How to get started with experiential design: 4 steps

As humans, we respond to the spaces we’re in, for better or worse. And this affects not just our mood, but how we behave. 

Consider the ‘broken window’ syndrome. It’s the idea that if you fix small derelictions in an area, like broken windows, people feel safer, and if they live there, take greater pride in their area and treat it better. 

If, on the other hand, you let small breakages go unmended, they begin to accumulate: the space becomes less and less attractive and is seen, consciously or not, as unvalued. This sense of lack of value is then interpreted as being true of the people in the spaces too. If people don’t feel valued and that there is no reason to look after the facilities, it goes from bad to worse.

Conversely, if you have a beautiful space, people feel special. Cozy bars make us feel welcome and safe. Big, open entrance halls inspire awe and curiosity. Beautiful residential streets create a sense of communal pride. 

Experiential design is about creating spaces that go beyond functionality and aesthetics to offer meaningful, memorable experiences for the better. Let’s take a closer look. 

What is experiential design?

Experiential design is an approach that prioritizes how people interact with and feel in their environment. It combines architecture, interior design, tech, and storytelling to create spaces that emotionally affect the people who inhabit them. While all design is about emotion to some extent, experiential design ramps it up a notch, turning it into an experience. 

Every space has the potential to benefit from experiential design. Whether it’s a store, museum, office, theme park, or hospital, the goal is to make the space more inviting and purpose-driven.

What sets experiential design apart?

Experiential design focuses on the human experience. This means that functionality, cost, and visual appeal, while important, are secondary to creating spaces that evoke specific feelings. 

Whether a place needs to inspire awe or comfort or promote collaboration, experiential design tailors every element of the environment to achieve these things.

This approach is inherently multidisciplinary. Anyone involved in the arts, whether they’re architects, interior designers, graphic designers, technologists, and storytellers, can work together to bring experiential designs to life. The result is a blend of physical and digital elements that create an immersive experience. 

The benefits of experiential design in a nutshell

Experiential design isn’t just about making spaces look cool — it’s about creating genuinely useful, moving experiences for users/ Here’s what well-designed spaces can achieve. 

• Build emotional connections: Spaces that evoke strong positive feelings see better visitor engagement, both in terms of return rate, dwell time (how long they spend in the space), and in terms of interaction. 
• Boost well-being: Thoughtful designs can reduce stress while promoting productivity and creativity, improving the overall experience for everyone.
• Bring a story to live: Every element of the design contributes to a cohesive narrative, whether it’s about a brand or a cultural idea.
• Better accessibility: By considering the needs of diverse users, experiential design makes spaces that are welcoming to all.

Where do we see experiential design?

Experiential design is applicable to a wide range of environments, each with unique goals and challenges:

1. Cultural and educational spaces

Museums, galleries, and exhibitions often use experiential design to make learning engaging. Interactive displays and immersive installations turn passive observation into active exploration.

Example: A science museum might combine projection mapping and hands-on activities to explore the wonders of the natural world. Visitors can touch and play as they move through the space, turning education into fun.

2. Commercial spaces

Retail stores, restaurants, shopping malls, and corporate offices use experiential design to broadcast their brand’s identity and offering. Thoughtful layouts and interactive features encourage customers to stay longer and build deeper connections.

Example: A winter-themed pop-up event might use floor-to-ceiling projections, sculptures, and AR to create a fantasy ice cave. Visitors leave with lasting memories and a stronger connection to the sponsoring brand.

3. Healthcare environments

Hospitals and clinics benefit from experiential design by creating spaces that reduce stress and improve well-being. Calming colors, clear wayfinding, and comfortable seating can make a huge difference in how patients and their families feel. The biggest challenge here is finding a balance between medically practical and beautiful, since white and sterile isn’t the natural partner to ‘calm and comforting’. 

Example: A children’s hospital might have murals on the walls, adding a sense of comfort and cheer to the room without being unsanitary. 

4. Entertainment and events

From concerts to theme parks, experiential design gives visitors a fully immersive event experience. High-tech installations, dynamic lighting, and interactive touch points make these experiences extra memorable.

Example: A theme park might adorn queue routes with themed screens and props related to the ride, adding to the excitement and immersive experience while mitigating the boredom of long wait times.

5. Public spaces and placemaking

Parks, plazas, and transportation hubs are transformed through experiential design into spaces where people feel welcome and connected. These designs often incorporate public art, intuitive wayfinding, and interactive elements (placed out of the way so people don’t clog up thoroughfares). 

