Let’s start a project together

How the Built Environment is Keeping Pace with the Digital World

From a historic building, a collegiate campus, an airport, a tourist town or hotel resort that spreads across expansive acreage, most every entity wants to capture, direct and/or engage their occupants, visitors and consumers. As technology continues to shape both the people, industries, and infrastructure we live within—augmenting processes, streamlining activities, and integrating innovations to achieve new heights—the built environment must renovate and reimagine itself to keep pace with the modern digital climate.

Founded in 2011, W&CO is a digital design and development studio based in New York City, that specializes in strategy, interface design, development and innovation for mobile and web platforms. With a concentrated focus on digital integration within the built environment and leveraging technologies like Digital Wayfinding, Map Design, UI/UX, Interactive Design, Development, Content Management Systems, Cross-Platform Development, e-commerce, Javascript and more, W&CO has enabled digital strategies for a wide range of clients, including the Civic, Education & Non-Profit, Hospitality and Technology sectors.

On this episode of Experience By Design, W&CO Principal, Vijay Mathews, joins Bryan Meszaros to discuss the emerging trends that will have a long-term impact on the experience factor, the rise of technology adoption during the pandemic, the pros and cons of data collection and analytics, and provides insights to unlocking engagement in a contactless world.

“There needs to be a real understanding and use case for those technologies, especially in an environment or in the workspace where these are heavily used—oftentimes, daily used—applications,” explained Matthews. “So, the last thing you want to do is push forward a technology that has a large or highly advanced learning curve that could potentially be a barrier for many people to use and to access. So that’s always the one thing we try to balance.”

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

Bringing Immersive and Narrative Experiences to Life with Sound

Music and sound are integral parts of crafting an immersive experience, and Stephen Thomas Cavit, Composer and Principal for Iconic Music, Design & Consulting knows a thing or two about leveraging those tools.

He’s engineered sound and music for a variety of themed properties, from Alien Versus Predator at Universal Studios Japan and Hollywood to Fox’s Ice Age, has scored numerous films that have screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and much more.

Cavit joined host Bryan Meszaros for this episode of the Experience by Designpodcast, presented by MarketScale, where the two dove into this musical background and explored how Cavit uses music and sound to continue to wow people across the world.

Today’s spaces and experiences are evolving quickly, and that means that music and sound need to progress alongside them. These elements of an experience, particularly in the case of music, are now being designed for particular spaces.

“Now, with the technology that Iconic works with, we can put sounds anywhere in a 3D spectrum,” Cavit said. “We can recreate, very convincingly, a world we’re already familiar with. But the other thing is, we can create brand-new worlds. And that has kind of limitless storytelling potential.”

That has implications beyond narrative, as well, with Cavit saying he expects a fundamental shift in the way we experience sound within the next decade or so and that sound design will continue to have implications for branding, advertising and more.

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

Experimenting with Technology without Chasing Trends

If there’s one skill we should all want to walk away with when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, it should be adaptability. Being flexible, resilient, and quick on our feet was more important this year than ever before. For Josh Goldblum, Founder & CEO of Bluecadet, these skills have always been top of mind. He explained that in the studio, they are constantly looking to reinvent and innovate, “That’s a lot about how we approach our work. But I think we’re kind of like always up for a challenge and we’re always up for trying things differently,” Goldblum said.

When it comes to facing challenges, Goldblum likes to focus on problem solving. “I think we just look at everything as kind of a problem. You know, like, how do you make this work and like how do you optimize for it?” Goldblum explained. He believes that as long as you stay curious, you don’t get too discouraged.

One example of how Bluecadet has adapted in our new world involves touchscreens. “We’ve always been looking for different ways to express ourselves and to like create new types of interactions and physical space. And I think we were also like, very wary of certain solutions. So you know, I mean, honestly, we’ve probably deployed like 1,000, touchscreens. You know, we’ve done tons and tons of touch walls, we’ve done lots of projection,” Goldblum said. Bluecadet was already beginning to rethink if this technology and then touching things became an undesirable thing to do. What did they do when it was time to make a switch? “We weren’t thinking about it, because we’re like, oh my God like COVID is everywhere, and no one’s gonna want to touch a screen. It was like mostly, these screens don’t serve the content that well, and they’re kind of boring, and like, not magical. So, you know, we’d already been thinking a lot about like AR and how to sort of blend the, you know, people’s devices with the physical environment,” Goldblum noted.

