CASE STUDY

ABU DHABI AUTONOMOUS RACING LEAGUE (A2RL)

A multi-product digital suite for ASPIRE's flagship autonomous racing initiative — 2024 to 2025.

Client Needs

ASPIRE — the program-development arm of Abu Dhabi's Advanced Technology Research Council — launched A2RL to push the boundaries of autonomous technology and AI innovation. ASPIRE needed a coherent digital product suite to drive registrations, on-site access, interactive audience engagement, and live data integrations across four key events. - A2RL inaugural autonomous super-formula car race - 2024 - F1 Grand Prix fan zone activation - 2024 - A2RLxDCL autonomous drone championship - 2025 - Second annual A2RL super-formula car race - 2025

User Needs

Attendees → frictionless registration, tiered access (public vs invite-only), and engaging on-site digital experiences.
Event staff → fast, reliable on-site check-in and access control across thousands of attendees.

Solution

An end-to-end product suite spanning registration, on-site access, native and WebAR experiences, interactive installations, and a native mobile racing game integrated with live race telemetry. Each product was tailored to its event, audience, and tech stack — while reusing the definition, governance, and handover practices established on the inaugural race to stay shippable under shifting briefs, shifting teams, and tight timelines.

PROCESS

Definition & User Journeys

As ASPIRE's strategy evolved between editions, I led product definition and UX/UI design across every product. From the inaugural mobile app and live-telemetry racing game in 2024, through the F1 Fan Zone AR and games, to the drone event and second annual AI race registration platform, I converted ambiguous and evolving briefs into actionable SOWs, journeys, and feature specifications — mobilising shifting resources while documenting product learnings and iterating based on user feedback and analytic insights.

Cross-Event Continuity

Across four edition of A2RL events, I oversaw and streamlined the UX/UI design, handover, and technical delivery management of products across very different tech stacks — Next.js and Vercel for web, 8th Wall for WebAR, and Unity for the native AR, mobile racing app and interactive activation apps. With shifting teams, shifting client priorities, and limited UI designer resources, I designed and owned an effective, scalable, and flexible governance system — SOW translation, post-project analysis, documentation, and structured handovers — that let account managers pitch and close subsequent A2RL events, and mobilised cross-functional teams (developers, designers, and 3D artists). Across each product, I maintained a solid design system to maintain the client’s brand identity and support additional interactive design teams.

DELIVERABLES

Registration Web App & Check-in System
A fully responsive web platform for tiered visitor registration and on-site QR check-in, used at the inaugural race, drone event, and second annual AI racing edition.
Key Considerations
Tiered registration flows (public link vs invite-only) with email-based QR ticket delivery
Mobile-first registration form paired with a tablet-based check-in app
Real-time analytics to monitor registration and attendance
Object Recognition AR & WebAR
Native AR app that let visitors scan the full-scale A2RL super-formula car and an additional WebAR app where users spawn the 3D model to reveal sensors, engine, chassis, and other internal components through an interactive 3D overlay. Delivered for the F1 fan zone activation, drone event, and second annual AI racing edition.
Key Considerations
Consistent UI and handover across both native (Unity ) and Web-AR (8th Wall) stacks
User-friendly onboarding UI for both web and native versions
Tap targets and 3D interactions optimised for tablets in crowded outdoor environments (both in day time and night time)
Mobile Event App & Racing Game
A native iOS and Android event app for the inaugural 2024 race — tickets, programme, team details, venue and parking maps, FAQs, and profile — combined with a Unity racing game on the Yas Marina Circuit featuring single player, multiplayer, and a live race-day mode driven by real-time car telemetry (GPS and speed) streamed from on-site servers.
Key Considerations
Two core goals inside one app — event utility and mobile racing game — designed for a cohesive experience with states across each event state (pre-race, live-race, post-race)
HUD and leaderboards designed with UI components to support VFX and user feedback
Cross-platform compatibility (iOS / Android) with optimised design for handover

OUTCOME

Across four editions, the A2RL digital suite has handled around 10,000 registrations at the latest edition, supported four distinct event formats, and given ASPIRE a scalable digital foundation — registration, check-in, AR, interactive activations, and a native racing app. AR and game activations sustained strong dwell times and leaderboard-driven repeat play at the F1 Fan Zone, and the documentation and handover practices established on the inaugural race have continued to enable account management stakeholders to pitch and close subsequent A2RL projects.

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