Special Angels Investments: Zion Cemetery

Utilizing Web, AR, and VR we told the buried story of a cemetery in Florida carrying the souls of a community impacted to this day.

Zion Cemetery Web Experience

Each interactive scene was a living exhibit, with stories woven into the very fabric of every image and document. Here, narratives were not just displayed but waited to be uncovered by the user.

A digital illustration of five Black women dressed in white, sitting cross-legged on a green circular platform, with various objects in front of them including a cup, a candle, and white flowers. The background features an abstract sunrise or sunset
Digital illustration of an architectural space with high arched ceilings, light-colored walls, and a grassy area, featuring the text 'The Timeline' and an 'Enter' button in the center.
Black and white historic photo of a wooden schoolhouse on stilts with steps leading up to the entrance, situated in a rural area.
Digital art depicting a virtual memorial scene with candles, a photograph, and diverse people sitting in a circle, symbolizing remembrance.
An interactive digital collage depicts segregated history with vintage black and white photographs and objects. It includes a black-and-white car in the foreground, a replica of a small graveyard with tombstones, protest signs demanding civil rights,
A digitally manipulated photo of a residential street with grayscale houses and palm trees, overlaid with red brushstrokes and a purple-cloaked figure in the center.
Augmented reality display showing a person in a purple dress with purple boots, holding a red jump rope, standing on a surface with red rectangular frames, with a black sign reading "VIRGINIA AVE".
A digital presentation about Zion Cemetery shows various slides including maps of burial history, an interactive moment, images of school houses, and a dash of grave offerings within a cemetery layout.

Storyboard x UX Design

The project began with extensive historical and archival research, working closely with subject matter experts and relatives of those involved. This research informed a series of initial 2D interactive notes and timeline illustrations.

We then evolved this concept, transforming the illustrations into a sequence of immersive 3D vignettes. This approach allowed us to tell the story through a series of compelling moments, providing users with a direct and personal experience of the narrative.

UX
Screenshots of a virtual reality presentation about Zion Cemetery, showing historical information, AR views, and efforts to preserve or memorialize the cemetery, with black, white, red, and gray color schemes.

Environement x Layout

I begin by focusing on lighting and mood in the initial roughs. This foundational work is crucial, as it sets a respectful and authentic tone for the environment where history can be told.

I begin by focusing on lighting and mood in the initial roughs. This foundational work is crucial, as it sets a respectful and authentic tone for the environment where history can be told.

White interior with Gothic arched doorways and soft lighting.
A digital rendering of a white, modern church interior with high vaulted ceilings, pointed arches, and a central aisle leading to a bright window at the end.
A digital rendering of an empty modern space with high white walls, tall arched doorways, and a circular area with a small pathway leading to it.
Illustration of an open-air structure with tall archways and pillars, with grassy hills in the background.
A minimalist, modern white church interior with high, pointed arches and tall windows.
A bright, white interior of a church or cathedral with three large arched windows and a circular rug on the floor.
A digital exhibit titled 'Home Going' displaying a timeline of black cemeteries and burial sites, including historic church lobbies, maps, and photographs of people and locations related to black burial history.
A digital illustration showing the transition of a neighborhood from past to present. The left side depicts older, monochrome housing units, while the right side shows modern, more colorful buildings. A large red abstract shape dominates the sky with
A woman in a purple dress appears to be bouncing on a trampoline in courtyard, with a red maze around her, surrounded by beige townhouses and trees.
A mixed media collage depicting a historical scene from the Jim Crow era with a sepia-toned photograph of a cemetery, a small wooden stage with black railings, an old car, a shovel in a mound of dirt, and a sign for the 1894 land sale at St. Zion Cem
An artistic scene depicting a gravesite with candles, bottles, and figurines, for a funeral or memorial service at Zion Cemetery.
A model of a memorial for the 45-acre all-Black community linked by sandy roads, enclosed by a brick fence with candles, small figures, and trees, with a sign reading 'Robles Cemetery' and street signs for Florida Avenue and Virginia Avenue.
A digital timeline displaying the story of the lost cemeteries, with scenes illustrating ceremonies, segregation, present day apartment projects, and efforts to uncover buried remains, including a group of people in historical clothing, a cemetery, a

Zion Cemetery VR

Special Angels wanted to further the story and tell it in virtual reality, creating new interactions not possible on the web.

The story of Zion was elevated further using the voice of Ebony Payne. Experience the immersive tale now on the Meta Quest Store

Digital rendering of a backyard scene split into two, featuring a person in a purple dress walking on a maze-like red pathway on grass, surrounded by gray residential buildings, with large red abstract shapes in the background and a white candle in t
A digital illustration of a girl in a purple dress standing on a colorful maze or playground, with large red wings or structures behind her, set between two buildings in a courtyard. The scene has a slightly surreal, artistic style.
Digital artwork depicting five people in historical attire sitting around a memorial site with candles, tombstones in the background, and overlay text referencing the 'Conch Shell' and a camera view instruction.
An indoor art installation featuring a doll-like figure with a purple dress and purple boots, holding a jump rope, suspended above a maze of red rectangular frames on a concrete floor. There are tombstone-like structures and a sign labeled 'VIRGINIA

Zion Cemetery AR

Each experience we created was also designed to be a launchpad for further engagement on other platforms. Our work on the story of Zion in Augmented Reality proved this by crafting a powerful narrative that enabled the Special Angels organization to secure more funding.

Series of five smartphone screens showing an augmented reality experience for Zion Cemetery app, including permissions, landing page, enabling AR, AR setup, and viewing cemetery map with a candle icon in the center.
A series of five illustrated screens showing the renovation of Zion Cemetery over different years from 1901 to 2023, depicting activities like candle lighting, remembrance ceremonies, land selling, excavation, and a call to action for community chang