Experience by Design

MarketScale

Whether you're an integrator, a designer or simply a label-defying creative, the EXPERIENCE is everything. Host Bryan Meszaros explores the story behind the exhibit to understand how a carefully crafted experience traps into the human experience to connect people to place.

  1. 04/08/2021 · BONUS VIDEO

    Is Facebook's Reputation Holding Back Its VR Efforts?

    Facebook's reputation has had a significant impact on consumers' confidence in the platform's data security and more, but it's also made its presence felt in other, more unexpected places. In particular, as Facebook continues to work on VR capabilities, how are consumers reacting? Experience By Design host Bryan Meszaros weighed in. "I think it's interesting to see where Facebook is going with their VR development. Certainly, they've been going through a lot of acquisitions over the past couple of years, and I think the recent announcement of the reverse passthrough VR tech is quite interesting to watch. I don't think people are going to be deterred because it has a Facebook label to it, specifically just because they've been buying a lot of applications that kind of position Facebook to be the leader in online experiences. I don't see them venturing too much into the mixed reality realm. I think that's an area that they don't understand. And the acquisitions that have been seen to be skewed more toward game platforms and social don't see translating that well into a real physical environment. But I think, for online, they certainly set themselves up to be poised for a lot of growth over the next couple of years."

    1 min

  2. 28/07/2021 · VIDEO

    Are Smaller Stores and Personalized Service the Future of Fashion?

    Shoppers are increasingly turning to online shopping experiences, as in-store experiences are becoming less convenient. The COVID-19 Pandemic perhaps accelerated this model, and retailers are working to adapt to keep up with the changes. On this episode of Experience By Design, Host Bryan Meszaros talked with Brian Landman, Vice President, Creative Studio at Winston Retail, who leads the way in defining the consumer experience by creating unified commerce in retail, wholesale, and online channels. The duo dug into optimizing the retail footprint, intimate store experiences, and analytics to predict customer behavior and product interests. With brick-and-mortar foot traffic waning and online competition increasing, luxury department stores have been stalled and forced to resort to shutting stores, or in business-speak, "optimizing the retail footprint." Retailers are doing this to shrink the size of retail stores, which creates a more intimate experience. An example of this is Burlington Stores who is shrinking the footprint of their stores to 25,000 square feet but increasing the number from 1,000 to 2,000. "What we're starting to see is brands looking at smaller, defined spaces where they can be more agile in the box," said Landman, who has worked in the fashion and footwear industry for 20 years, gaining experience in visual merchandising, store design, brand experience, and storytelling at retail and wholesale. With smaller, more intimate experiences, brands have to be mindful about what they put into the physical store. An example would be Sephora's "Studio" prototype store in downtown New York, which is designed to foster an "intimate" experience with the customer - a type of relationship that is similar to how one would have with their hairdresser.

    33 min

  3. 14/07/2021 · BONUS VIDEO

    Is Virtual Reality Making a Comeback?

    Virtual reality (VR) can lead to amazing experiences, but not every application really connects. Its history and future as part of an immersive environment hinge on a few things: a creative story and a physical connection. Experience by Design host Bryan Meszaros shared his thoughts on the technology. “I participated in a retail-focused organization technology event, and the question came up around what has value and impacts the customer experience. I went with VR, but I admit I have a love/hate relationship with it,” Meszaros said. “There needs to be a reason to put on the VR goggles that compels people to interact and be a part of it.” - Bryan Meszaros Meszaros’ hesitation is because its application often has no connection to the environment or user experience. As a result, he came up short in trying to describe examples of retail doing it well. However, its use in entertainment is compelling. “There is a reason to put on the goggles because there’s a creative story around it, such as the VR Star Theme Park in China.” But how does VR become more than just the visual? Meszaros shared some prime examples. “There’s a hotel in London with a VR cocktail. You’re flying over the Isle of Mull in Scotland while enjoying the drink. It’s connected to something physical and offers a sensory experience.” A restaurant in Syracuse, Spot 26, is an example of an immersive experience that doesn’t require goggles. The restaurant partnered with Quantum Virtual Experiences. The themes change nightly. “It really is reality as you see it. The walls, tables, and plates come alive,” Meszaros added. Canada Gooses is a unique example of VR in a multi-sensory retail setting. Guests can “walk” along cracking ice in a -12°C room. “It’s a brand experience you can feel and cleverly connects the retail experience to the brand narrative in a visceral way since you’ll need its most popular parka,” Meszaros explained.

