Shwood Pop-Up Experience
Bringing adventure into the everyday with office cubicles that have been overtaken by nature, showcasing Shwood's exploratory use of materials in their products.
Bringing Adventure Into the Everyday
A familiar, mundane office cubicle that's been... consumed by nature? Why is there a computer with a half-wooden keyboard asking for a password? Explore this curious space and search for answers with Shwood as you sift through drawers full of foliage and printers that dispense bark.
Where + How
I selected Market Square in downtown Pittsburgh as the project location. This site often hosts live events and vendors, and is right beside office buildings like PPG Place and PNC Bank. The green of the nature in Shwood's pop-up would contrast with the gray surroundings, which would intrigue anyone walking by. The time of year this event would set up would be spring or summer, as those seasons bring in an influx of new employees to the city and weather nice enough for participation in an outdoor activity. As for the visualization of this concept, I was able to 3D model, design UI, iterate on spatial movements, roleplay emotional reactions, and consider logistics, such as the presence of moderators in the form of NPC-like actors. I learned to refine every step, from beginning (seeing the structure in the distance) to end (leaving with newfound attitudes). Additionally, based on the objectives, I decided that the KPIs of this experience would be newsletter sign-ups and social media posts.
First Contact
For the average office worker in downtown Pittsburgh, the initial impression of this pop-up is curiosity. What is that patch of green on this otherwise gray view? Something's different between these cubicles and the ones they just left...
Into the Woods
A screen is showing live footage from the room, allowing visitors to see themselves in this strange environment. When a key is pressed, a pop up window asks visitors to look for passwords that unlock the Shwood archives. They must search around the room for pairs of glasses that contain the answers.
This is Shwood
Each pair of glasses with its unique password unlocks a video from the Shwood archives. Each reel is a comical, absurd version of the history behind each pair of glasses or the founding story. The style of each clip is reminiscent of 70's slapstick, highlighting Shwood's quirky personality.
For All Your Touble...
After the video finishes playing, there is a reward for finding the password--a discount on one Shwood eyewear product! Each pair of glasses have their own special codes, so visitors can collect discounts for multiple pairs of glasses if they wish. They can also exit out of the window and take selfies in the computer wearing the glasses they just found. Moderators will give instructions to stash them away again before they leave for the next visitors to find.
Leaving with Fresh Eyes
Visitors may visit the other cubicles as well and be amazed at each office that has been swallowed up by seashells, stone, and even feathers, which are all materials Shwood uses in their products. If not, they can feel free to leave and take with them a newfound attitude towards the mundane. With Shwood, even the everyday can be an adventure!
Spatial Model
Designing is Worldbuilding
Curating a gamified experience pushed me to consider every detail of the experience, from logistics, to the activity itself, to the quantifiable measures of success. How can I justify each design decision with the brand's values, products, and objectives? Would this feature benefit both the client and the consumers? Why should the visitor want to engage more with the brand? These are some examples of questions I had to ask myself in order to curate a pop-up that was both intriguing and effective. Immersive spaces are able to move people in a special way because they are memorable and interactive in a way that totally envelops you in a new world. Many thanks to Daphne, who gave hugely constructive feedback and constantly gave suggestions that supported my ideas.
Programs
- Rhino
- Figma
- Adobe PS/Ai
Roles
- Creative Director
- Experience Designer
- Graphic Designer
- Spatial Designer
- Game Designer
Skills
- 3D Modeling
- Design Research
- Brand Design
- Interaction Design
- Physical Prototyping
- Storytelling
- Presentation