The Address Book is an educational WebAR experience developed in 8th Wall Studio by USC student Jinglin Jingan and Professor Robert Hernandez. Built in collaboration with the ONE Archives at USC Libraries, this immersive project spotlights the first edition of Bob Damron’s Address Book, a 1960s-era travel guide that documented safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals across the U.S.

Inspired by its real-world counterpart—often called the “Green Book for queer people”—this browser-based experience brings history to your fingertips. Users can flip through a digitized version of the guide using touch and audio-based interactions. As they explore, they’ll uncover original listings from the book’s pages, listen to oral history from ONE Archives director Joseph Hawkins, and engage directly with a piece of LGBTQ+ history that’s long been overlooked.

We caught up with Jinglin to learn how this project came to life using 8th Wall Studio, how it was structured, and how it’s helping bring queer history to wider audiences through interactive storytelling.

What inspired you to create The Address Book?
This project was inspired by a directed research initiative with Professor Hernandez, focused on uncovering the often-overlooked histories of Los Angeles. Both Professor Hernandez and I were particularly interested in how LA’s predominantly whitewashed narrative has obscured significant cultural histories.

Our research began with an exploration of ethnic histories in the city and led us to the Green Book, a pivotal guide for Black travelers during segregation. This, in turn, introduced us to Bob Damron’s Address Book, a key historical resource that documented LGBTQ+ spaces during the mid-20th century. These discoveries laid the groundwork for creating an experience that seeks to highlight and celebrate these hidden narratives.

How did 8th Wall Studio help bring your vision to life?

8th Wall Studio made it possible to build this experience directly in the browser, which was critical for our accessibility goal. We didn’t want users to download an app or jump through hoops to engage with this history.

The Studio’s sample projects and code documentation helped us quickly prototype interactions. We built the core logic using multiple scripts—one for tap-to-place functionality, another for portal transitions, and one that layered different book pages with associated audio and UI elements. The component-based architecture and easy asset management made everything feel organized and scalable.

We also relied on support from the Studio team. George and Pablo were incredibly helpful in troubleshooting and guiding us through specific features.

What challenges did you face during development?

The biggest learning curve was adapting to the Entity-Component-System model and understanding how Studio’s scripting works. As a newer developer, I wasn’t very familiar with JavaScript or 3D game development. However, after a Zoom troubleshooting session with the Niantic team, I gained a clearer understanding of the platform and could move forward confidently.

We also learned a few technical best practices along the way, like avoiding splat recordings longer than 4 minutes and not running multiple projects in the editor at the same time, which helped prevent bugs and crashes.

What were the key steps in building The Address Book?

Here’s what worked best for us:

• Prototype with placeholders – We used mock 3D assets and UI early on to test functionality before finalizing visuals.
• Duplicate your projects often – Studio’s undo function doesn’t always revert deep changes, so we made frequent backups.
• Lean on sample projects – Studying and adapting code from Studio’s library saved a ton of time.
• Use state machines wisely – We created named states for page-turning and audio playback, which kept the interactions organized and easy to debug.
• Design UI elements in Figma – Then we exported and integrated them cleanly into Studio for better visual control.
  

What advice would you give to other developers using 8th Wall Studio?

Take full advantage of Studio’s sample projects—they offer building blocks for nearly every kind of interaction. Once you understand how the code is structured, it’s easy to customize and remix.

Also, don’t hesitate to ask for help. The community and support team are responsive, and even one session can make a huge difference in your understanding of the platform.

Finally, start small and build upward. Focus on nailing your core mechanic first—like tap-to-place or audio interaction—before layering on more complexity.
Where do you see the future of AR—and how does 8th Wall Studio fit into that vision?

AR is going to be everywhere—from education and museums to tourism and entertainment. I see it becoming a standard part of how we interact with the world and with stories, especially through mobile devices.

8th Wall Studio plays an important role in that future by making AR easy to create and even easier to access. Because it’s web-based, you don’t need to build an app or use special hardware. You just scan and go. That makes it perfect for projects like The Address Book, which are meant to reach people where they are and make history feel personal and alive.

Explore more

The Address Book was created using Niantic Studio to bring archival storytelling to life in browser-based AR. To learn more about the experience, its creators, and the historical research behind it, visit the official project site.

Have questions about the build? Want to try something similar? Join our developer community on Discord to get support and connect with fellow creators.