    31 min

  4. 23/06/2021

    Powerful Experiences Lie at the Intersection of Design and Strategy

    On this episode of Experience By Design, Host Bryan Meszaros talked with Matthew McNerney, Creative Director, Experience, Landor & Fitch, an iconic design and strategy agency that delivers extraordinary brand transformation by design. They spoke about his career, career trajectory, and Landor & Fitch. McNerney recently landed at Landor & Fitch, where he directs brand experiences to transform businesses, foster affinity, and build brand ambassadors. His fluid role spans physical environments, programming, service design, and digital interaction, and he often leads business development efforts from ideation through pitch presentations. He promotes collaboration while cultivating space for team members to influence projects from any direction. Landor & Fitch operate together but also separately, according to McNerney. Landor is known for its classic branding, strategic design, and legacy contributions to the graphic design world. Fitch is known for its world-class strategy, experience, retail, and workplace design. “It is really the two ends of the spectrum of branding, so bringing them together to offer our extraordinary work is incredible,” McNerney said. He elaborated that they noticed clients were asking for more coherent deliverables. The two practices of design and strategy from Landor & Fitch integrate the two disciplines to create holistic experiences. “The reality of experience design is that it touches everything,” McNerney said. “Having those two minds is just lovely to really offer incredibly rich solutions for an evolving world that’s only accelerated since the pandemic.”

    39 min

  5. 23/06/2021

    What Will Retailtainment Look Like Post-Pandemic?

    On this episode of Experience By Design, Host Bryan Meszaros talked with David Title, Partner at Bravo Media, a multi-platform creative studio focused on enhanced engagement through dynamic experiences. Meszaros and Title spoke about Title’s career, Bravo’s work, and retail during the pandemic and post-pandemic, including working on Krispy Kreme’s flagship store in Times Square. While working on the project, they came across a lot of fresh donuts that had to be consumed. There’s nothing better than the Original Glaze, according to Title. They were fresh off the line. He just wishes the projects at Mercedes and Lincoln also offered free examples. “We look at shopping as an entertainment, as a thing to do. As much as it is a way to acquire something, which is why a lot of people go shopping and come home with nothing.” - David Title The first thing they jumped into was talking shop about work after the pandemic. Title’s team is starting to inquiries pick up, as more projects are picking up and businesses are starting to plan again. Aside from things being closed, there wasn’t much confidence in any sector, Title said. But, as things have gotten a bit more under control, they’re starting to look ahead. They even have a crew headed to Miami to work on a party activation. One of the things he noticed during the pandemic is that people could still get everything they need online. There wasn’t an acquisition of stuff, but now that stores are open, what is the need for consumers to return to the store? Retailers will have to make shopping into something we do for the pleasure of being in the environment, Title said. “We look at shopping as an entertainment, as a thing to do,” Title said. “As much as it is a way to acquire something, which is why a lot of people go shopping and come home with nothing.”

