<p>We have braced for and embraced the restrictions of COVID -19. It has done a number on the entertainment business but has brought out the best of creative technology, especially in the art sector. Now more than ever designers/artists must consider the personal boundaries of the end user. Here are some design/art trends that support social distancing...</p>
<h1>Touchless Reactive Environments</h1>
<p>The computer itself has become an interface to culture. Rather than requiring viewers to choose from a predetermined set of prerecorded outputs, the 'reactive artwork' poses a system in which viewers' actions constitute the art’s reactions. Reactive art/environments means nothing without you.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong> <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Britelite Immersive</a></strong><a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><strong><a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> </a> </strong></h3>
<p>Britelite worked with Marpi to bring a series of four reactive environments to life utilizing a combination of Microsoft Kinect, 90” Screens, and 84” interactive screens for a total of four different experiences. The installation was tied together by a series of LED curtains providing a stunning backdrop for guests to create their own moments of interactive performance art.</p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/355582541" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2><br /></h2>
<h3><strong> <a href="https://momentfactory.com/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Moment Factory</a></strong></h3>
<p>As long time admirers of Moment Factory, we have seen some amazing projects come out of their fortitude, and none of that has changed during COVID-19. The Moment Factory R&amp;D team combined projection mapping and tracking of real-time movement to create a unique interactive sports experience inspired by basketball.<br /></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/428142540" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h1><br /></h1>
<h1>Virtual Gatherings</h1>
<p>The entertainment industry has seen major disruptions this year but responded by shifting toward streaming platforms. Performers of every discipline are supporting one another worldwide. For example The Weekend’s virtual concert on Tik Tok or virtual Burning Man 2020. These events were given a virtualized overhaul that gave the audience the performance they craved. </p>
<h3><strong> <a href="https://www.theweeknd.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> The Weekend</a></strong></h3>
<p>The Weekend’s virtual concert on tik tok is one of many virtual reality performances that has popped up during Covid-19, but with a twist of being presented on the Tik Tok platform. This performance was smart in the sense that it was made easily accessible, with the promise of an interactive and immersive performance. The vivid animations and experiences, mixed with the long awaited release of The Weekend’s new album, translated into a virtual gathering success. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uViueiV8fME" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><br /></p>
<h3><strong> <a href="https://burningman.org/event/brc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Burning Man</a></strong></h3>
<p>This year, Burners from around the world were welcomed into eight digital landscapes to celebrate the 2020 Burning Man Multiverse. Britelite took advantage of this event and we all joined in. As long time burners and in general fun in VR goers, we had to see… Can Burning Man really be as fun in VR? Our answer is a resounding yes! There was just as much shenanigans in fun to be had as there would be in person. <br /></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7FmlUcuoAhI" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><br /></p>
<h3><strong> <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/westfield" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SFMOMA VR Experience</a></strong></h3>
<p><strong>Reactive Environments for the workplace</strong></p>
<p>Even a virtual walk through can be helpful during this time. We see virtual reality being capable of bridging the isolation of quarantine by creating a team experience and function of keeping production rolling. For example: We created a hyper-realistic VR walk-through of the new SFMOMA that allowed the creative team to view and test content on virtual screens without actually being at the MOMA. </p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/westfield" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vibe out to this SFMOMA VR Walkthrough.</a></strong></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/187124885" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p><strong>There has never been a more important time in history to pivot towards creative technology for brands to engage their audience. The value seems more obvious now that we have to move towards a more touchless future, creating safer, more useful spaces with redefined audience engagement. We consider our industry to be a community and our community has really pulled together to bring some thoughtful user experiences to keep businesses lively and more exhilarating than ever in a time of need. At Britelite we are always looking for new technology and non-traditional uses of existing technology. If you are a retailer, a technology company, or otherwise interested in creating memorable experiences, please take a look at our <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/">portfolio of work</a> and <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/">contact us</a>!</strong><br /></p>

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Rethinking User Experiences for Social Distancing

