Christmas AR App - Dog Face Filter
The Christmas AR App was a personal initiative project developed for the Latvian market during the Year of the Dog New Year celebrations. Built using ARKit in its very first year of introduction by Apple, the app featured facial recognition with dog face overlay filters. The project demonstrated early adoption of cutting-edge AR technology, cultural awareness in adapting technology to local celebrations, and personal initiative in creating value beyond assigned work.
Problem Solved
Creating a fun, culturally relevant AR experience for Latvian New Year celebrations that leveraged the newly released ARKit technology.
- •Conceived and designed the app concept around Year of the Dog theme
- •Implemented ARKit facial recognition and tracking in its first year of release
- •Built dog face overlay filter system
- •Integrated social media sharing functionality
- •Rapid prototyping for seasonal release deadline
- ✓Early adopter of ARKit in its first year of release by Apple
- ✓Successfully implemented facial recognition with face tracking for dog face overlays
- ✓Created culturally relevant app adapted to Latvian Year of the Dog celebrations
- ✓Demonstrated personal initiative by creating value beyond company requirements
- ✓Built social media sharing integration for viral distribution
- ✓Rapid prototyping achieved seasonal release for New Year timeframe
Technology Stack
Challenge
ARKit was brand new in 2017 with limited documentation, examples, and community knowledge for face tracking and filter implementation.
Solution
Khaled leveraged Apple's documentation and experimented with the new APIs to implement facial recognition and face tracking for the dog filter overlay.
Impact
Successfully implemented cutting-edge AR technology in its first year of availability.
Challenge
Needed to deliver a polished AR experience in time for Year of the Dog New Year celebrations.
Solution
Focused on core functionality (face detection, dog overlay, social sharing) and rapid iteration to hit the seasonal deadline.
Impact
Delivered a complete, shareable AR experience for the celebration period.
Situation
Apple had just released ARKit, their augmented reality framework, opening new possibilities for mobile AR experiences. In Latvia, the Year of the Dog New Year celebration was approaching, creating a cultural moment that could be enhanced with AR technology.
Task
Without being asked by the company, Khaled decided to create a fun AR app that would combine the newly released ARKit technology with the culturally relevant Year of the Dog theme for the Latvian market.
Action
Khaled built a native iOS app using ARKit's facial recognition and tracking capabilities, creating a dog face filter overlay system. He integrated social media sharing to enable viral distribution of the fun AR photos. Working in his personal time during the CatchSmart period, he rapidly prototyped the app to meet the seasonal New Year deadline.
Result
The app successfully demonstrated early ARKit adoption for face filters, creating a culturally relevant experience for Latvian New Year celebrations. The project showcased personal initiative and the ability to quickly learn and implement cutting-edge technology.
Technical
- • ARKit face tracking and detection in its first year of release
- • Facial recognition implementation on iOS
- • AR filter overlay techniques
- • Social media sharing integration
- • Rapid prototyping for seasonal app development
Soft Skills
- • Taking personal initiative beyond assigned work
- • Cultural adaptation of technology to local markets
- • Identifying opportunities in new technology releases
Key Insights
- 💡 Being an early adopter of new technology provides unique learning opportunities
- 💡 Cultural relevance increases engagement - adapting to local celebrations matters
- 💡 Personal projects demonstrate initiative and passion beyond job requirements