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Challenge Briefing & Ideation Session

March 27, 2026

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Agenda:

Welcome + Introductions
Padlet Icebreaker
The 2026 Challenge Brief
Challenge Logistics
Brainstorming & Ideation Activity
Q&A

Live Session Tips

Be respectful to facilitators and fellow attendees in the chat
Utilize the PUBLIC chat to ask questions for clarity on topics discussed during the call
Review the chat & responses before asking your question to check if it has already been answered

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Template Gallery “Walk”

Lens Studio’s Template Library is your secret weapon. Let’s pick a "foundation" and share our vision for what it could become!

Explore: Go to https://developers.snap.com/lens-studio/4.55.1/references/templates/overview
Select: Pick one template that catches your eye.
Post to Padlet: https://bit.ly/arlc2026_padlet

Link the template
Briefly describe what the template does
Explain one way you would use this in a unique design

Interact: Give a "Heart"❤️ or a comment to each other's ideas!

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Snap AR Lens Challenge

Join us: March 9 - April 10, 2026

The Snap AR Lens Challenge is a free, five-week online program that exposes you (ages 13+) to the world of augmented reality design.

Quick Facts:

Create an interactive Lens that appeals to Snapchatters
Attend 2-3 “Learn Live” sessions
Submit your own AR Lens
Multiple prizes are offered, including a special invitation to apply to the Snap Lens Academy

�Upcoming AR Help Desk Session:

Thursday, April 2 - 12pm PT w/Roman Jaquez�

Learn more https://www.snaparchallenge.com/

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Snap AR Lens Challenge

Self-Paced (Website)

Live (Zoom)

Self-Paced (Submit)

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Three parts to the Challenge:

March 9 - April 8, 2026

Self-paced modules - ‘Level Up’

2D Objects
Facial Elements
Background Elements
Adding Final Touches & Polishing Your Lens

Live Lens Labs via Zoom - ‘Learn Live’

3/25 - Lens Lab w/Roman Jaquez ✅
3/27 - Challenge Briefing & Ideation ✅
4/2 - AR Help Desk w/Roman Jaquez

Lens Challenge Submission

Submit by Wednesday, 4/8 at 11:59 pm PT to be considered for awesome prizes!

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2026 Brief: Your Core Memory

Think about a moment from your past that you never want to forget. Maybe it’s the way the sun looked on a summer afternoon, a favorite toy you had as a kid, or the "vibe" of a specific school year with your friends. These are your Core Memories. They are the stories and feelings that make you who you are today!

Snapchat has always been about sharing how you feel in the moment with your community. Back in 2016, the first AR Lenses (like the famous Flower Crown) changed how we talk to our friends by letting us express ourselves in a different way. Today, everyone is looking back at those "old school" vibes and photo dumps from 10 years ago. We want to see how you can take that same spark and use Lens Studio to share your own history with others through an AR Lens.

The Challenge:

We’re challenging you to to pick a special memory, feeling, or style from the past and use Lens Studio to transform it into an immersive AR experience that your community can step into today.

The best part is that your memory doesn't have to be a huge event like a graduation or a big game. It can be any small moment that feels special to you. Use your creativity to show us how a simple memory can become a brand-new way to connect with your community!

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Evaluation Criteria

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Submission Checklist

Step 1: Submit your final Challenge Lens to Snap for approval by Monday, April 6th at 11:59 pm PT

Make sure you are not using any copyrighted material.
Keep the overall size of your Lens under 8 MB.

Step 2: Submit your approved Challenge Lens to the Snap AR Lens Challenge Team and complete the exit survey by Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 11:59 pm PT

Snapcode (given by Snap after Step 1)
A 10-second preview video of your Lens
5 - 6 Slide presentation demonstrating your lens creation process
Responses to the exit survey

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Start With Your Goal (The "Why")

Flower Crown

Audience: A solo user (Selfie)
How the audience uses it: Looking

The user frames their face, and the Lens automatically transforms their look.

Crying Face

Audience: A storyteller (Performance)
How the audience uses it: Acting�This Lens reacts to the user’s performance. The lens changes based on the user's facial expressions.

Face Swap

Audience: Two friends (Social)
How the audience uses it: Sharing�This is a collaborative activity. It requires two people to be in the camera frame.

Before you design, decide your mission. The Lens can be about anything—a memory, a pet, or a dream. But a great Lens is built on an Objective.

Who is it for? What should they do? How should they feel?

Your audience's experience tells you exactly which assets and interactions you need to build.

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Start With Your Goal (The "Why")

🧠📝Action: Define your objective:

The Who: Ask yourself... "Is this for one person to use alone, or for a group of friends to play with together?"
The Action: Ask yourself... "What is the one specific thing I want my audience to do? (Smile, tap the screen, or walk around?)"
The Result: Ask yourself... "How do I want them to feel when they see my memory come to life?"

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Choose your Core Memory (The "What")

Goal: Now that we have your objective, let’s find your story. A "Core Memory" is one specific moment from your life that you want to share with the community.

🧠📝Action: Write it down! In your brainstorming doc, describe your memory in just one sentence.

Example 1: "The first time I finally landed a kickflip on my skateboard."
Example 2: "Walking home with my friends on the last day of school."
Example 3: "Staying up late playing games with my older brother.”