“We want to make sure that we’re like using a contemporary toolset to express ourselves and which is not to say that, like, we’re always trying to push like the most contemporary technology, because sometimes it’s just totally inappropriate…But you know, it’s stuff that interests us and you know, it’s just different ways that we can kind of express and solve different problems.”

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

How Narratives Power Impactful Experience Design

On this episode of Experience by Design, host Bryan Meszaros welcomed Abigail Honor, Founder of Lorem Ipsum Corp, for a discussion on how growth in the field of experience design has made finding great talent simpler.
Lorem Ipsum is a “multidisciplinary firm specializing in the planning, design and production of experiences.” That’s a broad definition, but the company essentially prides itself on helping museums, attractions and more elevate the impact they leave on guests via the power of dramatic narratives and innovative solutions.
Honor’s background in film and media informed Lorem Ipsum’s beginnings as a media-first company, but it’s also now contributed to a more well-rounded approach to experience design and narrative that draws on that experience and inspiration.
That natural progression has led to Lorem Ipsum’s focus on narrative-driven experiences that leverage innovative technology solutions helping to bring the company’s forward-thinking ideas to life.
Honor said a wider shift toward a recognition of experience design and its importance for visitor attractions and venues of all kinds has made it simpler to find the people who form the growing core of her business.
“Our community’s grown. Twenty years ago, I don’t think anybody knew what experiential design was, and now you can go and study it at university,” Honor said. “It really is night and day, and a lot has changed in the landscape over the last 20 years. So finding great people, I think, is a lot easier.”
Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

How the Georgia Aquarium Made Waves During the Shutdown

 

What happens when an educational non-profit institution finds itself faced with a sudden total shutdown of society amidst a pandemic? Jerry Harris, Director of Audio Visual at the Georgia Aquarium joined the show to talk about how technology kept the aquarium afloat.

When the quarantine began, Jerry and his team were caught as unaware as everybody else. Suddenly, the aquarium wouldn’t have any visitors. “We had to pivot and go, ‘ok now the doors are going to close. What are we going to do? How are we going to stay relevant?” Jerry said.

The key was a digital approach to deliver the content to the visitors in their homes. A campaign of educational videos, virtual tours and social media brought the aquarium to kids and families wherever they were watching from. Not only did it work, but it turned out that digital content was exactly what people were craving.

Not only did this content keep people engaged, it also kept the Georgia Aquariumrelevant, and a strong social media presence kept potential visitors informed about any upcoming reopenings and events. Jerry was quick to note that they weren’t seeking relevancy for the sake of relevancy. “What the aquarium does in regards to taking care of animals, and even beyond just what we do in the facility, what we do abroad…whether it’s health assessments on dolphins or sea lions or what have you, we’re looking at ways of bringing that message to people,” he said.

Post-shutdown, Jerry and his team have put their digital audio skills to use in educating guests with digital signage about proper safety procedures and directing the use of strategically placed hand sanitizers. While the digital content continues to be a winner, Jerry is always looking forward to what’s next.

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

The Rise of Experiential Retail

 

On this episode of Experience by Design, host Bryan Meszaros was joined by Marcos Terenzio, Vice President, Creative & Strategy for iGotcha Media. iGotcha Media specializes in turnkey digital signage solutions, helping “brands tell powerful stories in order to create real human connections.”

In practice, that means leveraging augmented and virtual reality, RFID solutions, digital content creation and more to create experiences for consumers that, as iGotcha puts it, feel “lived,” not told.

From Reebok to Nissan and Cirque du Soleil, this approach has attracted some retail and experience giants.

While the technology that wows might be the most visible part of an iGotcha solution, the overall focus is helping customers identify and craft the appropriate consumer path to purchase, brand advocacy or any other end goal clients have identified as their measure of success.

With the landscape of retail constantly evolving and brands engaging with digital experiences more often than ever, iGotcha focuses on collaborating with partners in architectural and retail design, other digital experience firms, advertising agencies and more to help supplement the solutions the company provides.

“Collaboration is very important,” Terenzio said. “Even though some firms claim to be a ‘jack of all trades’ or to do it all, the reality is that nobody is really an expert in all things.”

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

How AR and VR Will Change the Experience of Watching Sports

The sports fan experience has been evolving, with the help of technology, for years. This evolution has launched state of the art venues and novel ways to engage. However, the pandemic brings the fan experience to new territory. Bringing insights to the new fan experience are Amy Lukas, Partner, Director of Events, and Darlene Van Uden, Design Director, of Infinite Scale, a sports design consultancy.

