Doddz Creator Spotlight
As part of our AR creator spotlight series, we reached out to Doddz, who is widely considered one of the world’s foremost AR creators. He walked us through his start as a creator, a day in the life, and advice he has for those aspiring to enter the world of AR creation.
How did you get started?
“Trying to find that art style that looked unique, I experimented with a lot of different mediums (including sculpting and poetry) but when I started with AR the reaction was 10x bigger than anything I’d done before and I loved the creative process so I doubled down.”
What does the typical day of a creator look like?
“I like to get up early and go to the gym, this helps me clear my head and plan out my day.
I try to allocate a rough timeline for the day to manage my own expectations of what I can get done today and also priorities what needs to be done and it might look something like this
6:30 am-9 am
Gym
Treadmill — answer emails or interview questions.
9:30 am
Team meeting
10 am-3 pm — Typically a mix of the following:
Client consulting
Artwork
Recording social content
Preparing presentations
Internal meetings
3–5 pm — Meetings
I try to keep my meetings to the end of the day as I find I’m more productive with my work in the morning.
Walk the dog — getting away from the desk is where I’ll think of new ideas or solve work problems.”
What is your favorite part of the creation process?
“I love the idea stage, even the best-executed artwork flops if the idea isn’t strong enough. There are unlimited opportunities with AR so I always get excited when discussing possibilities. I also like consulting with clients who have old problems which they’re trying to solve with new technology — it forces you to think outside of the box about how things could be done differently and that’s an exciting space to be in.”
What are some challenges you face during the creation process?
“We’re so early in the AR space that consumers aren’t even using the right hardware yet. They’re using phones which aren’t primarily designed for AR experiences so you’re limited by their cameras, processing power, and internet speeds. That limits the creative process as you can only build to 4mb-10mb which doesn’t give you a lot of creative space for longer experiences or more realistic models. Virtual try-on is a good example. Small 3D model sizes mean the clothes don’t look hyperrealistic and the processing speed of the phone means the body isn’t tracked perfectly. Don’t get me wrong, it still blows my mind what’s possible now but I’m excited for a time when visually things are a lot more realistic.”
Do you have any advice for anyone looking to get started in AR creation?
“First of all, it’s a great time to get involved. The industry is still in its infancy so it’s easy to make a name for yourself. Creators in older industries like photography have to spend 20+ years to become industry leaders, XR is so new that within 18 months you can rise to the top.
Secondly, with any new creative venture, I suggest trying to make the worst possible thing possible. Take all the pressure of trying to be perfect and have fun with it. Even with making something so god-awful, you’ll learn loads. This also makes it easier to make a second thing because there’s no way you could make something worse than the first experiment so again, no pressure.”
What are some benefits of being an AR creator?
“The main one is I haven’t had a 9–5 job in about 3 years now, that blows my mind and is something I was working towards since I was about 16 so I’m grateful every day.
I’m also trying to create a distinct style for my art and having access to a medium that no one in art history had is certainly a way to stand out.”
You can explore Doddz’s work and more on his website and social channels below:
Website: http://www.doddz.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doddz/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doddz/
