(2025)
Geekstar Galaxy / Explorer is an interactive extended reality (XR) experience developed on the Snapchat Spectacles as part of Experience & Environment at Central Saint Martins. The concept was to rebuild the internet in spatial form, asking what internet universe you surround yourself in.
I was frustrated with how commercialized and corporate the web has become, instead of creating culture. So I wanted to make something that felt girly, playful, and full of potential again, yay! I built a galaxy by remixing open source assets from Snapchat Lens Studio, editing planet textures and animating them into orbit around you. The user is able to drag, move and scale the planets in what ever position they want.
Its inspired by Hito Steyerl's "In Defense of the Poor Image," and Legacy Russell's "Glitch Feminism", which presents ideas about reclaiming digital space and challenging who gets to shape it. The final experience includes rotating planets, a Geekstar Explorer (nodding to the Internet Explorer logo), and an introduction sheet embedded in the XR environment.
During open studio testing, audiences described the interaction as innovative and unexpected, while feedback highlighted the potential of adding sound remixing as a next step to deepen immersion. Below, you’ll find a demo video along with snapshots from the open studio.