Side view of angled digital surface with colored striations running on it

Experience Center

Exploring the Data Within for Google

Client

Google

Challenge

To reinforce its reputation as a technology company leading with data insights, Google wanted us to design an executive-level experience center that would expose the power of visitor data in artful, creative, and thought-provoking ways—on site in real time.

Opportunity

Spotlight Google’s advanced approach to collecting, interpreting, and curating complex data by developing compelling visual experiences that shapeshift based on the data generated by visitors during their unique journeys and interactions through the space.

The Skywalk with its dynamic colors of yellow, red and orange gradient
A blurred person walking past The Passage, which glows pink and blue in its artistic visualisation

Audience Impact

# Avg Daily Visitors

50

Spatial Impact

Square Footage

5000 Sq Ft

Global Impact

Company Size

140,000 FTEs

Dynamic photograph of natural geodes, with stripes of varying widths that inspired the data visualization of this project

For reference only, credit unknown

Creating “Deep City” with Everyday Interactions

We designed the Deep City experience, a name that reflects the idea of diving deep into many different types of human data using a variety of technologies. The experience consists of three interactive installations: The Passage, The City Cave, and The Skywalk.

Using the natural world and iconic New York destinations as sources of inspiration, these installations artistically collect visitor input data, including their gestures, speed of movement, voice commands, dwell times, and content selections. Each person contributes a digital layer of their own data that becomes arresting visual takeovers that, as they are combined with those of other guests, are never the same twice.

The aesthetics of both the digital content and the sculptural spaces are reminiscent of fossilized rock striations, sparkling geodes, and underground portals to the above-ground world—offering an awe-inspiring look at large amounts of digital information.

Diagram of colorful stripes that emit from a silhouetted person
Floor map of the Experience Center space and its activation areas
Diagram indicating the experience, consisting of (1) The Passage, (2) The City Cave, and (3) The Skywalk

Showcasing Powerful APIs in a New Light

To make Google’s APIs resonate in a meaningful way, we created an immersive front-end experience that was as visually compelling as it was technologically advanced. Deep City continues to spark conversations about how data can be used to deliver both insight and delight, putting an accessible spin on the complex technology capabilities that are at work for Google every day.

Render of an individual's silhouette on a backdrop of colored horizontal lines that react to the form of the person
Graphic of horizontal stripes of varying colors
Render of woman's silhouette in front of a render of The Passage, a undulating, layered, light-emitting surface
Close-up of "The Passage" render
Floor map indicating "The City Cave" activation area
Illustration of interconnected polygons enclosed within a rectangular format
Render of two individuals looking at a wall with a light-emitting polygonal pattern
A photograph of the One World Trade center displayed on the rectangular screen of The City Cave
Cleaned-up design of interconnected polygons with an array of colors and opacities in a rectangular format
Render of woman looking at geometric pattern from above in context of the spherical location of The City Cave
Render of a woman looking at an image of a location in New York on Google Maps, projected onto the interior surface of The City Cave
Animation demonstrating the transition between a photographed landscape of New York into a combination of abstracted interconnected polygons
Floor Map indicating activation area for The Skywalk
Render of people looking up at The Skywalk, which shows jagged waves of color
Close up of design development on The Skywalk
Exploration of lines and gradients in overlapping wave-like forms

Offering One-of-a-Kind Takeaways

Every visitor who interacts with the space receives a digital artifact to keep as an artistic record of their custom data journey. These personalized mementos encourage a deep connection with the brand and a lasting impact that extends beyond the duration of the experience.

Mobile interface of personalized data journey from Experience Center visit
Person holding a phone in their hand, which displays their personalized data insights
Woman looking at The Passage, composed of glowing pink and blue layers, which convey depth and light
Blurred silhouette of person walking across The Passage, which glows in different shades of blue
Close-up of rippling surface of The Passage
Woman interacting with The City Cave experience, using their hand to choose their "favourite word"
A moment of the experience that gives information about the location chosen, in this case, about the Red Hook
Woman moving her hands, interacting with The City Cave, whose screen shows a stylized version of a location in Brooklyn
Symmetrical image of a woman looking up at The Skywalk structure, which dips in the center, and glows with a mesmerizing white, red and yellow gradient
Close-up of a woman looking up at the Skywalk, displaying waves of white, pink and yellow color
Woman looking up a illuminated surface made of many tiny lights in a grid pattern

Experience Center

Reimagining the Way Meta Greets The World

Client

Meta

Challenge

To convey its distinct role in a changing marketplace, Meta (formerly Facebook) wanted to share a forward-looking design vision in its Global Partner Centers. High-profile guests needed to understand the company’s approach to making the world more open and connected on an individual and global scale.

Opportunity

Create a cohesive collection of high-touch, interactive experiences that can elegantly translate across global locations to communicate the company’s mission and culture. Celebrate the brand’s products and services, putting both small communities and large societies at the center.
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