<p><strong>The pandemic has decimated the trade show and conference industry. Many companies depend on presence at such events, and they can’t afford to sit back and wait.</strong></p>
<p>Let's be real... When was the last time you tuned into a digital event and were actually blown away? More often, what our industry has seen are attempts to replicate a live production, but on the web and the results can be lackluster. What we crave is something novel - something personalized, something fun, something that captures our attention immediately and keeps us engaged over time.</p>
<h1>Create virtual spectacle </h1>
<p><strong>Get attendees thinking, “this is something I couldn't experience before” instead of "this is replacing something."</strong> </p>
<p>Digital mediums bring the most experience value when their strengths are leveraged, as opposed to when they attempt to recreate a physical space or - even worse - feature webinar-style content. The trick is to create larger (or smaller) than life environments and allow - even feature - behavior that isn’t possible in the real world. By leveraging digital tools and rethinking experiences from the digital ground up it is possible to create an event that is more impactful to attendees than the same conference year after year. Digital environments allow for larger groups than in person, more break out rooms as physical spaces do not need to be secured, and a wider breadth of attendees can join without the restriction of travel. Through the application of novel forms of interactivity a virtualized event can take your message to places that were never possible with traditional in person activations. </p>
<h1>Reimagining digital events and experiences</h1>
<p>So you’re convinced and ready to plan your digital event, but what can you do to create the impact that we know is possible? </p>
<p><strong>PLAY WITH PHYSICS:</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Distort reality by manipulating size, scale, and perspective.</strong></p>
<p>The most impactful digital events on the web to date are those that are visually arresting and are highly interactive or even experienced via a first-person point of view. In a virtualized event there are no bad seats and no overflowing keynote halls. Every participant has access to up close and personal interaction with the activations. By investing in special effects and 3D animation, you’re able to create hard hitting and pulse thumping content that keeps visitors glued to their seats and highly engaged. Whether it’s a keynote speech, live performance, or product launch; getting creative with how content is presented pays dividends. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/273578876" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Q3oItpVa9fs" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL:</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Show the intimate, human side that people don’t normally get to see.</strong></p>
<p>There's something special happening right now with digital experiences where audiences are getting intimate glimpses into the lives and homes of their heroes, celebrities, executives, and other public figures. The impact of intimacy is increased when you create interactions with virtual speakers and other content, which brings the added benefit of analytics that allow you to learn a great deal about what is striking a chord with your audience. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/299723835" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><br />BETTER AND MORE TANGIBLE METRICS:</strong> </p>
<p><strong>With digital events you are able to keep an eye on attendee behavior like never before.</strong></p>
<p>Through the integration of second screen polling and interactions it is possible to get a more complete picture of the audience, their interests, activities and what they want more of. The traditional exit poll can be replaced with easy to deploy instant feedback for speakers and event holders giving a better, more complete picture of attendees whether hosting an industry event, internal meeting or product launch. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ceros.com/originals/breaking-down-seinfeld/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ceros</a> makes a new and creative animated data visualization every Friday.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/image-1.png" alt="" /></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>BUILD A COMMUNITY</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Promote conversation and shared experience; amplify community buzz through serialized content.</strong></p>
<p>People that share a <a href="https://www.losthorizonfestival.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">common interest, passion, or expertise</a> will not only engage with virtual experiences that resonate, they will engage their networks as well. Not enabling your audience to connect and converse is a massive missed opportunity. Additionally, roadmap content releases over time so that your initial engagement amplifies and grows organically.<br /></p>
<p><a href="https://account.altvr.com/events/752493467564769721" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BurningMan</a> will host their event in AltSpaceVR this year.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<figure><strong><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/BMJ_2020ManBase-665x375.png" alt="" /></strong></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>YOUR OWN ADVENTURE</strong></p>
<p><strong>Personalized experiences on the web are easy to create (and are expected). </strong></p>
<p>Personalization for digital events can be accomplished via a simple approach - when visitors land on your event site, prompt them to answer a simple set of questions, then deliver a customized, tailored experience based on their background and interests. Layers of sophistication and creativity to personalize experiences within digital events only spark more engagement and interaction. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AK54uQbiAIE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>
<p><strong>GAMIFY EVERYTHING:</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Tap into our competitive nature to create power users and evangelists. </strong></p>
<p>Enable simple game mechanics that reward people for going deep, make the experience competitive with a leaderboard, and turn power users into mentors or evangelists. </p>
<p><em>Robotic surgery simulator</em></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/358177763" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong>BLEND PHYSICAL WITH DIGITAL:</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Instead of taking a web-only approach, explore what’s possible by mixing in physical layers.</strong></p>
<p>Weaving in physical components can take a myriad of forms. Whether it is a mystery box you receive at home and are instructed to open when the digital event begins, or a completely untethered drive-thru experience, the creative possibilities are limitless. Think outside the screen and push into what’s possible with the power of the technology in our pockets or hardware that can be configured. This hybrid space is where there are the greatest possibilities for envelope-pushing experiences, especially over the long-term as public spaces and in-person events open back up.</p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Kx3wqBiJaQc" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2>Distance as an Opportunity </h2>
<p>As much as the world is changing right now it is also full of opportunity. In this era we are able to present truly never been done before experiences and give attendees a chance to participate in events like never before. By thinking about these events as truly new experiences and not just a replacement of an in person event we can create the next generation of compelling events. <br /></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/436566160" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure>

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How to stay relevant and create impact with virtualized content

<p>Being stuck at home has led me down many rabbit holes, such as watching Tiger King, 90 day fiance, firefly again and has also expanded how I look for art and artists. The search for art that was being produced became difficult for a few months because nothing was being publicly displayed due to covid shutdowns. So as a creative, I got creative and tapped into the artists’ community on instagram. It may seem unorthodox to find creatives on Instagram, but the visual based platform is the perfect incubator for trailblazing artists. Experimenting with a gamut of creative tools and output, these artists have evoked wonderment and awe. These are the trailblazers everyone should be watching...</p>
<h2><a href="https://linktr.ee/DonAlleniii">Don Allen Stevenson III</a></h2><p><strong>Artist Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/donalleniii/"> @donallenii</a></strong></p>
<p>Spirited in fun and educational, Don Allen is one of the rising stars in animation right now. Spread out across <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdn5DOTtaZlBrB2K8y1Dzw">youtube</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@donalleniii?language=en&amp;u_code=ca3bg4d8bf4b8&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;app=musically&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;user_id=272648951550586880&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_m&amp;sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAAr-7GSsoI05IkqGObHV-KGSnlWC7MfAo9vGePaZ4Z_5Hc62MDyqziqov8HUAPyKbc">tik tok</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/donalleniii/">instagram</a> you can easily access his augmented reality animations, graphic design work, tutorials, fun games and more. First, let's ask the most logical question… How does he produce that much creative content?!?! From the outside looking in, I’d say it’s his pure love and joy for animation. I took a deep dive into his<a href="https://linktr.ee/DonAlleniii"> work</a> after watching this video on instagram: </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/438050476" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br />Oftentimes I’ll see a great animation, but that’s just what it is -- just an animation. He has a mind that integrates various technologies into his stories and expands on what an animation can be, with Augmented reality. With versatile creative abilities and great storytelling , he has made sure to share his knowledge with the world. </p>
<p><strong>How to Shoot Augmented Reality Videos</strong></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UB1l_3McGrU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Learn how to make an augmented reality riddle </strong></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cEX62jVUox0" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /></p><h1><a href="http://ueeism.co.uk/">Eugene Sharpe</a> </h1>
<p><strong>Artist Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ueeism/"> @ueeism</a></strong></p>
<p> Are you looking to calm TF down after a long day of looking at covid news articles? Well my friends do I have the artist for you… Eugene Sharpe is a Multimedia designer who is always looking to push and pull different aspects of new media art. What was decidedly different about his work, is that he also integrates his own music into his art. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ueeism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Check out his Instagram for more...</a></p>
<p><strong>Surreal for the feels</strong></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/1b013781531585.5d0237ea78025.jpg" alt="" /></figure><figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R8tHRQcTHz8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h1>Alda Boyd</h1>
<p><strong>Artist Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aqua.grl/">@aqua.grl</a></strong></p>
<p>Originally I noticed Alda Boyd as one of the standout artists exhibited in the Digital Art Series zaz corner billboards from Lightbox in collaboration with Zaz10ts . Creating 3D, VR and creative technology works of art, she sets an aesthetically pleasing tone with her use of color, and unique representations. <br /></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/392838496" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBIHNqLFwD-/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dreaming of places that don’t exist</a>...</strong></p>
<p><br /></p>

