Production Management & Design for WSJ. Mag’s Innovator Awards 2023

NOVEMBER 1, 2023, The Moma, NEw York, NY

The WSJ. Mag Innovator Awards is an annual dinner and gala to celebrate pioneers across beauty, comedy, fashion, film, architecture, and the fine arts. I was responsible for guest experience, production coordination, and reimagining the layout of the MoMa, where the evening took place.

One of the tasks my team faced in designing the experience of the annual awards show included finding an effective way for attendees to access images from the event.

I wanted to find a way to capture guest engagement and interest by providing edited, approved photos from our partners at Getty Images & BFA in real time.

While considering a traditional QR code approach, a colleague commented on how "abrasive" QR codes look, and how "out of place" they might feel in the sleek setting of the The Museum of Modern Art.

With the help of Seritag, a tech company based in the UK, my solution was to design and develop a set of PVC cards with NFC chips embedded in the center of each, encoded with a custom gallery site for guests to access. They were placed at high touch points, including cocktail tables, place settings, and in gift bags.

This idea maintained a desired sleek design and brought a digital interactive experience to the gala. Folks are already accustomed to using their phones as tap to pay. This felt like a natural innovation of the practice.