Designing Experiential Spaces:
Creativity is in our bones – it’s what we thrive on. In this article we’re going to take a look at how we transform spaces from ordinary to extraordinary.
But first, we’re going to ask you one question: If you had a blank canvas space, how would you design an experience?
Um…? I rightfully hear you ask. Let’s take a look at how I position experience within space and ways to think about a guest journey to design the best guest experience.
Jane Doe owns a museum that has seen visitor numbers decrease following the pandemic. She knows that to generate footfall, she needs to think outside the box and renovate, re-energise and develop some of the existing exhibitions and spaces to fit a modern-day world. But, where does she start?
Well, she contacts The Business Creat…
No, this is not going to be a sales pitch! Let’s look how we’d tackle this resolution.
Firstly, our team asks themselves and the client WHY they want to change the space. Is it operationally not working? Is it no longer relevant or creating a buzz? Knowing WHY a space is to be changed or designed will explain the motivation for design, underpinning the basis of design and use of the space.
You may think that the next step is to look at the space and work out what can be created within it … we work a little different.
We start with the question: ‘How do we want the audience to feel?’ Is it entertained? Is it to feel humbled or even empowered? Starting with the basic concept of ‘Feeling First Approach’, you can really define the end goal of the experience and then work backwards to work out exactly how you achieve that.
Having this run through your entire design phase allows you to create a KPI and sense check the overall experience or additional elements that create this feeling. It’s the perfect way to work out if you’re doing the right thing, not just for your own creativity, but for your client and the space itself.
Once we have the feeling goal locked in, the next step is to take a look at the guest journey.
Of course, it’s important to take a look at the feasibility, logistics, operational considerations and power, etc., but without knowing the guest journey and potential interactions within, it’s impossible to work out the fundamental baselines.
The Business Creative team think of our experiences like a movie. There’s a beginning, a middle, and a culmination and end to the experience. These can then be broken down into exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. We want to take the audience on a journey where they become part of the action – this could be by education or entertainment.
Once we’ve planned the key points, we can then plan the devices to deliver the story and feelings. This could be lighting, film or animation, live performances or interactive technology. These devices become our delivery system, a way to convey our messages, core aims and emotions associated with the production.
It’s so important at the stage of design to look into immersive and atmospheric conditions that can immerse audiences into the space. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What would the smell be? Would the space be hot or cold? The theme of the space and story you’re conveying will define the level of immersive technology that would be integrated – but this needs to be considered at the beginning of the creative ideation phase.
We map these out into CAD (computer aided design) software and start to physically plan the spaces. Where will people stand? Where is the power? What happens if it’s raining? All of these contingencies are built within the design – no stone is left unturned when planning spaces to ensure that the client gets the best impact for their space and one that’s operational. The Business Creative team pride themselves on their operational know how. Our experiences are designed by operators with creative hearts. This makes sure that anything put forward is well presented, yet functional.
The creative team liaise with our brilliant network of fabricators and manufacturers to design elements of each experience, working with them from early stages to ensure that the products are produced to the highest standards and on budget! As always, amendments WILL take place during the fabrication stage, but there are ways to alleviate this pressure.
We consider with each experiential space adding a fly-through video as standard. These videos help take you through the spaces long before they’re even constructed. You and your client can move through a digital, high resolution 3D virtual mockup of the final product. It’s a perfect way to remove any pinch points before construction even begins.
Our team work with brilliant concept artists and rendering professionals to export as much design content as possible to the client before It’s signed off. These pieces of art can become invaluable to all getting on the same page and sign off the creative elements in a smart, clean, visual format that anyone can understand.
It’s vital that our team collaborate and gain feedback from other creatives and professionals based in the same field. We can’t know everything – and we have our own likes and dislikes – but we’re all here to make the project a success. We often hire the services of external viewpoints to check our presentations and creative concepts to make sure we’re hitting the brief perfectly, and also that we’re not missing a trick.
The immersive industry and themed attraction industry is growing year upon year. There’s so much creativity flowing that there’s always something new and interesting to consider adding to your experiential space.
Research, research, research. This cannot be recommended enough. Seek out new suppliers, seek out new technologies and experience as much as you can.
A walk in the park can spark the concept for something created in the future. We live on this earth for such a short time that not experiencing an event or occasion is unthinkable! You never know when you might get that next creative spark that will help transform that lacklustre space into an unforgettable space.
So get out and see what you can!
If you’d like to know more, please get in touch. We’d be delighted to help you create that magic! 🪄
