Product & Experience · Travel
SFO's newest terminal was opening — and it deserved a signature experience. We conceived, designed, and produced a physical-plus-digital installation that turned real-time flight data into a piece of public sculpture, and won industry recognition doing it.
The Ask
Airport travelers are, by definition, in motion. Their time is limited, their attention is fragmented, and their curiosity spikes in short, unpredictable bursts. A "digital experience" for that audience can't be a website. It has to meet them in the physical space, respect their time, and — if it works — become a piece of their personal narrative.
SFO needed something more than signage. Something less than a museum. And it had to open with the new terminal.
This signature travel experience was designed to start in the airport and go wherever the traveler goes.
The Approach
Three principles set the ceiling and the floor. Nothing shipped that didn't respect a traveler's time, invite a stranger to share the moment, or offer something the traveler could take with them.
Real-time inbound and outbound flights to SFO drove a physical sculpture that magnetized to the bodies of passers-by. The whole installation functioned as an "attract mode" display — beautiful before it was ever interacted with.
Travelers drawn in by the sculpture could sit at one of seven multi-touch kiosks to learn about the history of flight at SFO, the art and attractions inside the airport, and the city itself. Depth on demand — but only if the traveler wanted it.
Travelers could send curated selections directly to their mobile phone — so the airport moment became part of their trip narrative, not just a diversion between flights.
Quick meaningful interactions. Playful collaboration. Personal, portable experiences.
The three principles that shaped every design decision
The Outcome
What Made It Work
The sculpture had to work as public art whether or not anyone touched it. Interactivity was a reward, not the entry fee.
Every touchpoint was designed to deliver value in seconds, not minutes. Depth was available on demand — never demanded.
A great airport moment ends at the gate. A great experience follows the traveler onto the plane. The mobile handoff was the point of the whole thing.
Selected Artifacts
