Grounds for Change: A Traveling Coffee Experience
 

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