Blue Paradox
For a detailed description, scroll to bottom of the pageClient SC Johnson
Year July 2023
Role Art Director/Senior Experiential Designer
Year July 2023
Role Art Director/Senior Experiential Designer
Guests enter the experience through a gallery exhibit featuring the work of National Geographic photographer, Randy Olson, and “Emergence”, a sculptural installation of welded plastic debris by artist Aurora Robson. Both set the stage for The Blue Paradox by highlighting the issue of plastic pollution in a very literal way, illustrating how it impacts people the world over.
Chapter One of The Blue Paradox story is presented in an immersive theater – an intricately constructed LED wave screen reaching far over guests' heads, engulfing them in sight and sound. This introductory film demonstrates that every living thing on this planet relies on the ocean to survive and that disruptive change is needed now, to confront the global ocean pollution crisis.
The surge in ocean plastics is harming marine life, ecosystems, and food chains globally. Its longevity exacerbates the issue. To tackle this vast problem, we worked with Set Reset to inform and design data visualization to reveal the influx of plastic particles, their sources, and their impacts on marine and human life.
Navigating the complexity of ocean plastics, we confronted the absence of singular solutions. Interactive plinths, featuring Q&A animations, reveal the intricacies of the issue. We crafted storyboards and designed the animation and aided in design tests, determining colors and software alongside the tech team. This personalized engagement fosters a deeper connection for guests.
When it comes to the plastic-pollution crisis, is it a case of out of sight, out of mind? With our oceans used as the dumping ground for so much plastic, we now know that the plastic we use once and throw away never really goes away.
Revolving conveyors of common products illustrate the overwhelming volume of plastic juxtaposed with realistic statistics about recycling practices – showing the relationship between consumption and disposal.
The final chapter of The Blue Paradox focuses on the power of individual and collective action.
By teaching guests about their own plastic consumption, how it compares to others' and what small changes they can take to have big impacts in their day-to-day, we reinforce the idea that this is a collective problem, which we can and should address as a global community. We also invite guests to learn how industry and organizations are innovating, as a call to action for consumers to support companies demonstrating real change to help save the ocean and the planet. Storyboarding, animations, comps, art direction and visual design.
The Studio team at RadicalMedia concepted, designed, developed, produced, and installed The Blue Paradox at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry – a location that delivers long-term prestige, impact and reach. The experience includes 360-degree digital projections that invite the public to walk beneath the ocean’s surface and explore the impact plastic waste has on our planet’s most valuable natural resource. The goal is to highlight how businesses, governments and individuals can work together to create a more sustainable world.
As the Senior Experiential Designer, my role encompassed the conceptualization, design, and execution of the immersive installation. Through a combination of visual aesthetics, interactive elements, and strategic narrative structure, I aimed to create an experience that evoked strong emotions, educated the public, and motivated them to take action. By immersing visitors in the underwater world, I sought to create an empathetic connection and drive a sense of responsibility towards protecting our oceans.
https://clios.com/awards/winner/out-of-home/sc-johnson/the-blue-paradox-an-immersive-experience-on-the-oc-117760
https://www.scjohnson.com/en/a-more-sustainable-world/blue-paradox
https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/money/business/2023/07/28/sc-johnson-openedthe-blue-paradox-exhibit-in-chicago/70485488007/
https://www.conservation.org/press-releases/2023/06/13/plastic-pollution-crisis-takes-center-stage-in-new-exhibit-the-blue-paradox-opening-july-1-at-the-museum-of-science-and-industry-in-chicago
https://www.chicagoparent.com/things-to-do/attractions/blue-paradox-msi-chicago/
https://columbiachronicle.com/msis-blue-paradox-exhibit-takes-a-creative-path-for-ocean-pollution-education
https://www.tiktok.com/@choosechicago/video/7250507781940268331
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/museum-of-science-and-industry-exhibit-blue-paradox-plastic-pollution-oceans/
https://journaltimes.com/news/local/business/scj-exhibit-focuses-on-ocean-pollution/article_5357c1ba-15e7-11ee-84f2-2fe83355d72a.html
James Spindler - Creative Director
Partnered with Oglivy
3D - Leonardo Conde
SET RESET - Animation House
Role
Art Direction
Graphic Design
Experiental/Spatial Design
Design Research
Copywriting
UX/UI Design
Concept Design
Design Research
Copywriting