Meta x UNIT9: AR Creator Masterclass Series

The background

In order to equip their AR creator community with the skills they need to flourish in all areas and help balance creative skill with business efficiency, Meta worked with us to provide an invaluable resource – a series of four 90-minute masterclasses filled with practical tips and guidance to boost their creative, production, UX and development capabilities.

The execution

Over the course of four weeks, our in-house experts led a series of educational masterclasses for the Meta Spark AR community which were live-streamed across the globe. The tailor-made learning program comprehensively covered off the full set of skills that any aspiring AR professional needs to have in their arsenal.

From creative ideation to production and client management, UX/UI design to technical development and QA, no stone was left unturned. We took attendees through all the key details – including how to pitch, answer briefs, build timelines, understand user behaviour, and carry out thorough testing, as well as pointing out some technical dos and don’ts. Each of the four 90 minute masterclasses delved into a different area of expertise, with Q&A sessions at the end offering the opportunity for audience interaction and deeper learning.

Masterclass 1, led by UNIT9 Executive Creative Director Yifei Chai, explored key insights to help creators gain a competitive edge when developing and pitching their ideas – from how to analyse a client brief to building and delivering a pitch deck and responding to live feedback.

Masterclass 2, led by UNIT9 Senior Producer Romina Thaler and Project Manager Mathilde Esclapez, shared practical tips to help creators scope and manage their AR projects, as well as advice on how to manage client expectations through the project life cycle. 

Masterclass 3, led by UNIT9 UX Design Lead Justine Quirin and Experience Design Strategist Hannah Seckendorf, discussed the importance of good UX design within AR effect development and how this can boost usability and save creators valuable development time.

Masterclass 4, led by UNIT9 Technical Lead André Mattos and QA Lead Helen Peake, shared some of the key principles and best practices that underpin good AR development, as well as tried and tested methods for solving technical problems when they arise.

Involving our own in-house experts as the spokespeople for each session – including ECDs, Producers, Technical Leads and Strategists – allowed us to share our knowledge directly, helping Meta nurture upcoming talent in the industry with practical tips and guidance from those in the know.

The results

It was an honour to work with Meta on an initiative that champions professional development in AR production – something very close to our hearts. Over the course of the masterclass series, together with Meta we helped a breadth of creators transform into accomplished AR aficionados, with attendees joining everywhere from the UK to Brazil, Thailand, Korea and more.