Student Project Spotlight: Ryan Boyd reimagines digital credentials with "Starkeep Academy: Hero ID"

What if a physical credential like a student ID card or business card could serve as an interactive bridge to a digital identity? For Master of Digital Media (MDM) student Ryan Boyd (cohort 18), exploring this dynamic served as the core spark for his course project, "Starkeep Academy: Hero ID," created within DG8010: Selected Topics in Digital Media - AR/VR.

The assignment prompt? To build a real-world use case using augmented reality. Boyd seized the opportunity to align this course challenge directly with his broader thesis work, Starkeep Academy, a strategy he has consistently leveraged throughout his MDM studies.

The visual inspiration struck when Boyd saw physical acrylic tech cards crafted by classmate Ushna Khalid in a design fabrication course. Envisioning how physical cards could grant entrance to an immersive world, Boyd turned to his own TMU student ID card as a trial base. Using image-based tracking, he anchored a WebAR experience to the card, turning physical credentials into interactive "Hero IDs" that welcome users to a prestigious, hero-inspired academy.

"I've always loved the idea of having your digital identity represented in an immersive way, especially where you have a physical object that carries an anchor of that concept."

The Experience & Interaction

Interacting with the Hero ID project requires no special hardware or dedicated app downloads. The experience begins when a user scans a custom QR code on their smartphone camera, which opens the KiviCube WebAR interface.

Once live, the user points their camera directly at the ID card, in this trial case, using Boyd’s own TMU student ID. When the ID is detected, the interface overlays futuristic sci-fi elements, transforming the users data to display “Starkeep Academy” branding, along with customized titles tied to the “Starkeep world” such as “Dream Walker,” with personalized visual overlays such as a futuristic helmet in Boyd’s case. Clickable buttons also appear to allow users to tap through personal achievements, active courses, credentials, and “hero archetypes.” He even added an easter egg feature, by clicking on the helmet’s closed visor an interactive 3D avatar is triggered and will spin over the card on the screen.

The end result functions as an all-in-one portfolio and immersive identity badge, blending physical utility with speculative narrative design.

Technical Precision Meets Design Challenge

To build this interactive ID interface, Boyd explored multiple tools before landing on KiviCube, a 3D web based experience. He wanted to prioritize accessibility and low-friction user onboarding over more complex game engines or apps that required downloading. KiviCube met his needs being a mainly free web-based platform, with amazing templates built in that can be re-purposed for your individual needs. 

Before building out the AR experience, Boyd first mapped out the visuals using Figma to design 2D graphics and layout assets. He then used generative AI to transform his uploaded headshot to restyle his image into a sci-fi hero wearing a helmet, finally passing that image into a AI 3D generator to get the spinning, interactive avatar model triggered by tapping on the ID’s helmet. 

However, inserting these assets into the platform came with its own challenges, with KiviCube being originally engineered for another language. Boyd had to translate technical documents to unlock hidden features of the platform like triggered animations. By adapting existing templates beyond their intended purpose, he successfully forced the system to deliver custom interactive behaviours. 

Course Takeaways & Student Advice

Reflecting on his experience in DG8010: AR/VR, Boyd emphasized that the course's most significant value lies in its rigorous approach to user experience (UX) and accessibility:

"It makes you really stretch the boundaries of what you think is possible... You're really thinking about the frustrations the users might experience, or them not understanding your mental model of it. I think that's a really important thing to frame and scaffold your design within AR and VR."

For current or prospective MDM students debating whether to enroll in DG8010, Boyd notes that prior technical experience is not required. The course offers an environment where beginners build foundational skills rapidly, while students with advanced backgrounds find ample space to push their prototyping boundaries.

The Future

The Hero ID prototype acts as a working proof-of-concept, demonstrating how physical credentials can seamlessly onboard users into an immersive world where they showcase their professional identity and achievements through narrative design.

Though the technology holds obvious commercial potential for everyday digital credentials, Boyd is focused on preserving the magic within Starkeep Academy first. By launching the Hero ID as a core mechanic within his thesis universe, this course project lays the foundation for the larger world he continues to build. 

Connect with Ryan Instagram (external link)  | LinkedIn (external link)  | Starkeep Academy (external link) 

Starkeep Academy: Hero ID