<h2>Feeling inspired yet?</h2>
<p><br /><br /></p>
<h1><a href="https://linktr.ee/stephyfung">Stephy </a></h1>
<p><strong>Artist Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stephyfung/"> @stephyfung</a></strong></p>
<p>This self titled tech head has skills as a 3D motion designer, self taught in Cinema 4D, Adobe Suite, Unity, Spark, and AR. Her foundation is graphic design, she also has passion within interaction design and animation. Again her work caught my eye on instagram, her style is undeniably aesthetically pleasing. Her use of shapes and color bring her animations to life in a way I can’t describe, so take a look… <strong><br /></strong></p>

<p><strong>Amazing work</strong></p>
<figure><strong><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/343447881" frameborder="0"></iframe></strong></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>36 days of type</strong></p>
<figure><strong><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/2WlnrMK3IxJuTit12OoEX3JdOh_z-6Bbl3jy1-7S_qxmiFDkX5t5eo5CDMQVsxtr_PH6QIyeGq8JE_IGxayQwgITExT97RI8GDdYYt1gCiNqPdpgonlUnfKrrJkc6mF7DwzGSTpN" width="600" height="600" alt="" /></strong></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Wise words</strong></p>
<figure><a href="https://www.instagram.com/r2thespecialist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_3hNabnsNC4" frameborder="0"></iframe></a></figure><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/r2thespecialist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br /><br /><br /></a></p>
<h2><strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/r2thespecialist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A Share from one of our very own Ryan Lotz</a></strong></h2>
<p>Our Experience Architect brings a lot to the table here at Britelite. This versatile artist has teamed up with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarahgriffenlotzart/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sarah Griffin Lotz </a>to create beautifully composed videos and music. Sarah composited all the footage together in Resolume Arena and added tasteful overlay FX and crossfades.</p>
<p>The visuals are inspired by some of Gmunk's hybrid digital/analog work like his Adobe project and Microsoft. Experimenting with abstract light patterns through different prisms, etc. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/438325725" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/briteliteimmersive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><br /></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/briteliteimmersive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Now Check out our Instagram! </a></h2>
<p>Give us a like, follow, comment, ask questions, we'd love to have you! We want to bring good news to you every week focusing on creative technology and inspiration. Let us know what interests you by <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contacting us</a>! <br /></p>

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Creative trailblazers you should be watching

<h2>“As white leaders if you aren’t making immediate changes you aren’t taking the urgency of the moment seriously.”</h2>
<p>Those words from <a href="https://twitter.com/benishshah" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benish Shah</a> rang through me as I sat through the latter half of the first ever <a href="https://www.freelancercybersummit.com/events/allyship-and-action" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Allyship &amp; Action Summit</a>, a live-streamed one day conference designed to meet the current moment of Black justice and the reckoning for agencies who have been ignoring the racist elephant in the room for too long. </p>
<p>The summit, which was organized and executed in just barely two weeks' time, brought together leaders and changemakers to discuss what has gone wrong in regards to racism in agencies, what has gone right, and what we should do next. Organized by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_nichols/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nate Nichols</a> and Steffi Behringer of the <a href="https://www.palettegrp.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palette Group</a> with virtually no budget, the Allyship and Action Summit was one of the highest quality digital conferences I’ve attended to date. With creative uses of breakout rooms and beautifully produced interstitial videos, it was a call to action for those who wanted to move beyond the performative black square posting into taking real action and making real change within their agencies. Throughout the day there were keynote speakers, panels, and seven breakout sessions to attend. Over a thousand people strong, the live stream kept everyone engaged for over four hours with hardly any drop off. </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/screen_shot_2020-07-01_at_9.56.45_pm.png" alt="" /></figure><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jayanta/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jayanta Jenkins</a> opened the summit with sage advice for everyone in the industry (no matter how junior) to bring leadership mentality to their jobs to create change. His call to build trust and to understand multiple perspectives was not only sound advice, but underscored the purpose of the entire summit. Jayanta also challenged white leaders to look at how they are bringing people into their companies and how they approach diversity &amp; inclusion to make sure it is equitable and holistic. The end goal of all this being to make agencies more creative and effective. </p>
<p>Creativity is about risk taking. And if we, as agencies push our clients to take calculated risks, but don’t do the work internally to take risks and do better, our teams, our clients, and our work will suffer the loss. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/neptunesnachos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kathryn Guess </a>brought ideas in the second panel, “How Can White Leadership be Allies in the Ad Industry” moderated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bennettdbennett/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bennett Bennett</a>. Proclaiming, “You are never a good ally, because you are never done doing the work to become a better ally,” she garnered a lot of approval in the chat. Doing the work is what it’s all about. </p>
<p>Here at <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britelite</a> we work hard to maintain a culture where people can show up fully as themselves, but that’s not enough. After the summit we are auditing our hiring practices, job posting language, and onboarding documentation to make sure we are being truly equitable and setting everyone up for success. Our management team is making sure we are hiring, nurturing and promoting diverse talent. We’ve started an ID club for employees to unpack our biases and have tough conversations around race. Additionally, we're rewriting our policies so we have a shared understanding of what is expected of our employees in an Anti-Racist workplace.</p>
<p>In the words of <a href="https://twitter.com/kianamoods" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kiana Pirouz</a> from We Are Rosie in her breakout session on designing an equitable organization: “Buckle Up." This is a long-overdue call to action for agencies, not just in the US but around the globe to lean into discomfort.</p><p> <strong><br />If you missed the summit all the sessions can be watched online here: </strong><a href="https://www.freelancercybersummit.com/events/allyship-and-action">https://www.freelancercybersummit.com/events/allyship-and-action</a> </p>

<p>The single event spawned a slack working group where people are already digging into how they can take action to improve their agencies. A second Allyship &amp; Action Summit is already in the works. We’ll see you there.<br /></p>


