25th Anniversary
Celebrate the past, change the future
Role: Experience + Product Designer
November 16, 2019 marked the 25th anniversary of Capital One’s Initial Public Offering. As they move forward on a journey to change banking for good, we were approached to design an experience to reflect on the stories that got Capital One to where they are today. We created a visual design system that spanned across a physical installation and accompanying microsite.
Key Values
Exploratory - Allow visitors to “choose their own adventure” and move between content at their own pace.
Engaging - Intuitive interactions that encourage deeper examination of 50+ unique stories. Visitors walk away knowing more about the co.
Unexpected - Snap associates out of their day-to-day routine with sensory elements (eg. interactive content, lighting, sound) to construct a memorable experience.
Crafted with portability in mind, the installation is comprised of multiple configurable elements, that can adapt to a variety of spatial arrangements. The experience was intended to be deployed at three different sites; this required us to embrace a non-linear approach to storytelling built around flexibility. Visitors flow and dwell throughout the space, without explicit (but implied) entrances and exits.
Bespoke brand identity
A milestone as big as this demanded it’s own distinct visual. Branding was applied across the physical experience, stickers linking to a microsite, merchandise in the company store, celebratory cookies delivered to every office, digital signage across geographies, and internal blog posts & banners.
Interactive gateway
LED animations trigger as visitors move through, signifying the their role in crafting the company’s future.
Communal seating to define space
Encouraging associates to dwell and socialize on custom furniture.
Content Strategy
25 years of content is a monumental undertaking. We developed a strategy and framework around the company values that we could then leverage beyond the build itself. We sourced, curated, and edited hours of footage resulting in 50+ videos, static assets, and custom animations. Stories are organized into 6 non-linear pillars, allowing visitors to freely navigate the installation and explore content at their own pace.
Content Architecture
+ Brand
+ Mission
+ Community + Environment
+ Technology
+ Talent + Culture
+ Strategy
Each theme plays on a dedicated screen; randomized content is triggered when it detects a visitor, cycles, and times out when they leave.
Bringing the 25th Anniversary to life…
Objectives
Capital One needed an engaging experience to tell a story that spans 25 years! The activation should reflect the past, present, and future of the company anchored in their persistent core values. It had to be deployable and travel across the country to select corporate offices.
Tone & Vibe
Futuristic - Exemplify the creativity that led to innovation in order to inspire both curiosity and excitement for what the future holds.
Celebratory - Forefront the rich 25 year history that made Capital One what it is today by celebrating the contributions of countless individuals working to “Change Banking for Good.”
Core Features
Responsive content draws you in
A wavy particle system is magnetized to visitors as they approach, clustering, and eventually silhouetting them. The effect fades out triggering content (subtle wayfinding) across 8 screens.
Solo moments, directional speakers
Multiple visitors can interact simultaneously with the piece, creating personal multi-sensory environments.
Showcasing real world objects
Artifacts from the COF archive are embedded in glowing shadowboxes attracting guests from afar.
Microsite
To increase reach beyond a physical experience I developed an interactive microsite for Capital One associates who couldn’t visit the installation in person. It mirrored the content with a few additional easter eggs. The site went live during the launch event of the immersive experience, coinciding with the date Capital One IPO’d.
Outcomes & Lessons
Leaning into a modular system of quality components and thoughtful content eases the challenge of designing physical builds when you don't know the constraints of the spaces they’ll be deployed in.
Dedicating time to develop robust and reliable frameworks pays dividends. It creates a reliable foundation to stand on as the experience grows beyond the installation, expanding the reach of content across touchpoints.
Navigating a story that is both historic and unfinished, while not committing to a specific future created unique challenges. Leveraging historic content for a factual narrative of previous successes and emotional elements evocative of the potential futures and your role in them, we were able weave together past, present and future.
UX & Interaction Design: briteliteimmersive.com
Microsite UX: ececiper.com
Fabrication: greenspacegroup.net