We created DustSee to raise awareness of the dangers of air pollution in Seoul.

DustSee is an AR fine dust and air pollution app that shows the harmful particles we can’t see. More importantly, it tells people when they need to wear a mask.

It uses live-sensing to calculate current location, real-time air pollution levels, wind direction and speed, as it shows the fine dust and air pollution around us. The interactive AR filters visualize the particles in three different ways, which allows people to see what’s really in the air they're breathing. It shows the types and levels of harmful pollutants currently in the air.

It allows people to capture photos and videos of the animated air particles, which they can share on social media.

We utilized the user’s GPS. Next, synced real-time air pollution and weather data back to the

user. We then brought the information together and visualized the data with special animations.

The pollutants weren’t the same so, we designed and gave each pollutant their own special shape and animations. This made it easy to distinguish the different types of dust and pollutants.

Depending on the current pollution levels also determined the color motif for the AR animations.

We created three different AR filters to allow users to see and interact with the pollutants in the air. If the air was unhealthy, DustSee would tell you to wear a mask; and which type to wear.

We provided real-time information on the pollutants and how much there were. Once people saw how the air was, they could then capture and share videos and photos on social.

On April 4, 2018, we launched the campaign by releasing DustSee for free and without any ads on the Google Play Store.

This campaign went beyond presenting air pollution data in the traditional way. And the response to the initial launch was well received. It also received much positive feedback that attracted attention on social media and news outlets in Seoul. The campaign started conversations that have raised awareness of fine dust and air pollution. And it's changed people’s behavior by letting them know why they should be wearing protective masks.

This is an impressive feat for our client, because they’re not known for creating mobile app campaigns that utilize data platforms such as this.

Additionally, they’re planning on following up this campaign, using DustSee as the cornerstone for future initiatives.

Air pollution kills 5 million people globally each year. This year South Korea ranked 174th worst out of 180 countries for fine dust (PM2.5) exposure*. And Seoul ranked as one of the worst cities in the world for air pollution**.

People breathe in microscopic dust particles, which enter the lungs and bloodstream and cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Even death.

Yet most people in Seoul are not aware of the danger. Because they can’t see it.

The dust particles are 1/30 the width of human hair, so they are invisible to the human eye, even when the pollution's bad.

So people don’t wear a protective mask.

Our task was to show people the invisible danger.

* 2018 Environmental Performance Index Report for PM2.5 fine dust exposure

** AirVisual, AQI March 21, 2017