Immersive Experiences
Brand Leadership. Human-Centered UX Design. Storytelling
Approach
Creating a truly immersive in-person experience requires more than just great design—it demands a deep understanding of human experience, sensory engagement, and storytelling. Leading a team of event space builders, UX designers, and industrial designers, we applied human-centered design, design thinking, and Disney Imagineer-level attention to detail to craft spaces that were not only visually striking but also deeply impactful.
At the core of every project, we started with one essential question: What is the feeling we want participants to leave with? For Ice Barrel, that feeling was always empowerment. From the textures to the lighting, from contrast to depth, every element was designed to reinforce that emotion—ensuring that customers didn’t just experience the brand, they felt it.
Execution
CrossFit Games 2023
Cutting Through the Clutter
The 2023 CrossFit Games presented a unique challenge: how do we stand out among a sea of competing sponsors, all vying for the attention of the same audience? Through deep research and competitive analysis, we uncovered a common theme—most sponsor activations were cold, aggressive, and sterile. This insight led us to take the opposite approach:
Light, bright, and warm aesthetics—a stark contrast to the dark, industrial look of competitors.
Immersive brand colors and natural textures—bringing to life our customers’ adventurous spirit and love for the outdoors.
High-contrast visual elements—ensuring our booth could be spotted from 300 yards away.
Creating an Experience Beyond the Moment
We knew that an immersive experience is only as powerful as the stories it creates beyond that moment. To ensure our activation had lasting impact, we designed:
A visually optimized space for content creation—including studio-quality lighting and a neon-lit signature wall that encouraged social sharing.
A seamless high-traffic flow design—guiding participants toward changing booths and team members providing towels for those wanting to try an ice bath.
Professional event photographers capturing real-time experiences—allowing participants to access high-quality photos post-event, creating a meaningful follow-up touchpoint.
By carefully curating every detail of the space and customer interaction, we turned the 2023 CrossFit Games activation into a powerful brand experience—one that lived far beyond the event itself.
CrossFit Games 2024
A More Refined, Store-Like Experience
Building upon our 2023 learnings, we pushed even further in 2024—this time with the launch of Ice Barrel’s signature product, the Chiller. Our approach was to elevate the experience into something that felt more like a high-end retail store than a temporary event booth.
To achieve this, we focused on the idea of timeless elegance, asking ourselves: If we designed this space as a brick-and-mortar store that would last for years, what would it look like?
Creating a Space That Transported Attendees
We wanted our booth to feel like attendees were stepping into a completely different world. To accomplish this:
A soft, cloud-like lighting system—designed using a custom-built 20x10 rig wrapped in diffusion fabric, housing six studio lights that created inviting, soft shadows. This structure was raised 15 feet, making it one of the most visible elements in the entire sponsor area, drawing eyes from across the event space.
A light, airy design with immersive graphics—contrasting against the dark, industrial look of most other sponsors. Our space featured vibrant greens that connected to a natural landscape, balanced by images of real people engaging with our products. This reinforced the adventurous, lifestyle-driven essence of our brand.
A 3D accent wall with natural wood elements—creating depth and dimension, making the space feel dynamic and inviting.
An intuitive layout that guided attendees naturally through the space—allowing them to engage with our products seamlessly while also leading to a more private, exclusive experience in the back.
A dedicated sauna area—featuring a changing booth and a four-person sauna, providing a premium experience that set our brand apart and reinforced our focus on full-body recovery.
Showcasing the Chiller with High-Impact Design
Since this event was tied to the launch of the Ice Barrel Chiller, we needed a showcase moment that naturally attracted attention. To do this:
We built custom acrylic-lit display pillars—ensuring the Chiller was the focal point of the space.
The contrast of soft lighting and crisp product presentation made the Chiller feel both aspirational and essential.
UX-Led Immersive Design
Every decision in these experiences was driven by one question: Does this make the customer feel empowered? By combining human-centered design, strategic UX planning, and brand storytelling, we transformed traditional event activations into deeply memorable brand experiences.
With each event, we didn’t just create a space—we crafted a world where every element, from textures to lighting, worked in harmony to reinforce the emotions we wanted participants to leave with.
This approach to immersive experiences as a UX challenge has redefined how I think about in-person engagement, and it continues to shape the way I design brand activations that are both deeply personal and highly impactful.
Immersive Experiences
Brand Leadership. Human-Centered UX Design. Storytelling