NG 360° is a prototype I developed for a potential content format on the National Geographic YouTube channel. The goal was to standardize and serialize 360° video content by making it short-form, graphical, and educational. The intent was to engage Gen Alpha audiences by offering an accessible, virtual “field trip” experience.

For the prototype, I chose Great Falls National Park as the location. I conducted my research during the on-site shoot, gathering information that inspired the pop-up facts and graphics included in the video. I filmed using my personal 5.7K 360° camera. If produced at scale, I would recommend using an 8K camera for sharper detail and adding a voiceover track to narrate key points. To create variety in the pop-ups, I combined both 2D and 3D motion elements and composited them directly into the scene. I also designed simple intro and outro cards and a bottom watermark to align the piece with Nat Geo’s brand identity. The logo was a collaborative design effort between me and a colleague.

One challenge I encountered was that viewers might not know where to look for the pop-ups in a 360° environment. My proposed solution is to include an instruction card at the start, telling viewers how many pop-ups to watch for and encouraging them to find them all. This turns the experience into a game, potentially motivating replays and increasing engagement.​​