Example: A city park might feature a digital fountain that reacts to movement, inviting children and adults to play while enjoying the sights.

The top experiential design approaches to know 

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in experiential design. Instead, designers draw from a toolbox of techniques, flexing their approach to each space’s needs.

• Video installations: Large or small screens showing content. Video is versatile, engaging, and easily updated to keep the experience fresh. You can also do it on a tight budget. 
• Projection mapping: This technique turns any surface into a canvas, from buildings to stage sets, creating captivating visual effects. It offers a high impact, potentially low cost route. 
• Augmented reality (AR): By overlaying digital elements onto the real world, AR transforms the environment without altering it physically. It’s another good budget option, because in most cases, you won’t need to worry about raw materials or liscences to alter a space. 
• Interactive installations: These engage visitors directly, encouraging them to touch, play, or explore. The tactile element makes the experience especially memorable, which means you could forge a stronger conneciton. 
• Immersive environments: Often using screens or projections, these fully surround visitors, transporting them to another world or reinforcing a specific narrative. They’re high impact. 
• Holograms: Advanced and visually stunning, holographic installations bring virtual objects into the physical world, often used in concerts or product launches. The novelty makes this option especially memorable. 
• Multi-sensory design: Beyond sight and sound, this technique engages taste, touch, or smell, creating an experience that truly surrounds the visitor.
  

Experiential design in action: real-world examples

Experiential design forms a core part of many businesses’ marketing strategies. Here are some award-winning examples from recent years. 

Hyundai 

HD Hyundai showcased its “Progress for Humanity” vision at CES with an AI-powered construction experience. The booth featured an 18-foot excavator concept and a Smart Site Management zone where attendees tried the X-Wise Xite system to enhance safety. Visitors remotely controlled a real wheel loader in Atlanta from Las Vegas, 2,000 miles away. A VR simulation added to the buzz, offering a drone flyover of futuristic excavation sites, including space and ocean-floor settings, with gyroscopic movements synced to visuals.

San Diego Comic Con

Fans at San Diego Comic-Con got a thrilling treat from FX. The network unveiled a 4D “Hellevator” experience, taking visitors on a wild ride through all 12 seasons of American Horror Story and offering a sneak peek of their upcoming horror show, Grotesquerie. The immersive setup used screens, sound effects, rumble packs, lighting, and air jets to create the sensation of moving through eerie levels. Chilling extras included air streams mimicking bugs on skin and bursts of cold air. The activation delivered big results: over 95 press mentions, 845 million media impressions, and 10.5 million social impressions for #FXSDCC 2024.

National Geographic 

Nat Geo brought the wonders of the world to life at Disney’s D23 with its “Hexadome.” This spherical theater immersed fans in global adventures using six massive screens, 22,000 laser projectors, and 52 speakers delivering 360-degree spatial audio.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft transported press and creators into the Star Wars Outlaws universe during its preview event. Attendees enjoyed four hours of gameplay, exploring the galaxy’s underworld, meeting characters, and completing missions. A 25,000-square-foot space became the Renpalli Cantina, featuring 80 gaming stations, a bar, props, and projection mapping. Highlights included a photo op with Kay Vess’ Speeder Bike, cosplay costumes, and a claw machine to win Nix plushies. Two panels with developers, a Lucasfilm rep, and in-game talent gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the game.

Roku

Roku’s 2024 NewFront event brought nearly 700 attendees to The Glasshouse in New York City, transforming its 75,000-square-foot space into a purple-branded wonderland. Guests entered via a 140-foot floral-lined purple pathway, leading to the “It’s All on Roku” experience. Interactive zones included a kitchen for “All Things Food,” a living room for “All Things Home,” a Sports Zone with photo ops, and an Entertainment area featuring a glambot booth and 10-foot Roku remotes. A 12-screen monitor wall showcased Roku’s vast content library.

Why experiential design matters

The spaces we inhabit matter, and as we move increasingly online, there’s a real opportunity to entice people away from their screens to connect in more tangible ways. Whether you’re designing a retail store, a museum exhibit, or an office, experiential design principles can transform your space into one that people not only use but remember.

