The Virtual World of Elizabeth Arden Beauty | Design Lead
Creative Direction, Environment Design, Animation, 3D Modeling, Product Modeling, Brand Conceptualization
Obsess VR
An Alternate Reality
Cinematic storytelling holds the power to transport you to another world. Transcending physical boundaries of time and space, as you immerse yourself in another time, another world and another dimension!
And with the virtual world of Elizabeth Arden x Obsess that’s exactly what the designs aimed to achieve.
Tools: Autodesk 3Ds Max, Rhino, Blender, V-Ray, Quixel Mixer, Adobe Creative Suite
The Dilemma and potential Avenues
With each design, you can’t help but wonder: How far can you push the limits of virtual experiences, to bring these spaces to “life”?
Especially with the wave of new technologies, where it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and often times lose the hold on design completely to the AI, how do we rather use these as assets to enhance the process of worldbuilding?
Here’s how we took on these questions.
Timeless, Truly
Staying true to the iconic ‘Red Door’ brand identity, the designs incorporate a modern twist, while paying homage to the history, while reflecting the essence of the beauty brand, offering glimpses into the clean, scientific yet delicate and soft persona of the brand.
The virtual entrance to the experience prominently features the iconic red door, serving as a focal point that instantly connects users with the brand's heritage and legacy.
“We drill down on the history of the brand, and it manifests itself in the creative.”
- Ronald Rolleston | GM, Elizabeth Arden
Brand Identity through Spatial Design.
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Infusing the design with contemporary elements and sleek aesthetics to give it a modern feel, the space incorporates clean lines, minimalist furniture, and cutting-edge technology that aligns with current brand activations.
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Incorporating elements that pay homage to the brand's history and legacy, the second floor not only showcases - but also allows the user to ‘immerse’ themselves into vintage advertisements, archival photographs, and milestones in the brand's journey, allowing users to appreciate the evolution of the brand over time.
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Creating an atmosphere that reflects the brand's commitment to science-backed skincare while also conveying a sense of softness and delicacy using light, airy textures, soft color palettes, and subtle lighting effects, the space aims at evoking a sense of tranquility and sophistication.
Spatial Design meets User Experience
The virtual space is designed to be versatile and adaptable, allowing it to transform its look and feel with the changing seasons. With refreshing updates to the decor, addition of seasonal motifs, and by incorporating seasonal product launches and promotions, it keeps the space fresh and engaging for users throughout the year.
Utilizing the virtual environment as a dynamic stage to showcase new products and innovations. such as interactive product displays, videos, quizzes, and games, the experience allow users to explore and interact with the brand's offerings in a captivating way.
Every object, every door has a story to tell.
The evolving landscape of retail demands a shift towards more dynamic and engaging online experiences. The spatial design offers an interactive and visually stimulating journey, rather than a traditional shopping grid. The project was a perfect example of how one can brainstorm new ways of providing brand engagement, without losing sense of its principles and origin.
Creating a narrative-driven experience, the spatial design and creative direction strategy aimed at engaging and immersing users in a compelling journey. By focusing on storytelling and leveraging the power of visual and interactive elements, the experience focused on the overall user experience to drive deeper connections with their audience.
By taking a pragmatic approach to spatial layout design while prioritizing storytelling and immersion, the goal was to create memorable and impactful experiences that resonate with users across desktop and mobile platforms.
