The Brief
While employed as Senior Experiential Designer at Selbert Perkins Design, we were contacted by MIT's Executive Education Department to fully rebrand their physical space. With that they wanted input on environmental finishes and integrated technology to use throughout the space. I worked as the main point of contact, project manager, and main designer under the Principal of Brand & Interactive.
Schematic Design
Like with most projects, a full audit of the space and the brand was conducted. As seen by the images above the space felt like a hotel convention center space, instead of the hud of innovation and leadership the department wanted to portray. We developed a circulation diagram to help us pinpoint the best locations for ROI and developed four concept themes for consideration by the client team.
The Design
The client team remove only one concept theme direction before we started into the design phase. Here we provided both photo mockup and to scale draftings of the design ideas. Below are the three concepts executed across the three main spaces of the suite: the entry doors, the multi-purpose lounge, and the main hallway to the smaller breakout rooms. The entry doors can be seen from the main entrance into the suite which is situated in the main building of the MIT Sloan School of Business. The multi-purpose lounge is a hub for those who are taking classes to relax, communicate, and network. The main hallway takes individuals back to the breakout rooms for additional smaller team work and would be seen by every participant of the EE programs.
After several rounds of design, the client settled on the below ideas to be executed across the space. The main themes were use of the reds and grays as the main colors, with the extended EE brand palette used for only highlights in the space. We added elements of wayfinding signage to the branded environmental graphics as well to help re-emphasis location with brand. The frames across the multi-purpose space were to be an Augmented Reality experience brought to life by an illustrator/animator showcasing the "Frameworks" taught at the EE school. The generative art, which I coded and executed, would further emphasis the location as MIT while showcasing the value of Executive Eduction.
Construction Drawings & Implementation
During the Design Intent phase, a number of alterations were added, as the pandemic had created a lapse of time for the client to reconsider. The final space added a few more pops of color and broke the installation into several phases including one exclusively for additional technology. The work corner was revitalized as a location for their interactive screen and added a bookcase of relevant works by EE professors. The AR Frameworks were put on hold, which allowed the MIT Dome moment to take larger importance. That is now one of their favored spots for group photos upon completion of a program.