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Allyship & Action Summit Recap

<blockquote>Written by<br />Kelsy Postlethwait<br />Creative Strategist at Britelite Immersive<br /><br /></blockquote>
<p>Planning workshops that spark novel ideas while instigating brand and business objectives is a key part of my job as a Creative Strategist at Britelite Immersive. In the past, getting a group of five to twelve people together in a conference room (along with gratuitous quantities of post-it notes and a whiteboard) to carry it out has been my bread and butter. Alas, among the countless professional and existential quandaries that “WFQ” (work from quarantine) has sparked, is the need to evolve and reconsider this practice. In doing so, I’ve come up with three essential categories of reconsideration which can help to inform or guide any creative who seeks to recreate the magic of an “IRL” workshop within a fully remote and digital stratosphere—they are: <strong>Materials</strong>, <strong>Structure</strong>, and <strong>Planning</strong>.<br /></p>
<p>I would recommend starting with <strong>Materials</strong> first, this is where the proverbial rubber hits the road—your whiteboard, sharpies, color-coded post-it notes, voting stickers—basically any tangible item you might leverage during a workshop falls under this category for reconsideration. </p>
<p>Naturally, the digital platforms and features you call upon as stand-ins for these tangible items will play a pretty big role in the possibilities, or limitations, that your digital workshop must abide by. Conveniently, this is also the easiest category to redefine. Start by making a list of all of the items you typically use, then investigate the webosphere to find their digital counterparts! A favorite of ours at Britelite is called <a href="https://help.miro.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017730533-What-Is-Miro-">Miro</a>. Miro is a free platform that allows multiple teammates to collaborate simultaneously, and spontaneously, in an online whiteboard and comes fully loaded with digital post-its, writing tools, and flow-charts galore. If you’re looking to keep your whiteboard and your computer screen totally separate, and are open to making a larger investment, Google’s <a href="https://gsuite.google.com/products/jamboard/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=na-US-all-en-dr-bkws-all-all-trial-b-dr-1003894&amp;utm_content=text-ad-none-any-DEV_c-CRE_330171022030-ADGP_Hybrid%20%7C%20AW%20SEM%20%7C%20BKWS%20~%20BMM%20%2F%2F%20Jamboard%20%5B3:1%5D%20Google%20Jamboard-KWID_43700037135188935-kwd-329327703739&amp;utm_term=KW_%2Bjamboard-ST_%2BJamboard&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw-_j1BRDkARIsAJcfmTEvW8gNubFT3JEYhIEchXkYqrbNEMBxDksQE4kzzmocszka7ZVcB34aAmacEALw_wcB">Jamboard</a> provides a robust suite of digital features attached to a physical whiteboard so intuitively designed you can almost smell that signature Expo dry-erase scent.</p>
<h1><strong><em>Start by making a list of all of the items you typically use, then investigate the webosphere to find their digital counterparts! </em></strong><br /><br /></h1>
<p>Next, let’s take a look at <strong>Structure</strong>. In many ways, this category boils down to the fact that traditional workshop etiquette—i.e. the inherent social contracts that we unconsciously rely on, and defer to, while in the physical presence of others—are no longer available to us when collaborating across a disparate network of home offices. In considering and redefining this dynamic, it’s important to recognize that the host will need to play an active role in reinstating a sense of etiquette and norms which help to guide social interaction and manage expectations. In her novel, The Art of Gathering, <a href="https://www.priyaparker.com/">Priya Parker</a> refers to this structure wielding onus as <em>generous authority</em>, and we’ve found that applying a healthy dose of it is sure to help coax free-flowing participation and generative energy from a sundry of sweatpants clad professionals sitting at home.</p>
<p>For example, your <em>generous authority </em>as host might begin long before the workshop does, with an expectation setting email that answers questions such as:</p><p><em>Are there any homework questions that participants can answer ahead of time to get everyone in the right frame of mind? </em></p><p><em>What topics can everyone come prepared to discuss?</em></p><p><em>Should participants plan to have their front-facing cameras on during the session?</em></p><p><br />During the workshop, <em>generous authority</em> might look like making statements such as: “Now let’s all take some time to introduce ourselves and say hello”—or even requesting that everyone on the call stand up, shake it out, and try a silly hand gesture. In the physical world, directions like these could make your conference table feel more like a kindergarten classroom, but in the digital realm they can significantly strengthen the emotional wellbeing and mental productivity of your workshop cohorts.</p>



<h1>The inherent social contracts that we unconsciously rely on, and defer to, while in the physical presence of others are no longer available to us when collaborating across a disparate network of home offices.</h1>
<p>Our third category for reconsideration is <strong>Planning</strong>, this is the strategic meat and potatoes, the gestalt, the blueprint, even the essence if you will, of the whole shebang! In my experience, this category takes the most sensitivity and thoughtfulness to recreate in a manner that traverses the digital divide. Here, traditional considerations such as the number of transitions, amount of topics covered, client mindset, project agenda, and physical needs (aka bio breaks) are now combined with new external and technological impediments such as crayon-wielding toddlers running through the background screaming, screen fatigue, and the game of chicken that ensues when multiple people start talking at once in digital conferencing platforms. </p>
<p>This category is also the one which will vary the most in accordance with each unique client and project—so I won’t pretend to have a “one size fits all” solution up my sleeve. Instead, here are a few examples that we can share from our experience to use as thought starters: </p>
<p>Pace yourself and support participant stamina by building time for independent thinking and screen breaks <em>into</em> your agenda. One method we’ve used is to assign a lower effort task for participants to do individually, and then giving them more time than they needed to complete said task. In a recent workshop, for example, we let participants know they’d have 20 minutes (10 minutes more than they actually needed) to simply select a few pre-populated post-its from the Miro board and prepare to present their selections upon reconvening. This gave participants some quiet time to think while completing the ask, as well as the opportunity to gracefully step away from their screens and recharge—using the extra moments for a bio break, coffee refill, or otherwise. </p>
<p>The ability to leverage our digital conferencing platform’s built-in features in unconventional and strategic ways has been another useful nugget. For example, one could utilize <a href="https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115001286183-Nonverbal-Feedback-During-Meetings">Zoom reactions</a> as voting mechanisms in order to gain group consensus, or put them to work in combating the chaos of “who's going to talk next?” by framing them as a hand raising mechanism. Alternatively, simple suggestions such as encouraging participants to turn their video feed off while working in a Miro board—<em>so that they only have to focus on one shared screen at a time</em>—can also go a long way. </p>
<h1><strong><em>Build time for independent thinking and screen breaks into your agenda. </em></strong></h1>
<p>Though we are still learning new things every day at Britelite, I can say with confidence that broadening our horizons to include robust remote workshop sessions has been well worth the time and effort. Finding digital versions of our favorite studio supplies, practicing generous authority, and actively training in ways to mitigate creative fatigue has evolved our practice and led to a more rewarding understanding of workshops as a whole.<br /><br /></p>

