CW02 → Citizens: The Living Portrait of NYC

Citizens: The Living Portrait of NYC

2022

Citizens: The Living Portrait of NYC is an immersive experience created by New Yorkers for New Yorkers. The installation is a celebration of New Yorkers from all walks of life, putting their stories center stage through data, audio, live performance, an immersive film, and an interactive communal portrait.

Over a two-year engagement as a Junior Designer, I played an ongoing and hands-on role in shaping this immersive experience from early concept through final execution. Working within the small, highly collaborative team at Radical Media, I contributed to the project’s visual and experiential language across spatial and digital experiences.

Clients/
Partners

Citizens Bank
Radical Media
Ogilvy New York

Role

Design Research
Visual Design
Copywriting
Illustration
UI/UX
Production

Awards/Press

Reggie Awards
D&Ad Graphite Pencil
Bronze Clio Award
The One Show
AdAge

In collaboration with the creative technology team, I designed a multi-channel typographic installation that took the pulse of the city by compiling local news headlines, cultural events, important happenings, and more. This installation was updated daily and welcomed the visitors to the experience, grounding them in the hyper-current context of the city.

No one tells a story quite like a New Yorker, and we wanted to highlight it through an interactive grid that featured stories from over 200 New Yorkers across all five boroughs. This experience allowed guests to have an intimate one-on-one listening experience even in a crowded room through the use of directional audio beams, sound design, and responsive lighting.

I contributed to the creative direction of this experience through extensive research, both for the interviews and in selecting performers to activate the space, showcasing the uniqueness and breadth of the rising talent in NYC.

As a core-member of the Radical Media team, I was able to participate in the early concepting and storyboarding for the contents of this documentary tone poem celebrating life in the city. From the morning rush, to the boundless energy after dark, guests experienced the cacophony and synchronicity, sights and sounds of a 24-hour day in the city.

The experience was tail-ended by an ever-evolving mosaic of New Yorkers allowed guests to become a part of the exhibit. Stepping into an interactive photo booth, guests answered a series of gamified prompts about their New York experience and generated a distinct animated portrait that was added in real-time to our large-scale digital mural.

I was able to shape this experience on several levels, from concept to copywriting to design and illustration.

Carolina Stierli de Abreu