When Adobe wanted to transform their annual campus Field Trip into a virtual event that supports workplace culture, connection, and wellbeing, I knew we needed to shape a new way for the community to engage each other and an array of rich content. With that in mind, I led a talented mix of designers, writers, producers, creative technologists, and backend engineers to design a story-based user journey that moved from online to offline, across platforms, and into 3D virtual worlds. Our team at Cogs & Marvel imagined, designed, scripted, and shot all original content (socially distanced, of course) and hosted livestreamed learning in built and branded environments across categories of wellness, art, STEM, cooking, Adobe products, and gamified collaborations. And because we wanted to unify the weeklong program as a singular narrative journey, we also built an app to serve as a "remote control" to the entire experience.

This project challenged us all to reimagine how workplaces can stay connected, inspired, and supported through creative storytelling and clever technology applications. As a result, the project set a new standard for cross-platform connection and community. While it’s tempting to treat this moment as a passing inconvenience, and create digital band-aids, I’m taking this time as an opportunity to rethink the ways we communicate and what we need to make us feel emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually supported. One thing I know is, when this pandemic passes, we are not going back to the way things were. Too much has changed. Do companies need sprawling campuses with one desk for every person? Or set work schedules? Do they need to spend obscene amounts of money on lavish parties and work perks? I think there are better ways to support the workplace, the people, and the planet. This project is but one expression of that belief.