Emoji Center
An emoji adoption center and research facility.
Experiential | Branding | Creative Direction | Motion Design
Welcome to Emoji Center. A physical space for digital emotion. Through a partnership with Asia Culture Center and creative technologist Benjamin Chaykin, we transformed an existing retail space into an immersive, imaginary world where everyday people could adopt emoji and study their meaning. The project was part of the Arts & Creative Technology Festival in South Korea.
We partnered with developers, printers, translators, neon specialists, and construction workers to make this experience possible.
The validation machine
At the heart of the experience was a structure containing four robotic arms with digital displays mounted onto them. Guests could select an emoji to adopt from an iPad check-in station, then watch their emoji be put to the test by these robots, to ensure a perfect match.
Personalized, irresistible moments
In Gwangju, South Korea, many visitors spoke only Korean, so every touchpoint in the experience needed to be bilingual and transcend cultural barriers. By having visitors enter their Instagram handle and choose a selected emoji, we were able to design a personal journey for each visitor, while also supporting the flow of dozens of other visitors exploring the space.
Our solution
With multiple moments nested together, we were able to create ways for visitors to explore the space as they wish. An emoji library that spanned over 30 feet long showcased all 1,369 emoji. Visitors were encouraged to add one emoji adoption card to the library, as a physical memory of their visit, and take the other home. Beyond just walking through the space, we created intentional moments for photography, as well as lab coats and chemical splash goggles so visitors could become emoji scientists themselves.
Team Credits
Client: Asia Culture Center
Creative Technology: Ben Chaykin
Experiential: Photon Factory
Video Editor: Camille Durand
Web Development: Al Mendili
Contributors: McKenna Dean, Aya Kuroki, Tony Miller, Thomas McCormick, Eunjeong Moon, Seunghyeok Bak, Do Young Kim, Jung Woo Kim