Making Workshops Work Hero Image Final 01

Making Creative Workshops Work While Quarantined

<p>We all need to feel a little lighter on our feet, and a little inspiration can go a long way. We are a creative technology agency and it’s sometimes tricky to explain what that means. We pull together a few different business sectors (art, emerging technology, and A/V) to create public and sometimes private immersive and interactive art environments. </p>
<p>To quote our CEO John Flores --- </p>
<p>“Around 2011, pioneering brands and marketers started creating large immersive exhibits designed to wow audiences. Having grown weary of interactive banner ads and new media web tools, these forward-thinking content creators sought to use visual technology to build larger-than-life exhibitions that blew people away. Iconic examples of these early activations include Obscura’s Sydney Opera House and Audi’s A1 projection projects.</p>
<p>In 2015 the term creative technology became popular within advertising communities. By that point, emerging tech (motion sensors, VR headsets, beacons, smart technologies, etc.) had created new opportunities for companies to connect with audiences. Experiential and immersive content was (and is) still alive, though content creators now have smarter tools and the processing power needed to interact directly with environments and audiences.”</p>
<p>Does that make sense? Well, here are some inspirational creative technology experiences that have been getting us excited to give you an idea of what is possible with creative tech...<br /><br /><br /></p>
<h2><strong>Wave</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Public Media Art #1 “Wave” </strong><strong>By Dstrict</strong></p>

<p>A virtual waterfall, 'WAVE' is an anamorphic illusion that has been revealed on the largest high-definition outdoor advertising screen in S.Korea. The high-definition outdoor advertising screen is 80.1m (w) x 20.1M (h).<br /></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CZxKdgiisAU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2><br /></h2>
<h2>Ada</h2><p><strong>Microsoft's latest artist in residence installation</strong><br /><br />Ada, a two-story structure made of 3D printed nodes, fiberglass rods and fabric digitally knit with photoluminescent yarn, uses AI to translate anonymized data about facial expressions, noise, voice tones and language into a choreographed dance of color and light. It's on display on Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus.</p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/b3eZqO1Oh5E" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2><br /></h2>
<h2>Artivive </h2>
<p><strong>Bringing Classical Works Of Art To Life In AR</strong></p>
<p>Artivive is an AR tool that allows artists to create new dimensions of art by linking physical with digital art. The digital layer opens the doors to a whole new world of possibilities. Artists can take visitors on a journey in time and explain what lies behind, enhance the art with illustrations or show how the artworks were made. More than 3800 artists are creating artworks with Artivive and having exhibitions in 75 countries. For museums, exhibitions, galleries and other art institutions Artivive offers a new and innovative way for the audience to interact with the exhibits.<br /></p>
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<h3>Feeling inspired yet? Here are some “call for artists” to get you going…</h3>
<h2><br /></h2>
<h2><a href="https://www.hotelwonderland.nl/callforartists/">Hotel Wonderland - Call for artists</a><br /></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.hotelwonderland.nl/callforartists/"></a>Within the world of Hotel Wonderland we have room for 10-20 independent artists to transform a part of the space into a meaningful, immersive and/or interactive installation inspired by our poetic DNA. Installation artists working with visuals, space, interaction, sound, paper, light, story, decor, technology, actors, video, interior design, etc. from anywhere in the world are welcome to apply and start a conversation with us.The themes are connection, magic, intuition and openness are the core themes for Hotel Wonderland. Part of the experience will consist of guests wandering around freely in a large indoor space for several hours, interacting with lots of different experiences/installations around these themes.<br /></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/Hotel-Wonderland-1-Onderschrift-400x225.jpg" alt="" /></figure><h2><br /></h2>
<h2><strong><a href="https://www.designscience.studio/">Design Science Decade - Call for Artists</a></strong></h2>
<p>The Buckminster Fuller Institute (BFI) in partnership with habRitual is calling all creators: fine artists, designers, performers, philosophers, ecologists, systems thinkers, data scientists, and others who resonate with this prompt to create art that explores the principles of Design Science. Through creative expression, members of this program will co-create in service of a world that works “for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone”.</p>
<p>We welcome creators to apply to join the Design Science Studio and embark on a facilitated journey to use principles of nature, science and design to imagine a future that is regenerative and just. </p>
<p>Learn more at<a href="http://www.designscience.studio/"> www.designscience.studio</a>. Applications due June 5, 2020.<br /><br />“The artistic imagination allows us to have a visceral experience of possibility. In times where we understand that the future must be significantly different than the present (for the health and flourishing of 100% of life), then there are few better pathways to realizing this than art that illuminates this future. Art that gives us freedom for a moment to live within, be challenged by, discuss, and bask in possibility.”</p>
<p>- Tom Chi</p>
<p>We want to bring good news to you every week focusing on creative technology and inspiration. Let us know what interests you by <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contacting us</a>! <br /></p>

