• by Colin Kirkland , June 1, 2023

For creators and businesses that want to enhance their creative output, Snap has announced three new augmented reality (AR) lenses built by the platform's AR community, as well as a “Learning Hub” comprising free lessons in AR creation.

The “SEEN Camera” lens, designed and built by SEEN.TV -- a journalism video publisher with over 7 million subscribers on Snapchat -- is focused on relaying current events and environmental issues.

The Lens offers creators various journalism and filmmaking tools, including topic prompts, interview questions, shot lists and immersive AR effects that provide a guide through the storytelling process. 

To offer a more gamified AR experience, businesses can tap into the “Unconditional Friends” Lens, a “magical challenge-based game where friends compete to collect rewards, score points and earn the top spot in the match” built by creative studio 3dar.

Channeling the immersive qualities of AR technology, players will be invited to place a portal on a real-world surface using the Snapchat camera.

Players can connect in real-time with a friend in the same Lens at the same time using Snap's “Lens Cloud.”

The last new Lens that Snap is launching now is called “Brickit Express” -- built by Brickit Inc. and AR agency Qreal -- a brick-building experience that allows users scan a pile of bricks and generate 3D character models and AR scenes.

Creators and businesses interested in learning more about AR creation within Snapchat can check out the AR Learning Hub -- “a new way to learn about the augmented reality field and gain the skills for a career in AR,” Snap says.

Through the Hub, Snap is offering a new set of courses with over a dozen free lessons, as well as tutorials, livestreams, and documentation for AR creators at all difficulty levels.