Project Overview
In collaboration with TH Experiential and Episode Four, Groove Jones crafted an immersive two-player interactive game for Invesco QQQ's activation at the NYCWFF. The "Recipe for Innovation" experience seamlessly blended culinary arts with cutting-edge technology, allowing festival attendees to engage in a virtual cooking competition hosted by a holographic Chef Kwame Onwuachi. This activation aimed to celebrate the innovative companies within the Invesco QQQ ETF by drawing inspiration from their contributions to create unique culinary experiences.
My Role
As the UX/UI Designer, my responsibilities included:
- Experience Design: Developing an engaging user journey that integrates interactive gameplay with real-time gesture controls.
- Interface Development: Designing intuitive touch screen interfaces for ingredient selection, preparation, and plating stages.
- Visual Integration: Ensuring seamless incorporation of CGI-rendered ingredients and holographic elements to enhance realism.
- Usability Testing: Conducting on-site testing to refine user interactions and ensure an immersive experience.
The Challenge
The primary challenge was to create an interactive culinary experience that not only engaged participants in a fun and educational manner but also effectively communicated Invesco QQQ's association with innovation and the companies within its ETF. The solution needed to be visually appealing, technologically advanced, and capable of handling high participant throughput during the festival.
Solution: Recipe for Innovation Kitchen Multiplayer Game
We developed a multi-stage interactive game where participants acted as sous-chefs to a holographic Chef Kwame Onwuachi. The gameplay involved:
- Ingredient Selection: Players selected five key ingredients inspired by companies within the Invesco QQQ ETF.
- Ingredient Preparation: Using touchscreens, players sliced, chopped, and prepared ingredients following Chef Kwame's instructions.
- Cooking Simulation: A hologram of Chef Kwame appeared on large LED displays to cook and season the prepared ingredients.
- Plating the Dish: Players creatively plated their dishes to match Chef Kwame's designs, aiming for a photo-worthy finish.
The experience took place inside a volumetric stage with three floor-to-ceiling LED walls that brought the digital kitchen to life. The CGI-rendered ingredients ensured a realistic plating experience, and the intuitive gesture controls allowed players to place and adjust items on the plate seamlessly.
Design Process
1. Research & Planning
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Engaged with Invesco QQQ, TH Experiential, and Episode Four to align the game's objectives with brand messaging and festival themes.
- Technical Assessment: Evaluated volumetric stage capabilities and holographic technology to ensure a cohesive user experience.
2. User Flow & Wireframing
- Journey Mapping: Outlined the step-by-step user interactions from ingredient selection to plating.
- Wireframes: Developed wireframes for touch screen interfaces, ensuring clarity and ease of use.
3. Visual & Interaction Design
- Thematic Consistency: Incorporated Invesco QQQ's branding and the festival's culinary theme into the visual design.
- Interactive Elements: Designed responsive touch controls and real-time feedback mechanisms to enhance engagement.
4. Development & Testing
- Prototype Development: Collaborated with developers to build functional prototypes integrating CGI elements and holographic content.
- Usability Testing: Conducted on-site testing during the festival to gather user feedback and make necessary refinements.
Outcome & Impact
- High Engagement: The activation attracted numerous participants, creating a lively and interactive atmosphere at the festival.
- Brand Association: Successfully linked Invesco QQQ's brand with innovation and culinary creativity, enhancing brand perception.
- Social Media Amplification: Participants received photos of their plated dishes via email, encouraging social sharing and extending the activation's reach.
Key Takeaways
- Immersive Technology: Utilizing holographic hosts and volumetric stages can create engaging and memorable user experiences.
- Interactive Engagement: Hands-on activities like virtual cooking can effectively convey brand messages and values.
- Seamless Integration: Aligning the experience with both the brand's identity and the event's theme enhances authenticity and participant connection.
Final Thoughts
The Invesco QQQ Recipe for Innovation Kitchen Multiplayer Game exemplifies how technology and creativity can merge to deliver an engaging brand experience. By combining interactive gameplay with culinary arts, we created a unique activation that resonated with festival attendees and reinforced Invesco QQQ's commitment to innovation.
