During the client project introduction, Matt reflected on some 5Wits visitor survey data. One of the take-aways from that information was that gags with a strong aesthetic appeal were the most memorable and exciting to viewers. This was a valuable insight that guided our team throughout the design process. We wanted to create an experience with a high wow-factor. Something to draw people in. Something undeniably and unmistakably sci-fi.

So we created a door. A door with an array of bright LEDs, hissing pneumatic actuators, and a uniquely complex opening pattern. We do not know what those LEDs indicate or why that door spins while opening, but that is the point. In the world of sci-fi, we do not know what complexities are behind the walls. As designers of this environment, it is our job to imagine technology that does not yet exist.

Despite its mechanical complexity, we designed the door as a blank canvas. It is a scalable solution with a blank slate facade and an easy-to-control set of full-spectrum LEDs. As 5Wits is still in the process of designing their story, we wanted to make sure that we could give them a tool to fit in with nearly any sci-fi theme. As a team, and for the sake of presentation, we focused on the sleek and futuristic, almost Tron-like blacks with solid color LEDs.

In the end, we were targeting a simple yet memorable experience. Whether the door be at the entrance of the adventure or as an objective at the end of a puzzle, we wanted to captivate visitors for the few seconds of lights and motion, and invite them to pass through without need for explicit instruction.