Challenge
One of the biggest challenges in designing InvisAR was making an abstract, conceptual issue feel tangible. Invisible labour is, by definition, unacknowledged, so the project had to create a visceral sense of its presence without relying on traditional visual spectacle. The design needed to ensure that users didn’t just hear about invisible labour, but truly felt its weight through interactions. Balancing a seamless user experience while preserving the emotional impact of each moment was critical in creating an effective and meaningful experience.
Deliverables
The final project was a mixed reality experience designed for passthrough AR, allowing users to see their real-world environment in greyscale while interacting with symbolic objects in full colour. These objects—such as a sink, blender, robot vacuum, and baby bottle—triggered soundscapes that revealed real conversations and academic discussions about invisible labour. The experience was structured to encourage organic exploration, making each discovery feel personal and self-guided.
Inspiration
The project was inspired by critical design principles that challenge social norms and highlight overlooked issues. The idea of using smart objects as narrators emerged from the reality that modern technology is constantly listening to us. In InvisAR, these objects turn that passive observation into active storytelling, revealing the hidden struggles of invisible labour. The experience also drew inspiration from the conversations many people have in their own lives—offhand comments and microaggressions that reinforce the undervaluation of certain types of work. By weaving these everyday moments into an immersive space, InvisAR makes the unseen unignorable.
Process
As an Experience Designer, my primary focus was crafting the user journey to ensure that interactions felt intuitive, immersive, and emotionally resonant. This involved designing spatial storytelling techniques that allowed users to engage with objects in a meaningful way. I worked on integrating soundscapes and spoken narratives in a way that preserved immersion while avoiding cognitive overload. A key design choice was the use of passthrough AR to maintain a connection to the real world, reinforcing the idea that invisible labour is always present, even if it’s not acknowledged. User testing played a crucial role in refining the experience. Testers were encouraged to reflect on their own encounters with invisible labour and provide feedback on how the project resonated with them. Their insights helped fine-tune the pacing of interactions and ensure that each moment had enough space to breathe.
Achievements
InvisAR was successfully showcased at Simon Fraser University’s Mezzanine in Surrey Campus, where it became a catalyst for deep personal reflection and emotional recognition of invisible labour. Many users found themselves unexpectedly moved, realizing for the first time that they had been shouldering unseen work in their own lives. The experience gave language to frustrations they had long felt but struggled to articulate, leading to heartfelt discussions about the burden of invisible labour. Some attendees shared their personal stories, voicing their determination to bring greater awareness to these issues in their own communities. The project not only highlighted the pervasiveness of invisible labour but also empowered users to acknowledge and advocate for the recognition of their own unseen contributions.
