Traveling Exhibit: Grounds for Change
 

Role: Experience Producer

Type: Traveling Exhibition

Venue: Mobile Installation in a 40’ Upcycled Shipping Container

Objective: Design and produce a multisensory, mobile exhibition that shares the ethical journey of coffee, from seed to cup, while embodying sustainability, education, and sensory storytelling.

✨ Project Overview

Grounds for Change isn’t just a coffee brand, it’s a purpose-driven platform rooted in ethical sourcing, sustainability, and the cultural artistry of coffee. To bring this ethos on the road, I led the design and production of a traveling exhibition housed in a 40-foot upcycled shipping container, transforming a utilitarian structure into a mobile storytelling environment.

Visitors were guided through coffee’s full lifecycle, from smallholder farms to final pour, through immersive storytelling, tactile engagement, and sensorial design. Every element invited deeper appreciation for coffee as a craft, a ritual, and a force for change. 

🌿 Design Vision

The challenge: create an engaging, transportable space that feels warm, elevated, and mission-aligned in every location it lands.

Core Design Principles:

• ✔ Sustainability-First – Constructed from reclaimed materials and powered by low-energy systems
• ✔ Immersive Sensory Design – Aroma, texture, taste, and projection were integrated to invite embodied learning
• ✔ Narrative Flow – The spatial experience traced coffee’s lifecycle through thoughtfully choreographed zones

🧩 Interactive Installations

• 🔸 Roasting Aroma Station Inspired by molecular gastronomy, this station invited visitors to smell and compare roast profiles—sparking curiosity and emotional resonance. 
• 🔸 Origins Wall: Bean to Touch Tactile bean displays from different regions created a hands-on exploration of geography, trade, and terroir. 
• 🔸 Augmented Reality Journey Visitors used tablets to explore the ethical path of coffee, highlighting sourcing, farmer stories, and environmental stewardship. 
• 🔸 Immersive Projection Mapping Projected visuals transformed the container into a visual poem, tracing the bean’s story with motion, light, and sound.

🗺 Spatial & Visual Design

The container was reimagined as a two-level experience, structured for optimal flow and emotional pacing.

• 📍 Ground Level – Contained all tactile and digital elements, taste testing zones, and brand storytelling
• 📍 Upper Terrace – A biophilic rooftop lounge designed for reflection, connection, and comfort

Visual Language: Minimalist yet grounded. Materials included reclaimed wood, natural fibers, warm LED lighting, and modular furniture to reflect the brand’s dual commitment to innovation and nature.

🚶 Visitor Journey

• 1️⃣ Welcome & Brand Introduction Guests are greeted with bold graphics and a sensory preview of the journey ahead.
• 2️⃣ The Coffee Experience Explore roasting aromas, bean textures, and tasting notes through multisensory stations.
• 3️⃣ Origins & Ethical Impact Learn how climate-smart farming and fair trade practices shape every step of the process.
• 4️⃣ Sensory Lounge (Upper Deck) A rooftop retreat designed for slow engagement, anchored by texture, natural light, and curated seating.
• 5️⃣ Immersive K-Cup Finale (AR Moment) The experience closes with an artful, tech-forward installation that elevates the ritual of brewing to something unforgettable. 

📈 Outcomes & Impact

• • Mobile & Modular Designed for national tours with plug-and-play deployment across diverse urban environments.
• • Sustainability at Every Layer Materials, design methods, and energy systems reinforced the brand’s commitment to ecological responsibility.
• • Deepened Engagement Through Experience Visitors left with a renewed understanding of coffee’s cultural and ethical dimensions—engaged through emotion, senses, and story.

📽 Watch the Full 3D Walkthrough: Grounds for Change Video Walkthrough

🖼 View the Full Case Study: Grounds for Change Presentation Deck