AT&T Future Forward

AT&T Future Forward

Role: Interaction & Visual Design Lead

AT&T wanted an interactive installation for a major company event. The ask was to emphasize both the power of the AT&T network more broadly, but also to demonstrate a handful of specific network features such as HD voice and wifi calling. This installation needed to communicate to a diverse audience, including developers, executives, and trade press.

In a crowded tradeshow setting, we wanted to build something visually-striking but also unlike anything else a visitor might have seen that day. We worked with fabricators and motion graphics designers to build an interactive monolith that mapped motion graphics to a physical backdrop. 

Ideation

We decided early on that we wanted to explore transparent LCD technology to create something more immersive. This opened up opportunities for a physical, artistic backdrop that could reveal itself at key moments. A 3D representation of the network, created using almost 400 feet of cord, aligned well with the notion of something powerful behind-the-scenes. In the foreground, a 65” transparent LCD would do the interactive storytelling. Interior lights acted as the backlight for the screen, where anything but pure black would allow for some level of transparency and an opportunity to layer animations onto the background.

Interaction & Visual Design

The interactive experience was divided into two distinct sections: an attract loop and deep dives. Pure black was the only color that would prevent the viewer from seeing through the transparent LCD, so it was used to obscure the 3D network background until it was revealed at the end of the attract loop. Along the way, circular shapes animated playfully to illustrate a handful of network themes, such as precision or dependability. A circular physical cutout in the background served as a focal point throughout. 

The deep dives told a series of brief “network stories” that illustrated what new enhancements would enable for customers. Light interactivity would bring the network to life in a before-and-after format; for HD voice, for example, users could tap to hear the difference that feature makes in a busy environment, revealing the network behind in the process.