How to get started with experiential design

Starting an experiential design project can feel overwhelming, but breaking it down into clear steps helps the process run smoothly. Whether you’re designing for a retail space, museum, or outdoor event, careful planning is the key to success. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Set the foundation

Before you dive into creative ideas, focus on the basics. Three major factors will shape the project:

1. Budget
   How much money do you have to work with? Your budget will influence everything from the size of the installation to the complexity of the design. Be realistic about costs, including hidden ones like maintenance, staffing, or updates after launch.
2. Timeline
   When does the project need to be ready? A longer timeline allows for ambitious designs, but tight deadlines mean you’ll need to prioritize speed and simplicity. Build in extra time for unexpected delays.
3. Installation Space
   Where will the project live? The size, layout, and physical characteristics of the location will affect the materials, technology, and overall design. For example, an outdoor installation needs weatherproofing, while a small indoor space may require compact solutions.

By answering these questions upfront, you’ll narrow your options and set off on the right foot.

Step 2: Understand the key team (plus stakeholders) 

Experiential design involves a lot of collaboration. Make sure you understand the goals and needs of everyone involved. Remember the three Cs: 

• The client
  What does the client want? Are they looking to tell a story, build brand awareness, or entertain an audience?  Their goals will shape the project’s purpose, so listen closely and ask questions to clarify their vision.
• The creators
  Your creative team is the heart of the project. Think about their skills, resources, and interests. Are they excited about the concept? Do they have the tools they need? Happy creators often lead to better results.
• The consumers
  Who will experience the final project? Keep the end user in mind at every step. Are they children, adults, professionals, or tourists? What do they care about? What feelings or actions do you want to inspire in them?

Great experiential design is built around people — it’s not just about the space, but how people feel and act inside it. 

Step 3: Develop a content strategy

Every experiential project needs a solid content plan. This is the blueprint for the story you want to tell and how you’ll tell it.

• Know what you want to say
  What’s the main takeaway for your audience? A brand’s personality, an educational lesson, or an emotional moment — all need to be clear from the start. And remember to focus on the ‘why’, rather than the what and how. People buy visions, not boring technical details. 
• Choose the right media
  Decide how to deliver your message. Will you use video, interactive screens, projections, or physical props? Consider combining elements for a multi-sensory experience if your budget allows. 
• Plan for longevity
  Think beyond the immediate installation. Can parts of your design live online as shareable videos, photos, or digital tours? A well-thought-out content strategy helps your project flourish beyond the physical space.  

Step 4: Write a winning proposal

Before you kick this project off, you need client approval. A winning business case will bring your ideas to life. 

• Tell a story
  Start with the big picture. What problem does your design solve? What emotions will it spark? Use plain language and visuals in your presentation to help the client understand the impact of your work.
• Be visual
  Clients respond to what they can see. Include realistic sketches, data diagrams, 3D renderings, timelines, or even short video clips. These help clients picture the final result. Show the scale and context of your design to make it feel tangible.
• Use prototypes
  If possible, build a small demo. Even a simple interactive app or scale model can give clients confidence in your ideas.
• Give cost breakdowns
  Be transparent about where the budget is going. Include clear cost estimates for materials, labor, and ongoing maintenance. Clients appreciate honesty and detail.
• Put a cherry on top
  Think of the proposal itself as an experience. Use a clean, visually appealing design. Add clear labels, sections, and summaries to make it easy to read.

Step 5: Bring it all together

Finally, keep these tips in mind as you move forward:

• Collaborate often and well
  Keep open communication between the client, creators, and other stakeholders. Regular check-ins stop misunderstandings and keep everyone on the same page.
• Stay flexible
  Challenges will arise. Be ready to adapt to unexpected changes in budget, timeline, or scope. Creative problem-solving is part of the process.
• Focus on the audience
  Always return to the question: How will people feel in this space? Centering the audience helps to make sure the final design will achieve its goals.

How diagramming tools can help 

Experiential design isn’t just about building a space — it’s about creating something people will remember. But before you can get your foot in the funding door, you need to create something another important audience will remember: your stakeholders. This is where diagramming software comes in handy. 

With Cacoo, our own tool, you can create eyecatching presentations filled with easy-to-read charts, timelines, and cost breakdowns that clearly convey your vision. 

Whether you’re planning the spatial layout of an event, mapping the customer journey, or presenting interactive design concepts, Cacoo makes it easy to communicate complex ideas and bring your vision to life. And because it’s cloud-based, stakeholders can log in and provide real-time feedback, giving you alignment at every stage of the project. 

This not only helps secure buy-in but also streamlines the decision-making process, saving time and resources, while making it easy to turn abstract ideas into tangible, shareable visuals that bring your experiential design concepts to life. Ready to give it a try?