Dstrictwave

Inspiration Sensations: Projects we love

<p>Being stuck inside can lead to the development of new needs, ways to interact, remote work and most importantly ways to have fun. As we know VR has been a rising star for some time, but with quarantine people have realized that it is the interactive tool we all need. In fact Mark Zuckenbrg said “Oculus Quest Has Surpassed Our Expectations. I wish we could make more of them faster during this period.”. With the oculus quest being <a href="https://www.oculus.com/quest/">back in stock</a> we recommend getting one, so you can see first hand how helpful VR can be….</p>
<h2><strong>Host your next meeting in VR</strong></h2>
<p>Engage is an advanced virtual reality training and education platform that makes it easy to collaborate, create, and learn in VR. It offers the ability to hold meetings, events, and more all within a virtual reality environment. </p>
<p>As events and conferences are being cancelled and postponed due to the global spread of coronavirus, HTC took the opportunity to hold their annual conference inside virtual reality. The VIVE Ecosystem Conference - which is usually held in Shenzhen, China - took place in ENGAGE this year on March 19. </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/orAOe7P_Mv8" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><br /><br /></p>
<h2><strong>Concerts in VR</strong></h2>
<p>This isn’t something new, but alas it is something all of us concert goers can agree is needed right now, bring back the music please!! Travis Scott got clever with it, and teamed up with Fortnite for Astronomical, a now-record-setting live-stream tour that has elevated the virtual concert experience. </p>
<p>“The excitement began with players being able to see the stage as it was constructed at the Sweaty Sands beach, in addition to multiple <em>Astroworld</em> heads popping up in the days leading up to the show. When the show started on Thursday, players were alerted by a planet-like object floating toward them on-screen that eventually exploded.</p>
<p>During the show, a giant Scott stomped around the island performing while visuals changed along with the songs. There were roller coasters, spacemen, and a cyborg version of Travis Scott, and the crowd was submerged underwater at one point.” - fast company </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tVkOrJlEJbM" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><br /><br /></p>
<h2><strong>Mood Boosting VR</strong></h2>
<p>Are you into solving puzzles, well VR has got you covered. Now you can assemble 3d puzzles in VR. It’s a free prototype of a game where you build, piece-by-piece, a jigsaw puzzle of beautiful 3D models from around the world! </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/R2vJ-qfVdiQ" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p>It's nice to get your mind in shape with some puzzles, but what about getting your body fit? Well VR has a few games just for that, but the one that stands out is Beat Saber. It is the perfect tool to get your mind and body fit!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.vrfitnessinsider.com/review/beat-saber-game-review-a-jedi-samurai-rhythm-game/">Beat Saber</a> was named one of the best virtual reality fitness games and has been given a fitness rating comparable to tennis by the VR Institute of Health and Exercise. It is certainly a mood booster.</p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wxLpBDgxjcI" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>And for fun…</strong><strong><br /></strong></p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/05pzUXujMJU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /><br /><br />“As people can’t go out into the world as much, the ability to have technology that allows us to…feel present even when we can’t be physically together — whether that’s Quest, or Portal, or any of the software that we’re building around video presence — that stuff has certainly seen especially large spikes in usage.And it’s possible that this…accelerates some of the trends around adoption of virtual or augmented reality.” - Mark Zuckerberg</p>
<p>We want to bring good news to you every week focusing on creative technology. Let us know what interests you! Take a look at some of our <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/cisco-live" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VR projects.</a> <br /><br /></p>


Oculus Quest

Glow up your quarantine with VR

<p>At roughly thirty plus days of quarantine, it hasn’t gotten any easier to settle into it… But With the thrust of support from creative technology companies finding ways to assist the public in keeping occupied, it’s hard to escape all the inspiration. Do you have an interest in creative technology? Well to our happy surprise there are plenty of free educational tools to be offered. </p>
<h3><br /></h3>
<h2>Patch</h2>
<p>From Gray Area</p>
<p>As patrons of Gray Area, we are always excited to see what new innovative artwork is on display or being performed, but with things on lockdown Gray Area is bringing the innovative artwork to you with Patch. Patch is a platform where anyone around the world can now participate in Gray Area’s innovative education and cultural programs. </p>
<p>“Refine your creative skills and learn from renowned artists &amp; technologists.”</p>
<p>This platform is complete with a virtual salon, which is a virtual space for artists to meet and connect. There are so many facets of inspiration on this platform including music, so don't miss out, and<a href="https://www.patch.grayarea.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> sign up now</a>! </p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/RAeALWmA.jpeg" alt="" /><figcaption>Modular Synths Workshop next week with Ryan Smith, who makes music as @CaribouBand collaborator @TaravalMusic and runs Crowbar Corner at Gray Area. </figcaption></figure><h2><br /></h2>
<h2>AVIXA</h2>
<p>AVIXA is opening free online training to all AV professionals through June 12th, regardless of membership level.  “We hope this will give you and your team the opportunity to learn new topics, work toward CTS certification, or earn CTS-RUs if already CTS certified, even if you are home.”</p>
<p> If you know anyone else who could benefit from this opportunity, please encourage them to participate at the link below. <a href="https://store.avixa.org/AvixaLogin?startURL=%2Fsetup%2Fsecur%2FRemoteAccessAuthorizationPage.apexp%3Fsource%3DCAAAAXGAqJ3TME8wNFAwMDAwMDA4T0k4AAAA3ophYUErMXf05WqZMaVmc668Ov8Q35LrjsoruP7VZxqeBq-jYbdfjhDFSZGKkqL3PM-KIwHUKCHuadhxADZo-CDO7PDfxJnh_wVlt0oBf7JALK0pOsGC04R30Qh9l7hV6vWK4WU-QZxRpDKAEiUCxbXDMvyUcGs4hcWWMI1jJnz0pkuxPfzgR8ou2gSa0IpHtppOQmKTfTpwcqKs6xS6AWb7pjCppbwFq1x0Hi59Ti3W0I4q-h4QpbYOjkFN__trmiGCaJpYORn7n0-mcJj8UleOrYkzhaPXmDbJpCHlVgHevfZ0NObSMi8XD74BwfY082ipoGgZpLAFMygnE45IZOOA2Rk-cvkV6NRQz8tL4JRQ295G4V8DZW6WRzyHCCnJXbY8XBkcmt806Ijw5EFmRt0rO9MGU5BKRwFNzDG2ifyC5Yxyb7KYu0xeybHdu3JuGgPhpcyXTBykdcJTv01p2J-r2pUZNrcvxX934vkBybqDEBwRfYMS6op3EksN5uW4aBaEbxbfDDH0Q6FCMG2fyecdAlRzL8XIB3diwWvEVgQT1gwmORzeiPEut8GlvaN13gHUiMZdjIcaRPKC5gvGR-3QFtcrgeH2k15m3f0OXRXCJod_N8cVsL1yAlAz7opvmw%253D%253D">Access online training</a></p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/ET-TRM8WkAAQdY2.jpeg" alt="" /></figure><h3><br /></h3>
<h2>Learn Squared</h2>
<h3>Join industry leading artists. Become a badass.</h3>
<p>The first lesson of every Learn Squared course is totally free of charge. That's over 58 HOURS of free content. Just simply <a href="https://www.learnsquared.com/user/register?utm_source=intercom&amp;utm_medium=message&amp;utm_campaign=firstlesson">sign up for a free account</a> and start learning.<br /></p>
<p>“FREE LESSONS FOR ALL: As the world self-isolates and maintains social distancing in these unprecedented times - let's connect through creativity. We are offering access to the 1st lesson of every one of our courses for the next 60 days starting today!”</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/ETrIqZ6WoAAy3uX.jpeg" alt="" /></figure><h2><br /><br /></h2>
<h2>Unity</h2>
<p>Start bringing your vision to life today with the Unity real-time 3D development platform.</p>
<p>“To help support you during these times, we’re committed to providing all users with three months of complimentary access to Unity Learn Premium. Just log in to start learning and click through to learn more about the platform. Free courses, projects and tutorials to get you creating with Unity”</p>
<p>As an added bonus Oculus &amp; Unity Release Free VR Development Course with 20 Hours of Content! </p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HfvSH1gqkxY" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h3><br /></h3>
<p>We want to bring good news to you every week focusing on creative technology. Let us know what interests you!<br /></p>




