Two women standing between digital pillars with light purple gradient.

Art Commission

Taking Instagram into the Third Dimension

Client

Instagram

Challenge

To embody the creativity at the core of the company, Instagram wanted to develop a physical experience in the lobby of its San Francisco office that would demonstrate the brand’s mission to “capture and share the world’s moments” and foster community and originality.

Opportunity

Design an interactive experience that is unique to the Instagram brand and immediately engages employees, partners, and guests. Invite all visitors to become both content creators and consumers together, IRL.
Illuminated Instagram Logo with light pillars behind with pink gradient
Young woman presses light column with peach gradient
Audience Impact
# Avg Daily Visitors
300
Spatial Impact
Square Footage
2000 Sq Ft
Global Impact
Company Size
18,000 FTEs
Distorted image of brick building
For reference only, credit unknown

Giving Creativity a Home

The Light Forest features the Instagram community’s own vast collection of photos and videos, reimagined as a surprising 3-D environment of light, material and sound which visitors can alter by touching their surroundings to surface new digital content. Stimulating an infinite output of creative self-expression and simultaneously housing that creative expression, this experience is at once a contemporary gallery, a social media feed, and a photogenic studio environment.
Graphic illustration of columns, half distorted image, half orange to pink gradient
Render of young woman in front of illuminated pillars
Render of glass facade with Instagram logo with illuminated pillars behind glass

Surfacing the Ultimate Intent

Through a series of workshops and exploratory sessions with Instagram’s senior stakeholders, we aligned on the core underlying intent to engage artist partners and collaborators, and similarly appeal to content consumers with the highest visual standards.
Instagram image of wavy orange glass in front of magenta background
For reference only, credit: Wannerstedt
Render of young man walking towards illuminated pillars
Floorplan of diagram showing active and inactive zones of installation
Diagram of person touching panel in front of pillars
Diagram of an image of a yellow slide being distorted and translated onto pillars
Render of image of landscape running across pillars with purple gradient
Render of young woman in center of pillars
Render of a group of people standing in between pillars
Group of phones showing renders of pillars
Video of woman taking selfie in front of pillars, and photo appearing on phone
“HUSH’s commitment to technology, simplicity and human connection resonated with Instagram, and together we created a memorable first impression that pays tribute to our company’s commitment to community and creativity.”
Pamela Chen
Instagram, former Creative Director
Young woman presses light column with white gradient

Building Community Through Interactivity

Our design for The Light Forest prioritizes interaction and encourages visitors to become active participants within the experience. The space cultivates community, creating natural opportunities for collaboration, conversation, iteration, and play—all critical ingredients underlying employee happiness, a positive work culture, world-class recruitment, and deep industry partnerships.
Tall building with room illuminated in pink light
Group of people walking in between pillars with lavender gradient
Video of different content running across pillars
Young woman standing in between two columns with peach gradient
Group of people walking in between pillars with orange to blue gradient
Young woman standing behind pillars with orange gradient
Video of young woman walking past column and content changing as she touches it
Wide angle of women standing next to columns with blue to pink gradient
Three digital stripes on walls and ceiling with orange and yellow gradient

Unrealized Project

Transforming adidas HQ into the World of Sport

Client

adidas

Challenge

With a desire to connect employees, visitors, and brand ambassadors to its mission, adidas engaged us in a year of intense design collaboration with C-suite stakeholders to envision the experience for its newest building at its global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Opportunity

Deliver a powerful brand impression that puts adidas at the center of the world of sport—in the company’s most iconic location—with a digital-first solution and a rigorous commitment to authenticity.
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