TowAR of London

About the Project

TowAR of London is an augmented reality (AR) experience developed during a group project with a focus on navigation and tourism. Working with Mark Lynch and Iga Klarkowska, we set out to create an immersive historical app that guides users through Anne Boleyn’s final days at the Tower of London. The app blends storytelling and navigation, leading users through interactive clues and AR markers tied to her imprisonment and execution.

Building the Project

The app is designed to be experienced on-site at the Tower of London but was adapted for our university campus during development. Using AR markers as visual triggers, the user follows a narrative journey, solving clues and uncovering events from Anne’s life. Key features include:

• AR markers: Wedding rings, letters, keys and historically inspired visual elements
• GPS-based navigation: With a compass and proximity indicator for orientation
• Narrative prompts: Story unfolds through UI elements tied to real locations and events
• Final interaction: Unlock Anne’s cell and witness her historical fate through an immersive AR moment

My Contributions

My main responsibilities in the project included:

• Historical research: I curated and structured Anne Boleyn’s story into interactive narrative points
• Storyboarding & UI writing: Created the script and dialogue prompts tied to user actions
• AR marker setup: Used Unity and provided samples to create functional marker interactions
• Post-production: Filmed and edited the demonstration video, combining real and screen capture footage
• Project coordination: Helped manage tasks and team flow to keep the experience cohesive

Storyboard (from our notes)

Challenges & Solutions

One challenge was balancing historical accuracy with interactive storytelling. To solve this, I curated specific details from Anne Boleyn’s life and embedded them into simple but meaningful game mechanics. Another challenge was adapting the experience to a location outside of the Tower of London. We solved this by designing flexible AR markers and navigation systems that could be tested and demonstrated on campus, without losing immersion or context.

What I Learned

This project gave me hands-on experience with AR development, narrative design, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. I learned how to translate historical events into interactive moments and how to design for both physical and digital space. It also deepened my interest in using AR to create engaging, educational experiences that connect users emotionally with the content.

Technologies Used:

• Unity
• AR
• GitHub
• Premiere Pro
• Illustrator
• Google Docs & Figma