Research Process

We approached this project from our shared interest in UI/UX and the ability of digital media to spark conversation and connection. The interactive experience blends technology, design, and emotion in a way that lets people feel heard and visually see the impact of their collective voice. By designing an event where sentiment shapes the environment, we aimed to show that UI/UX is not only about interfaces, it’s also about emotional resonance and shared experience.

Target Audience

Our target audience included a wide range of people engaged with digital media: industry professionals, creatives, independent media makers, aspiring designers, and students studying or interested in digital media.

SWOT

Space Design

To maximize immersion, we designed the physical setup as a three-sided projection space combined with ambient music. Three large screens surrounded participants on the front and sides, allowing the shifting visuals—bright or dim, natural or abstract—to envelop them from multiple angles. The spatial arrangement was carefully considered: seating and standing zones were blended to create both accessibility and openness, ensuring participants felt comfortable while remaining engaged. Sound played an equally crucial role; multi-directional speakers projected adaptive soundscapes that matched the sentiment-driven visuals, from hopeful melodies to somber tones. This interplay of spatial enclosure, dynamic projection, and responsive audio crafted an environment where participants were not just observers, but active contributors immersed in a collective narrative.

Development and Design

The development of Imaginarium combined technical prototyping with strong design and branding. From a UI/UX perspective, I researched chat-room aesthetics to understand how digital interfaces could encourage participation and community. This informed wireframes and a functional prototype that allowed participants to submit responses easily via mobile. A 3D background was added to enhance immersion, reinforcing audiovisual transitions triggered by sentiment analysis.

Wireframes：

High-Fidelity wireframe:

On the branding side, we established a clear identity aligned with the project’s futuristic theme. The visual style balanced professionalism with playful speculation, expressed through a neon color palette (red, blue, pink, purple, yellow, green). This palette extended into the logo, typography, and promotional materials, ensuring visual consistency across digital and physical touchpoints. Together, development and branding worked hand in hand to deliver an experience that was both functional and distinctive.

3D background：

Ticket System

To manage attendance and ensure smooth entry, I implemented a ticketing system using Luma. Each participant registered online through a shared link, which provided a digital ticket. This helped us track numbers, prevent overcrowding in the Black Box, and give participants a professional entry experience.

Tickets were accessible on mobile and could be shared directly, making registration simple for both students and professionals.

Marketing

We promoted the event through Instagram and LinkedIn, the two platforms most relevant to our target audience within the available timeframe.

The Instagram account (@imginarium_rmit) targeted digital media students and professionals through shares and algorithms. We created posts, stories, and posters that advertised the event using playful, intentionally vague taglines to draw attention and curiosity. Instagram’s broad reach also made it easy for posts to circulate beyond our immediate network.

Instagram posts/ posters:

The instagram posts contain the name of the event, a striking key visual that attracts attention, and most importantly, the date, time and location of the event.

Physical posters were placed throughout the university to reach teachers and students outside our circles, further building the event’s visual identity.

PUSH Strategy: Focused on maximizing exposure, extending visibility even beyond the defined target audience.

OHS Check

Technical officer : Shaun Wilson

Identified Hazards:

• Electrical: Possible contact with wires or live electrical appliances in the Black Box.

• Motion: Moving visuals may cause motion sickness or trigger epilepsy.

• Sound/Noise: Musical and auditory elements may affect participants with sensory sensitivity.

• Ground: Uneven or slippery surfaces may pose trip hazards.

• Contingency: Standard safety procedures and pre-show testing to identify and minimize risks.

Outcomes

During the showcase, participants were highly engaged with Imaginarium. Many expressed surprise that their collective mood directly shaped the visuals and soundscape, often noting that it made them feel part of a shared, living system. The real-time transformation created moments of empathy as people recognized how their inputs affected the group atmosphere.

Organizing Imaginarium gave me firsthand experience in planning and managing a public event. From concept to promotion, we had to balance creativity with logistics while anticipating potential risks. Working in Team Kombucha also showed me the value of cross-disciplinary collaboration, where each member contributed unique skills in design, coding, and branding to reach a shared outcome.

Finally, by engaging professionals, teachers, and audiences through social media, we tested how an academic project could extend into real-world dialogue, connecting students with practitioners in digital media.