Gray area 1020x574

Our favorite free education resources to get you through quarantine

<h2>From Normal life to Shelter-in-Place<br /></h2>
<p>With the current Covid-19 situation both in the USA and around the globe, uncertainty abounds. Large swaths of the community are being asked to stay home except for non-essential errands. For an industry that is normally focused on creating experiences for public spaces and groups of people, this can feel like having the rug ripped out from underneath us. As conferences and public gatherings have been cancelled, experiential work will have to evolve to meet the needs of this new reality. But as we are changing the way we approach our work to take it from public to private spaces, this time offers us a lot of creative opportunity, as well. <br /><br />Britelite’s main office is currently on “Shelter in Place” orders in San Francisco, and many of our projects have paused while we evaluate what is the safest course of action for our team, clients, and end users. While we are pausing, we can also harness our collective creative energy to help create work that helps people navigate these uncertain times. <br /></p>
<h2>Great experiential work is transformative</h2>
<p>At its best, the work we do transforms your sense of place while creating awe and wonder. Immersive experiences can provide relief from the everyday, something that is helpful during normal times and critical now after being stuck indoors for days on end. While experiences are being redefined to meet this new normal on a daily basis, they are even more relevant now when people are hungry for connection and interaction. We can design these experiences to give people a sense of joy or calm, to entertain and help pass the time, or to inform and make the scary less so. The technology to support these experiences can create connections between people, even as we are all apart. </p>
<h2>Can spectacle co-exist with being solo?</h2>
<p>Whether it’s a giant projection mapped building, a reactive light sculpture or a VR field trip, experiential work can be thought of as providing wonder, education, and utility. These categories are just as relevant today as they were several months ago the only difference is how we apply them. Being stuck in your home and without other physical participants changes how we think about and approach the user experience for interactive and immersive works, in addition to the functionality and end result. </p>
<p>This shift is taking individual experiences and working to connect them to a group interaction rather than taking a group interaction and breaking it down for the individual. While there has certainly been a traditional value to the group experience when working with experiential initiatives, there has always been a strong focus on making sure that every individual user feels deeply connected to the experience and has an easy time of engaging with it. Given the change of venue and environments we are working within now, following some basic guidelines can help with success and still leave users delighted by engaging with an experience.</p>
<h2>Work with what you have </h2>
<p>Even through these extraordinary times, there are still compelling stories to be told and communication is more important than ever. Recognizing the potential to connect with people in a more intimate environment has led us to look at the ways people communicate on a daily basis and try to wrap stories into those styles of interaction. </p>
<p>At Britelite we often use web based front end to create the interactive layer of our installations and have become familiar with integrating sensors and user inputs into a web based system. This means there is a limited amount of change in the way we need to build systems to take them from public installations into private homes. Using web based platforms such (as Web AR), easily downloaded experiences, and streaming experiences are a gateway into getting work in front of people in their homes. </p>
<h2>Tap into available hardware</h2>
<p>We usually try to target the most technologically forward hardware we can get access to when planning new activations and installations but this new environment is shifting the focus to technology that everyone has easy access to. While a state of the art Transparent OLED might have been the target display for a public window installation, we need to be thinking in terms of smartphones, tablets and home computers for the immediate future. This does not mean that the quality of the experience needs to be sacrificed, though, because most of these devices have a host of embedded sensors that can be leveraged to create truly compelling experiences. With the host of point cloud tracking systems embedded in almost every personal device these days, we have already been leveraging them to create non-traditional interactive experiments using nothing but handheld devices. </p>
<h2>Think small</h2>
<p>While experiential work is often focused on large footprints and spectacle, this new reality is a chance to turn that on its head and find compelling ways to design and build for smaller screens and environments while still creating impact and a sense of wonder. We have jumped into this design challenge and view this as an opportunity to explore a type of interaction that is not often our focus. Playing with this smaller scale and embracing it can have huge payoffs if you can achieve the transformation of that space or at the very least transport your users out of it.</p>
<h2>Using experiential to navigate this time</h2>
<p>More than anything we are living in a time of extreme uncertainty. While this is something that people are dealing with on a daily basis this is a time where we can use non traditional interaction and communication to help connect people and bring some level of familiarity to a very foreign feeling time. There are new problems and challenges cropping up every day and an industry that was built on solving non traditional problems is set up to thrive in this environment. </p>
<p>We can think of this as a time where people have an opportunity to connect with artists and creators that they love, and the experiential agencies are in a great position to facilitate this communication. We have opportunities to entice people to interact and create themselves, and bringing digital participation into experiences will push people to find new ways of creating and sharing with the world. We can create and share new ways of connecting friends and family that were not as critical several months ago but are vital now. The experiential industry is able and ready to address the needs of the world we all live in now and the opportunities to innovate in this time should be exciting not scary. We are all in this together and we will create new and more immersive ways of connecting and sharing even if we are all in our homes when we do it. </p>
<h1>Getting Inspired</h1>
<p>To get you inspired here are some resources and experiences you can try at home:</p>
<p>Marpi’s <a href="https://marpistudio.itch.io/wave-atlas" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wave Atlas</a> and <a href="https://marpistudio.itch.io/aquarium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aquarium</a> interactive art pieces</p>
<figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/eq1MAeIhXuw" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/clpZTa7GJbU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://uploadvr.com/couch-live-shared-virtual-living-room/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Couch Live</a></p>
<p>Hang out with friends and family in a VR and Non VR communal space</p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QjVOkCJXxAE" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYyJUEtYv-ZW7BgjhP3UbTg/videos" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Virtual Disney World </a></p>
<figure><iframe width="500" height="281" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GY1hrKUUxvU" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h2><br /></h2>

