard illustrates the sticker's role as a conversational catalyst, transforming mundane objects—laptops, notebooks, and gift packaging—into active portals for ecological dialogue. By embedding conservation into daily social rituals, the system facilitates organic adoption, turning every adhesive touchpoint into a gateway for the broader Noah ecosystem.
04.2 Prototype
I want to further enhance the emotional bonds between the city and the rainforest, so the prototype evolved beyond a simple collection system to incorporate Augmented Reality (AR). This technological pivot was designed to elevate the experience from a static observation to a kinetic encounter, bringing the 94% of declining wildlife into the user’s immediate reality. Through iterative prototyping with CGI 3D modeling and the Vuforia engine, I transitioned the sticker from a decorative artifact into a functional portal—a digital bridge that allows the "extinction of experience" to be countered through an immersive, personal connection.
05 Product Solution: The AR Sticker
The primary physical touchpoint is a collection of 20 creative stickers, meticulously crafted for portability and low-impact production.
Materiality: Each sticker is made from 100% recycled paper with non-toxic inks and adhesives, ensuring they are fully compostable and landfill-preventative.
Pricing Strategy: Prices are tiered ($5 to $20) based on the species' endangerment level, reflecting the intensity of conservation efforts required.
The Medium: As a subtle, adhesive product, the sticker offers maximum freedom for placement, acting as a conversational catalyst in urban environments.To bridge the
06 Digital Experience: The Noah App
The Noah App serves as the interface between urban reality and the Amazonian wild. By scanning the sticker’s scannable visual code—an aesthetic arrangement inspired by the seamlessness of modern mobile cameras—users unlock an immersive AR experience.
Augmented Reality: Users can witness animated 3D models of the animals or plants they have supported, bringing the "wild" directly into their personal spaces.
Process: The AR creatures were developed through rigorous experimentation with CGI 3D modeling and the Vuforia engine to ensure lifelike, emotive movements.
06.1 App Main Interfaces
06.2 Scanning Page Interaction
07 Graphics & CMF: Scannable Biodiversity
The visual language of Noah is a systematized series of abstract forms, designed to be both iconic and functional.
Visual Code: Simplified, abstract shapes represent 20 Amazon species, allowing them to function as scannable markers while maintaining a unified, modern aesthetic.
Color Palette: The selection reflects the Amazonian environment—deep forest greens and river blues. A signature Pink signifies the "heart," representing the Amazon as the planet's vital organ.
Diverse Collection: To address the neglect of flora in conservation, the series includes three specific Amazonian plant species, fostering a more holistic understanding of biodiversity.
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