Project
The C4F3 at Zero One San Jose / ISEA2006 is a working café of
augmented everyday objects. Located inside the San Jose Museum of Art, it is
more than just an art gallery, a restaurant, or a chill space. In the C4F3,
technology and art reconfigure a familiar space into a unique environment
only available during the festival.

Visitors buying a cup of coffee get a new way to look at the news in Heidi
Kumao’s CNNPlusPlus, which rearranges a live CNN feed in real time, or
Mauricio Arango’s Vanishing Point, which displays a continuous map of
current events. Lunchtime diners find a tiny LCD embedded in their cafe
table, displaying J.D. Beltran’s Secrets. Evening loungers can spend hours
contemplating Living Wall, a wall of glowing live bacteria that react to
sound, presented by Prion, an Australian collective of artists and
biotechnology professionals.
 
From Osman Khan’s enCOD table of animated fish that swim around the objects
on your table to Judith Donath and Karrie Karahalios’ Chit Chat Club, which
brings virtual visitors from the Internet to your table, this café
experience is different from any other. It is an experiment that examines
the intersection of new technologies and everyday life. It’s a way to help
people – makers, critics and observers alike – understand our relationship
to a new class of objects. We are on the brink of a culture where
information processing and biotechnology will change many objects around us.
How does this change our everyday spaces and everyday experiences? The C4F3
may be one of the only places to explore this question firsthand.

Approach
Working with the curator of the Zero One San Jose Festival, Syneo
developed an experience strategy for the merger of the interactive art
exhibition and the café by integrating the art pieces in the natural flow of
the café architecture.

Syneo then conceptualized and designed the identity of the C4F3 interactive
café including the logo, graphical identity, architectural space and
experience flow within the space. It was Syneo’s responsibility to direct
the implementation of the identity.

Location
Zero One, Global Festival of Art on the Edge, San Jose Museum of Art

Project
Sustainability is becoming a household priority. People are eager to understand how to change their behavior to live sustainably. Making the right appliance choices is part of this new shift. The aim of Green Kitchen was to help consumers envision sustainable living by illustrating a model of connected appliances that adapt in order to optimize energy efficiency. We combined the physical and virtual worlds by animating infographics projected directly on a future kitchen prototype. The graphics illustrate the connectivity between appliances, and inform the visitor about the potential to live more sustainanably through new appliance typologies and connectivity.

Approach
The Greenkitchen concept was a collaboration between Syneo’s Experience Design Team and Whirlpool GCD. Syneo facilitated workshops to translate Whirlpool’s corporate sustainability strategy into new product typologies and connectivity scenarios. We lead the creative development, including storytelling/storyboarding, for the exhibit and art direction for implementation.

Location
Milan Design Week/Eurocucina; Planet Durable, Paris; 100% design, London; Sustainability Conference, Kopenhagen.

Project
The home defines and reflects who we are. With this award-winning project, we showed how innovative technology and connectivity can improve people’s lives by adressing both organizational and emotional needs. We designed and constructed a prototype of an adaptive environment to show new ways of interacting with the home.

Approach
We lead workshops with Whirlpool’s design department to explore concepts for the home of the future. Our product and Interaction design teams conceptualized innovative product typologies reflecting a new way of connected living. We designed the holistic user experience: from architecture, product, interfaces and sound to the choreography of the space.

Location
Milan Design Week /Eurocucina, Europe’s biggest appliance show.

Client quote
“In.Home is an exciting design venture that represents two central pillars of our corporate strategy: innovation and built-in products designed for contemporary living.”
Mark Bitzer, President Whirlpool Europe

Project
The name Michael Thonet, inventor of bentwood furniture of the 19th century, represents the values of fine craftsmanship, quality materials and technical innovation. After the acquisition of Thonet Vienna by the Italian Group Poltrona Frau/Charme, it was necessary to strengthen the brand identity and strategize a relaunch. The goal was to safeguard the company’s respected name and reputation while translating them into contemporary products, services and experiences.

Approach
In several workshops, we participated in developing a collaborative relaunch strategy for the famous furniture brand. Syneo defined the essence of Thonet’s core values which range from production quality and craftsmanship to the leading edge of innovation. Guided by these values, and in collaboration with Pierluigi Cerri, one of Milan’s most reknowned Architects, we developed the launch event for the Milan Design Week and the Flagshipstore in Vienna.

Location
Implementation launch stand at Milan Design Week and flagship store in Vienna.

Project
Motorola was looking for a completely new way to launch their Razr mobile
phone, a breakthrough product both in terms of manufacturing technologies
and use of materials. Syneo’s Experience Design Team was entrusted with the
development and execution of an experiential communication event.

Approach
The exhibition was a co-branding event between ABB and Motorola.
Syneo conceptualized a futuristic laboratory atmosphere in which the values
of both organizations would be celebrated: robots representing leading-edge
technology and precision, and Motorola’s product representing advanced
mobile technology.