    52 min

  6. 19/05/2021 · BONUS VIDEO

    Virtual Experiences Should Not Be Recreations of Physical Ones

    The evolution of experience design is here. It certainly wasn’t a static element for brands, but the pandemic certainly disrupted it like never before. Talking about this evolution, or possible revolution, Experience by Design host Bryan Meszaros welcomed Christophe Castagnera, Head of Connected Experiences at Imagination. Imagination is an experience agency that offers consulting, design, and creative services for brands worldwide. Castagnera serves as a chief strategist and has over two decades of experience telling brand stories. “The last year has challenged the way we create experiences. It was a lot of reimagining. There were opportunities to seize the moment, so I wrote a Playbook discussing technology, curated experiences, and building at-home experiences,” Castagnera explained. In the last year, the industry had many lessons learned moments. “Investing in technology was a possibility, but not everyone had the funds. People were still touching their mobile phones, so that became an avenue,” he shared. Trying to recreate an in-person experience online didn’t really work. Those companies that succeeded found new ways to do virtual rather than mimicking physical experiences. The test and try model was good for many brands. “Some were being bold, they learned things, and are being rewarded. Where others lost share of voice that were passive.” Castagnera offered several examples of brands' creative moments. “Rabbit Hole bourbon had staff become virtual hosts for consumers in their home, and they suddenly were having these conversations. Around 70% of people are up for a brand experience in their home.” Castagnera also talked about VR opportunities discovered. “If you can build a proper brand world around it, it works. Otherwise, it’s just bad ‘reality.’ The ecosystem has to be rich.”

    37 min

  7. 19/05/2021 · VIDEO

    Imagination Is a Muscle: How Immersive Experiences Engage Visitors

    Host Bryan Meszaros welcomes Trent Oliver, Principal and Managing Director of Blue Telescope. For nearly two decades she’s led a team that designs, develops, and deploys award-winning technology-based exhibits. This wide-ranging and insightful conversation covers everything from binge-watching during the pandemic to the challenges of communicating creative ideas to clients. Prototyping and creative collaboration are key to the process so that clients aren’t surprised by the final product. “If you want to get people out after being at home for a year it better be cool.” -Trent Oliver “Imagination is a muscle,” Oliver said. While it is challenging to invent and innovate, sometimes the greater challenge is communicating something unfamiliar to a client and helping them see how it can be used to engage visitors. The technology used in exhibits ranges from virtual reality to location sensors, touch screens, and projection — but the technology isn’t the experience. Oliver points out that screens for the sake of technology aren’t enough. “We can be far more inventive and reactive and have surprise and joy and have your behavior be part of the total interaction,” Oliver said. The most immersive experiences can’t be replicated at home and depend on the viewer's interaction. Centering the experience on visitors means the focus isn’t on the technology but how it is used to communicate “Every visitor wants to be seen and participate and be part of, not be blared at.” Oliver said. “Technology isn’t the experience.” Oliver sees the interactive experience model expanding in the future as museums, theme parks, and retail converge to create new experiences for customers and visitors that give them something unique and surprising that they won’t find on screens at home. As Oliver said, “If you want to get people out after being at home for a year it better be cool.”

    45 min

  8. 19/05/2021 · BONUS

    Looking Back and Forward on Experience Design Conversations

    Catch up with Experience by Design host Bryan Meszaros. He offered thoughts on past conversations, upcoming conversations, and how experience design is quickly evolving. “Starting this podcast was a way to share the conversations I’d been having. There are so many insights that are important to capture.” Meszaros shared his excitement to experience new things as the world begins to open up, creating a bucket list. He also wants to further the conversation on how digital engagement and technology are shaping experiences of the future. One thing he was adamant about is that “you have to create a reason for people to come to you.” Those emerging from the pandemic aren’t the same as before. Meszaros shared some things that resonated with him from an article. “Consumers want connectivity and community. The challenge for experience designers is how to create reconnection.” That’s true of retail, hospitality, and so many other spaces. In retail, getting shoppers in stores is less about the product and more about experiencing some element of that brand. “Buying behaviors have shifted, and consumers are demanding more immersive experience, and they should. This is the moment to apply data and technology to address these shifts. They want something they can’t get at home.” It’s time for more creativity and seamlessly integrating technology and digital media to create unique and enticing environments. Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions, helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

    22 min
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About

Whether you're an integrator, a designer or simply a label-defying creative, the EXPERIENCE is everything. Host Bryan Meszaros explores the story behind the exhibit to understand how a carefully crafted experience traps into the human experience to connect people to place.

Information

  • Creator
    MarketScale
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2021
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2021
  • Show Website
    Experience by Design