OF THE MONTH

USA Today recently launched an educational augmented reality (AR) interactive focused on social distancing called “Flatten the Curve: A week in social distancing.”

The experience guides users through five activities that take place on an animated city block, including ordering take out, checking in on a friend, going for a walk, a social gathering and grocery shopping. During each activity, the user is presented with decisions and based on those decisions a bar representing a potential infection may fill up.

At the end of each activity, the user is presented with an assessment that provides recommendations on safe social distancing guidelines. The final screen shows the results of the game, which the user can share on social media. When finished, the user has the choice to see articles on safe social distancing practices recommended by the publication.

“We understand the difficulty of the time we’re in and aimed to create an experience that would educate users in a truly interactive way,” Ray Soto, director of emerging tech, said in a press release. “We hope users will use this interactive as a method to understand how their actions can impact the spread of the virus.”

According to a media contact, the emerging tech team built this experience in under a week while all working remotely. The experience can be found in the

USA Today mobile app within the AR section. —EM