Below are select case studies from my career that best showcase my skills and talents.
Note: Unless noted, all projects below were done in deep collaboration with my extremely talented colleagues and supported by amazing organizations.
FirstBuild is GE Appliances product innovation lab and makerspace. In 2018 they embarked on a challenge to design and create something previously only available to high-end restaurants and bars: a clear ice machine.
In deep collaboration with the FirstBuild team, we planned and executed a strategy-backed crowdfunded product launch that exceeded 300% of their goal.
In 2018, VIA Studio Partnered with the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts to help develop a new website and ticketing experience.
As a result of our collaborative, iterative process - we ended up rebranding, renaming and launching a wholly new Kentucky Peforming Arts brand, brand identity and website.
Read the Kentucky Performing Arts Rebrand Case Study.
Read the Kentucky Performing Arts Website Case Study.
Since it's first publishing in 1935, Mr. Boston Bartender's Guide has been the quintessential guide to cocktails in America.
Beginning in 2015, Sazerac partnered with VIA Studio to take this physical reference online, in a compelling and user-friendly way.
Over the next couple of years, we designed & built a first-of-its-kind recipe database, digitally transcribing 80 years of cocktail recipes into an API-powered archive, fronted by a unique, user-driven website.
In addition, VIA Studio developed a digital brand, identity and user interface for Mr. Boston - a brand that had not yet been digitally experienced.
Mr. Boston Drinks is currently the second-most visited Sazerac property, just behind the Buffalo Trace website.
Climb Time is a multiplayer experience developed for GE Energy.
Originally codenamed "TopIt", Climb Time was launched at the 2012 Windpower tradeshow in Atlanta, Georgia. The event was held inside an airplane hangar at the Delta headquarters - with a bar under the belly of the 737 resting inside. The Climb Time experience was displayed on two 55" monitors side-by-side and simulcast for the crowd on a 40-foot wide projection screen. The game pitted two contestants in a race to the top of a 90-meter tall wind turbine. Along the way, each contestant had to climb the ladder, open the hatches, complete a maintenance-based mini-game, and eventually reach the top hatch of the turbine where their character danced while they had their photo taken by the Kinect.
On every front - design, development and technology - ClimbTime allowed a small, tight team of developers, creatives and 3D designers to flex their muscles and create an experience that was both cutting edge and extremely fun. All in less than 3 months from kickoff to launch!
Technologically it was a challenge - but perhaps moreso in the interaction and user-interface design. How do we engage a group of users that likely have never experienced a Kinect-driven game? How will we educate them about the movements required to perform the game?
We utilized the Microsoft Kinect controller and it's APIs to drive the interaction to the Unity 3D engine that was crammed full of custom-created models and textures. The head-to-head experience was powered by Unity's internal networking facilities - which also powered the real-time scoreboard and in-game play-versus-player status.
Louisville, Kentucky, USA