Matthew kwong VZN f2gsvb4 unsplash

Spectacle in the time of Self-Isolation

<p>One retail show to rule them all — The National Retail Federation’s main trade show event, held in New York, united over 40,000 attendees representing 18,000 retailers from more than 99 countries. It is a very technology heavy show featuring fortune 500 tech companies like Microsoft, Intel, SAP and HP.</p>
<p>An important trend in the retail industry is creating exciting experiences for customers, not just transactions. This often requires retailers to lean on emerging and immersive technologies to help them create these experiences.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britelite</a> attended NRF to design + install an interactive experience to showcase a collaboration between <a href="https://www.sap.com/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SAP</a> + <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>. We also had a chance to explore the show, and experience all that the big show had to offer.</p>
<h2><br /></h2><h2>INTERACTIVE WALL</h2>
<p>Britelite was excited to attend NRF 2020 and we produced an interactive wall installation to promote the new SAP + Microsoft alliance. The alliance is important because it combines the technical, industry and platform strengths of both partners to deliver new and unique capabilities for retailers.</p>
<p>Using a combination of projected visuals, printed graphics and advanced sensors, we created an interactive wall that told four different stories of business cases enabled by the alliance.</p><figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/385833188" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p>The sensing technology doesn’t require any traditional or visible sensors, the wall itself became the touch surface. Visitors were intrigued by non traditional interaction and marveled as animations lit up and the room came to life. In a show filled with large high definition screens and LED walls, this was a refreshingly different presentation.</p><figure><iframe style="width:500px;height:281px;" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/385833396" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p>The exhibit created great opportunities for people from SAP and Microsoft to start conversations with their customers about the alliance.</p>
<h2><br /></h2><h2>MAIN FLOOR EXHIBITS</h2>
<p>Given that this is a retail-focused show, many of the exhibitors focused on creating realistic, simulated retail stores that they could use to demonstrate the value of their products and services. This is a small sampling of the exhibitors that caught our eye.<br /><br /></p>
<h4>Intel</h4>
<p>Intel’s presence at the show involved a docent-led tour through a series of experiences, each highlighting a different partner and use case. This impressive video wall was built with repurposed phone and tablet screens.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_8979.jpg" alt="" /></figure><h4>SAP</h4>
<p>SAP is a major vendor of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, used as the operational backbone of many businesses. The main SAP booth replicated a retail village, providing visitors with the opportunity to experience demonstrations of the various solutions on offer. SAP recently acquired Qualtrix, a company that focuses on gathering customer feedback, and presenting Qualtrix capabilities through interactive demonstrations was a major part of the activity here.</p><figure><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0fr5YmWIg_g" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><h4>Salesforce</h4>
<p>Salesforce is a major vendor of customer relation management (CRM) software, and they had a significant presence at NRF. Their brand presentation is about helping their clients navigate a forest of opportunity, and this was communicated at NRF through a massive free-form video wall and custom-built props.</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_8918.jpg" alt="" /></figure><h4>Bossa Nova</h4>
<p>Bossa Nova makes robots that travel up &amp; down the aisles of a store, monitoring inventory levels and notifying staff if they find exceptions. In addition, it connects to analytics software, allowing retailers to adapt on the fly to changing market and demand conditions. (This wasn’t the only product of its type – this is becoming mainstream very quickly.)</p>
<figure><img src="https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/blisf-website/UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_891b.jpg" alt="" /></figure><h2><br /></h2><h2>INNOVATION LAB</h2>
<p>The Innovation Lab on the 4th level of the conference center hosted a number of interesting companies, including startups as well as the innovation and R&amp;D arms of larger businesses. These are some of the interesting things we noticed.<br /><br /></p>
<h4>A.I.</h4>
<p>Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, and is especially noticeable in retail. The combination of cameras, sensors and A.I. aspires to give physical retailers as much analytic info as online retailers. Many booths featured dramatic “computer’s eye” views of typical retail scenarios, showing off the ability to generate detailed analytics in real-time.<br /><br /></p>
<h4>Drones and robotics</h4>
<p>Retail is a very labor intensive business, and there is a great deal of interest in using robotics and automation to allow employees to focus on customer service, as opposed to moving inventory and carrying out routine tasks such as inventory.</p><p>The combination of drones with A.I. allows for great opportunities to improve efficiencies. At least two companies were showing drones optimized for indoor flight, combined with computer vision and A.I. As with many of the Innovation Lab booths, live demos were the star of the show.</p><figure><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bQqn4vDDtVc" frameborder="0"></iframe></figure><p>At Britelite we are always looking for new technology and non-traditional uses of existing technology so this was a very interesting event to attend, and we found many opportunities. If you are a retailer, a technology company, or otherwise interested in creating memorable experiences, please take a look at our <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/work/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">portfolio of work</a> and <a href="http://www.briteliteimmersive.com/contact/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contact us</a>!</p>

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Retail's big show: NRF 2020

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