The ARCADE social media AR team has been hard at work on an experience for a very good cause and is delighted to introduce the Rare Space Garden, an Instagram filter designed to give people all around the world a chance to understand some of the principles behind designing a garden for sufferers of rare forms of visual dementia.
The filter was launched to coincide with the famous Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show where the real Rare Space Garden, designed by Charlie Hawkes, was unveiled this week. Charlie's dementia-friendly design wowed judges and was awarded a coveted Gold medal, as well as Best Sanctuary Garden and Best Construction. The accompanying Instagram filter was designed to give audiences everywhere a small flavour of the process Charlie went through, before inviting them to step into the finished garden via a series of 360 images captured onsite before the show opened to the public.
Meta and The National Brain Appeal approached Arcade earlier in the year and asked if we would partner with them to bring the garden to life in AR for Instagram users everywhere, and we were only too happy to oblige.
"Arcade is all about connecting people to place through play, so when Meta asked us to create a fun and educational world effect filter for this phenomenal cause - and equally fabulous garden - we couldn't possibly refuse," said Arcade Co-Founder Alex Book.
"Filters are so often focused on the front camera, augmenting users' faces in brilliant and hilarious ways, but for us the rear camera and the way it fosters engagement with the world around us is such a fascinating and still under-explored approach. We're so grateful to the brilliant teams at Meta and The National Brain Appeal for trusting us to bring the Rare Space Garden to Instagram audiences all around the world, and hope we have done justice to their vision."
Instagram users can try the Rare Space Garden experience on your mobile device by tapping here. Share your photos from the garden and don't forget to tag #rarespacegarden!
