About
Ghost Flora transforms the city into a living field guide for endangered native plants. The project premiered at the 2026 Portland Winter Lights Festival as an augmented reality scavenger hunt hidden throughout the festival grounds.
Participants follow clues to find illustrated posters, unlock each plant through pictogram codes, and watch the species grow in augmented reality. Each discovery reveals the plant's habitat, the threats it faces, and the web of life that depends on it.
The project invites people to slow down and notice the small, fragile life forms that quietly support entire ecosystems.
Process
Ghost Flora combines ecological research, illustration, 3D art, and augmented reality development. The project moved through several stages, from early concept and storytelling to the final citywide scavenger hunt.
- Research
- Study endangered native plants and the ecosystems connected to them.
- Storyboards
- Map out the narrative flow of the experience.
- Wireframes
- Design the user journey and interface structure.
- AR Prototype
- Build an early version to test the core interaction.
- Hand Sketching
- Illustrate each plant to establish its character and form.
- VR Sculpting
- Create the initial 3D plants in Gravity Sketch.
- 3D Refinement & Animation
- Refine the models and add animation in Blender.
- AR Development
- Build the experience in Lens Studio — layout, interactivity, and VFX.
- Poster Design
- Create the illustrated scavenger-hunt posters in Photoshop and Blender.
- Installation
- Place the posters around the festival and invite participants to explore the hunt.
Bringing the Plants to Life
Each plant began as a hand-drawn illustration. These drawings became the foundation for the digital sculptures and AR experiences.
The illustrated plants were translated into 3D using a combination of VR sculpting, modeling, and animation. Each species was designed to feel alive and responsive when placed in the viewer's environment.
AR Build
The augmented reality experience was built in Lens Studio, where the interface, interactions, and visual effects came together into a cohesive system. Each plant appears in the viewer's environment through an AR placement system, allowing participants to scale and explore the species in their own space. Interactive panels reveal information about the plant's habitat, ecological relationships, and threats, while subtle animation and visual effects help bring the plants to life.
Continue the Hunt
The physical scavenger hunt at Portland Winter Lights has ended, but the experience is still available online. Visit ghostflora.com and use the pictogram codes to unlock each plant and bring them to life in AR.