Syneo designed the holistic user experience: from architecture, product
presentation and sound to the choreography of the robot’s ballet, the main
attraction of the unique presentation concept of the product.

Location
Museum Of Contemporary Art, Milan Italy

Project
For the launch of Persol’s exclusive Heritage Collection, Syneo was
responsible for the conceptualization and implementation of an interactive
exhibition representing Persol’s values and providing a unique experience
for visitors.

This exhibit was a multimedia and multisensory experience that communicated
the history of Persol and the relevance of its values today. The central
exhibit in the main exhibition hall was a combination of live performance
and a digital art installation representing the Persol values of
craftsmanship and technological perfection.

Approach
Syneo conceptualized and implemented an interactive exhibition
spotlighting themes of cinema, Italian Design classics and music. The
interactive exhibition is part of a strategy to promote corporate values of
quality in material, production and craftsmanship with an emphasis on
‘heritage of design made in Italy.’

Location
Zona Tortona, Salone Del Mobile 08

Project
The Persol brand represents the highest standards of quality. Persol Incognito is an award-winning interactive exhibition that travels the world to represent Persol’s values: incomparable craftsmanship, handmade, innovative technology and timeless style.
This exhibit is a multimedia and multisensory experience that changes its atmosphere, light and sound scheme every four minutes to reveal its content in four acts. Spotlighting themes of cinema, craftsmanship and production, the new collection and the icon model 649, each act illuminates a different aspect of the Persol brand. The central exhibit in the main exhibition hall is the more than 40 feet long interactive table covered with an animated, interactive projection that changes content with each act.

Approach
Syneo conceptualized and implemented a modular interactive exhibition to be used over time with digital content updated for every show. The interactive exhibition is part of a strategy to promote corporate values of quality in material, production and craftsmanship with an emphasis on ‘made in Italy.’

Location
Debut at the Triennale di Milano during the Salone Del Mobile, shown at the Palais De Tokyo in Paris and then moved to New York.

Client quote
“This exhibition was a revolution for our brand.”

Project
There are an overwhelming number of beauty products on the market.
Making an informed purchase decision is a challenge. Differentiating the
experience at the point of sale is increasingly important. L’Oreal decided to
use one of its mass brands, Maybelline, to explore new opportunities. They
asked Syneo’s Experience Design Team to help conceptualize a meaningful
interactive platform that would enhance the shopping experience.

Approach
Collaborating with L’Oreal’s Marketing team, Syneo helped
conceptualize and implement an interactive point-of-sale installation called
Make-up Navigator to make the shopping experience both efficient and
entertaining. A touchscreen allows the user to enter her profile from color
of hair to skin type, occasion, preferences etc. Then the system will
propose a personalized selection of products to fit the profile.

Syneo designed a multi-media experience that merged the physical with the
digital by highlighting the selection directly on the product on display. At
the same time, the experience is accompanied by a sound scheme and a light
installation.

This installation is part of a strategy to simplify the user experience, and
has proven to be a meaningful service: within two months the client was able
to quadruple its sales. L’Oreal will now implement the system in 50
additional shops in Italy.

Project
Hamburg Artists is a non-profit organization based in Hamburg/ Germany with the goal of professionally
promoting local artists by providing communication platforms, organizing art
events and at the same time delivering individual consulting for business
development in the art sector. Hamburg Artists is committed to expanding the
reputation of the city as a creative hot spot in Germany while also helping
artists to develop sustainable business models.

The challenge  of the project was to create a brand identity to position
Hamburg Artists as a leader in the fields of art business management and
creative services as well as a trustworthy partner for creative
entrepreneurs.

Approach
Syneo worked with the founder of Hamburg Artists to develop an
event strategy to benefit all stakeholders involved, from the city of
Hamburg and the investors to the local creative community. The goal was to
envision activities with high communication value, also linked to the unique
urban setting of the city. At the same time Syneo developed the identity of
the organization including the logo, graphical dna, website and
communication elements.

Project
Certilogo is pioneering advanced consumer protection and product traceability solutions. Counterfeit products are harmful to both consumers and businesses. Certilogo empowers consumers to make informed buying decisions by giving them the ability to verify that they bought an authentic product. By placing unique codes on their products, brand partners enable consumers to verify that they are getting an authentic, high-quality original.
The Certilogo challenge was to create an identity that combines positioning the company as technology leader and safety enabler with competency as a user experience provider.

Approach
Syneo created Certilogo’s brand identity and helped them to envision a holistic user experience for the product authentication process. In collaboration with Certilogo’s leadership team, Syneo developed strategic positioning, identity outlines and future consumer experience scenarios culminating in the positioning outline and the new brand identity.

Client quote
“Syneo is just a great partner to work with! Their unique combination of strategic branding, vision building and user experience design created tremendous value for our organization.”
Michele Casucci, CEO and founder.