At Zappar we were tasked to create an AR experience for the Disney Princess - Create Your World, campaign.

The idea was to blend the storytelling magic of Disney Princesses with the imaginative potential of augmented reality. I wanted to create something that feels both magical and meaningful — where kids (and adults) don’t just play in these worlds but feel part of them, building a space that reflects who they are.

I started off by creating a quick animatic of the idea using various assets I found on Google. This was at the very start of the project and really helped to sell in the idea to Disney.

Although there were many brand errors in this animatic, it was helpful to see an animated visual of it working in principal. From here it is easier for clients to understand what they want, what they don’t want and if it fits the brand rules.

I was then able to move onto the UX User Journey.

We wanted to create an interactive portal that transported users into the worlds of four beloved Disney Princesses. From the main menu, users chose their Princess and were then presented with a magical wand. With a tap, the wand would release a burst of colourful particles, opening the portal to their chosen world.

Each Princess would guide the user through her unique narrative, offering three choices along the journey. These decisions shaped and transformed the portal experience, making each adventure feel personal and enchanting.

At the end of the journey, users would then be invited to capture the moment with a special selfie. Their photo would be framed with Disney Princess branding, creating a magical keepsake of their adventure.

I wanted the design to be fun , immersive and unapologetically Disney Princess style. So lots of sparkles, gold mixed with the pink and purple theme.

Check out the full UI user journey below;

To elevate the experience, I developed a scrolling splash page with a premium, storybook feel. The journey begins with a hero image featuring the four princesses, brought to life through a smooth parallax transition as the user scrolls. Swiping up reveals the camera and orientation instructions, highlighted by a softly glowing, princess-inspired button that adds a touch of magic.

Once the user accepts the camera and orientation permissions, they enter a princess-themed menu featuring video loops of each princess in a gyroscopic scene. Users can either turn around physically to find each princess or swipe left and right to navigate. When a princess is highlighted, a short video plays, inviting the user to start her experience. After selecting a princess, the particles around her glow and a spotlight appears from above to show the selection. The user is then taken to the camera feed, where the experience begins.

All of the recordings featured in the experience were created with the actual princesses from Disneyland California. Our team was closely involved in shaping each narrative and directing the individual character movements, ensuring the experience achieved a truly bespoke look and feel.

Once the user enters the camera feed, a magic wand appears, prompting them to tap to open the portal. When tapped, the wand draws a circle of magical particles in the color associated with the selected princess, revealing the portal through which the princess appears. She then introduces the scenario and explains what she needs help with.

After setting the scene, the princess asks the user three questions that shape how the story unfolds. Each question offers two choices, displayed as doodles on inviting buttons at the bottom of the screen. Tapping a choice triggers a playful particle effect, transforming the doodles as they flow into the princess’s world and become real. The intention was to make it feel as though the child’s imagination is being brought to life within the princess’s world.

Once the user completes a Princess story they can also take a selfie with a Princess themed border that they can share with their friends.

Here is the final result!