🧠📝Action: Reflect on Your Choice:

Ask yourself: "What is the one specific 'feeling' from this memory that I want my friends to experience?"

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Visualize your Memory (The "What")

Goal: Now, let’s break that memory down. How do we turn a "memory" into an "AR Lens"?

Use these areas to find your design ingredients (assets).

📦 The "Item" (Objects with Stories): Are there specific items that belong in this memory?
⏳ The "Era" (Vibes & Aesthetics): What did the world look like in that moment? Was it bright and sunny, dark with neon lights, or grainy like an old phone photo?
🌍 The "Environment" (Places & Spaces): Where are you standing in this memory? Are there standout landmarks, unique buildings, or scenery that we should see?
✨ The "Vibe" (Atmosphere & Feeling): What was the "energy" of the moment? Was it a loud, high-energy victory, a quiet and peaceful afternoon, or a big, colorful surprise?

🧠📝Action: Brainstorm as many "design ingredients" as you can for every area to help you visualize your core memory.

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Identifying Your Assets (The "How")

Goal: Now it’s time to take your "Ingredients" and turn them into Assets.

What is an Asset? Assets are the digital "building blocks" of your Lens. Think of them like the parts of a LEGO set:

3D Assets: Objects with shape and volume (like a basketball, a vintage camera, or a trophy).
2D Assets: Flat images (like stickers, frames, or color filters).
Audio Assets: Sounds that set the mood (like a crowd cheering, rain, or lo-fi music).
Visual Effects: Moving "particles" (like floating stars, bubbles, or snow).

🧠📝Action: Create your asset shopping list

Look at your table from the last slide. Choose at least 3 important ingredients from your memory and decide what "Asset Type" you want them to be.

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Identifying Your Assets (The "How")

My Memory Ingredient	Asset Type
Iconic ferris wheel	3D asset
Deep purple neon lighting	2D asset (color filter)
Bass drop from the DJ’s set	Audio asset
Exploding fireworks sparks	Visual effects

Example Memory: The closing set of the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) music festival

🧠📝Action: (Objective Alignment) Review your initial "Objective" in Step 1. Do the Asset Types and Ingredients you selected actually serve your target audience and the specific action you want them to take?

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What’s Next? (Ideation to Design)

Your building process:

Gather custom designs, public domain files, or Len Studio’s AI-generated assets to build your project.
Import all collected assets into Lens Studio to begin the technical assembly process.
Construct your experience using Len Studio templates to ensure your assets snap into place.
Test your Lens on a smartphone to ensure a high-quality and consistent user experience.

You have your asset "Shopping List"—now it’s time to move from the drawing board to the screen.

Here is the 4-step path to bringing your Core Memory to life.

*If you are just starting with Lens Studio today, check out Snap Lens Lab recording for a detailed demo.

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Resources for Assets & Lens Studio

Feel free to use free resources to create or to find the "ingredients" for your Lens.

Official Lens Studio Resources

Lens Studio Templates: Your starting point for every project.
Lens Studio Asset Library: Built-in 3D models, materials, and scripts found directly inside Lens Studio.
Len Studio AI: Built-in tool to create assets instantly using text prompts.

Visual Assets (2D & 3D)

Canva: Best for designing custom 2D overlays, stickers, and text.
Sketchfab (CC0 Filter): Search for 3D models—just ensure you filter by "Free" or "Creative Commons."
Pixabay Images
Unsplash

Audio & Music (Royalty-Free)

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‍Pro Tips for Winning Lens

🚀 Stack Your Score: Combine 2D, 3D, and Face effects. Using 3+ features together is the best way to max out your Technical Execution.
🎨 Pro Visuals: Only import PNGs with transparent backgrounds. This keeps your Lens looking clean and professional—no messy white boxes!
🎵 Add a Vibe: Use royalty-free sounds or music. Audio makes your "Core Memory" feel immersive and unique.
📱 Stay in the "Safe Zone": Use Preview on Device to ensure your buttons and text aren't hidden by the Snapchat UI. Keep the top and bottom 310px clear!
🛠️ Hack the Process: Don’t start from zero. Pick a Lens Studio Template that matches your idea and customize it to make it your own.

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💡 Need Inspiration?

Check out the Challenge Submission Examples at the bottom of the Challenge Brief! See exactly how winners turn sketches into Lenses. Each example includes to Lens Studio Templates used.

Golden Earrings

Crown Flower:

Pua Kalaunu

Mehendi

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Prizes!

Cash prizes
Professional development opportunity to design a Lens for a client
High consideration for the 2026 Snap Lens Lab , a three-week, LA-based, educational learning experience at Otis College of Art and Design (only open for high school students)
High consideration for the paid 2026 Snap Lens Academy, a nine-week, US-based, virtual educational learning experience for community college students (or recent transfers)

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Padlet: AR Help Desk

Leverage the AR Lens Challenge community to build and polish your project by posting on Padlet! This is our shared space to grow together.

Ways to use this board:

Troubleshoot: Post a screenshot or a question if you’re stuck or hit a bug.
Get Feedback: Share your progress to see how your design aligns with the rubric.
Share Resources: Swap helpful tutorials, 3D assets, or creative tips.
Live Q&A: The Snap AR Team is monitoring this board to answer your questions as you build.

Link to Padlet: https://bit.ly/arlc2026_padlet

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Thank you for joining us!