Service: Experiential Design
Role: Creative Director/Designer
Client: Carbon
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Completed while working at AP+I Design
Concept Design
The Brief: Carbon was already a client of AP+I when they asked for assistance with a business problem normally tackled by a different group within the Carbon organization. Still, our intrepid contacts forged ahead and engaged us to create a pitch for Adidas- who they had already partnered with to create a ground-breaking new shoe technology. The goal was to convince Adidas to move in to the Carbon space to enhance collaboration and share resources. To do that, we designed a complete immersive experience within their HQ, that included a one-of-a-kind retail experience and cutting edge prototyping labs.
The Rundown
There is a thriving design community in Northern California and specifically in Silicon Valley, one that has dozens of design groups and collaboratives that exist on-line and are all clamoring for a place where they can design, prototype and build. Because 3D printing represents the future of fabrication and manufacturing, Carbon wants to give artists, designers, and Adidas Creators a place to push this technology, alongside their own labs and office spaces. Say Hello to AC1: a digital maker space for Silicon Valley and the home of Carbon, Adidas, and the Adidas Creators Club.
The Players
The Adidas Creators Club.
Creators will have special access to the collaboration areas, R+D studios, and 3D printers, for personal projects.
Creators welcome. Visitors are greeted at the Interactive Zone with check-in kiosks and a 25′ tall media canopy, comprised of seven interactive segments, featuring custom digital content.
The Gameplan
The arrival sequence begins at digital check-in stations
Touch panels, placed outside the main entrance help visitors sort by experience and provides instructions for their next steps, which are sent to their mobile device. Guests can also choose an RFID-based experience.
the Shoe Lab.
Here visitors are able to choose the color and style of their shoe from a library of templates and materials in a hands-on process that brings just the right touch of technology and physical feedback. Along the walls, a series of interactive displays educate visitors on the history of 3D printing as well as illuminate the future of the technology. Placemaking graphics, strategically placed full motion video, and displays of Adidas gear add atmosphere to the space.
Retail Zone.
For those who don’t want to build a shoe, the Retail Zone offers the chance to shop the latest gear and collect points.
The Recompose Gallery.
Follow your shoe through production and 3D printing with Interactive consoles and graphics directly on the viewing glass, which serves as a HUD.
THE PROVING GROUNDS.
Design. Build. Repeat.
Test a custom shoe or just train harder, the Proving Grounds are the place. Booths contain treadmills wrapped in 180º of media wall and washed in surround sound and customizable lighting, creating an immersive training environment like no other. Load up a virtual city and run through Paris, Milan, or Portland.
The future is crafted by Carbon