After working with a number of professional sports leagues on permanent design elements and special events, including five Superbowls, the organization has a wealth of knowledge. It helped them bring the NHL back to play. Lukas said, “We’ve been working with the NHL for over 12 years, and the limitations of COVID brought about a new way of playing. Once the NHL decided to host the games in Canada, we had two weeks to design, install, and implement.”

One of the most significant challenges was play without fans, but there was a digital integration to bring them there virtually. Fans were on digital screens, bringing some level of excitement. Lukas shared, “When we get back to full stadiums, I think they’ll be a new appreciation of fans being there in person and a bigger focus on enhancing their experience and taking it to the next level.”

Van Luden added, “The switch to presenting sports rather than a direct experience will probably move forward AR and VR to be in the moment. It’s a way to get closer to the game when no one can be close to it. I think we’ll see more catering to the fan’s personal preferences to keep them connected to their teams and players in a new way.”

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

How a Music Tour Launched an Experiential Company

It’s all about the experience! That means being open to new technologies and design practices, but not necessarily abandoning the old ones. It’s not about labeling oneself as a designer or an integrator—rather, it’s about using the most effective tools and approach to solving the problems at hand. The end result is a carefully crafted experience that helps connect people to place.

On this episode of Experience by Design, host Bryan Meszaros was joined by Leviathan Co-Founder and CEO Chad Hutson.

Leviathan focuses on designing experiences that leverage the power of narrative and storytelling, using “rich, immersive content,” “emerging technology” and spatial design to “craft experiences to be felt.” And the company has done just that for some of the biggest companies in the world, counting the likes of Disney and McDonald’s among its clients.

Meszaros and Hutson explored the origins of Leviathan, which is fast approaching its 10-year anniversary, and the company’s overall approach to crafting those impactful experiences.

The duo also outlined the general motivation behind experiential design, which was largely in its infancy when Leviathan began its quest to reshape the industry.

“The term itself, ‘experiential’ – I think, even today, some folks may not use it in their day-to-day vernacular,” Hutson said. “At the time, what helped us was there was one project for an electronic musician … As part of his tour, there was this interesting sculpture for the background. It just looked like a bunch of white cubes. We created some projection alignments tools, as well as [some content], and I think the success of that tour really helped launch the success of our company.”

Leviathan has experienced its fair share of success, but Hutson said there have also been plenty of challenges along the way.

In looking back, he said the initial challenges were around finding the right talent and people with the potential to enter a burgeoning field. Then, as the company evolved, challenges sprung up in sustaining growth, balancing ambition with capability, and staying productive and ahead of the curve as the world shifts and evolves.

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

Episode 20: Advancements in Gesture Interaction w/ Meghan Athavale

Welcome to another episode of the Design, Culture, and Experience Show. I am your host Bryan Meszaros and today I am joined by Meg Athavale the Founder and CEO of LUMOplay an interactive software development agency.

Discussion Topics:

Thank you to our guest: Meghan Athavale / Founder & CEO / LUMOplay / Twitter @lumoplay

More on OpenEye Global here:

URL: http://openeye-prod.local

Twitter: http://twitter.com/openeyeglobal

Instagram: http://instagram.com/openeyeglobal

Episode 19: Reopening Strategies

Welcome to another episode of the Design, Culture, and Experience Show. I am your host Bryan Meszaros and today I am joined by a few good friends and respected industry colleagues. We always share and bounce our thoughts off one another but we took that a step further recently and teamed up to write an article around the balance of technology and design for physical spaces post covid. The article is in the June edition of SCN Magazine. 

Question: Re-opening strategies are top of mind for everyone but it’s more complicated than just “opening the doors.” From a DESIGN POV what observations or insights do you have that different environments should be doing to ensure a “safe” and “manageable” environment?

Key Points:

 

Question: The businesses that get it right and survive will understand that there needs to be a balance of design and technology. However it does come down to a question of investment and for a while a lot of businesses have been reluctant to invest in technology. Is this the catalyst?

Key Points:

 

Question: It’s a balance we are trying to create to make a space safe BUT what price does the customer / visitor have to pay with regards to their privacy? 

Key Points:

 

Question: The erosion of confidence we face at this moment in time will lead to trust being more critical than ever. What can businesses do to keep their promise of safety? How do they stay true to their “brand promise”

Key Points::

Thank you to our guests:

 

More on OpenEye Global here:

URL: http://openeye-prod.local

Twitter: http://twitter.com/openeyeglobal

Instagram: http://instagram.com/openeyeglobal