Entrance

Maya, a SCAD alum, needs your help designing the experience of a lifetime for a new theme park. Become a themed entertainment designer and design something of your own in this interactive experience, watching in excitement as your creation comes to life before your eyes. This new installation can be found in room 112 in Montgomery Hall, where a welcoming professor and student docent wait in hopeful excitement to greet guests. The interactive stands proudly, exhibiting what makes THED at SCAD different: the preservation of the past housing the designers of the future. Beautiful and historic wood with moss and ivy draping pulls the guests to the queue. The name of Maya’s studio, Enchanted Entertainment, hangs close to the entrance. As guests make their way through, a classic bay window invites them to take a quick peek into Maya’s studio.

A SCAD alumna sticker proudly sits on the window glass. Within is a small, bay window seating area. Textbooks relating to different themed entertainment concepts rest on the cushioned, bay window seat. Sticky notes and tabs spill out of them. A cute, little cat is curled up either on the books or on the little bed next to them. It is using an Art the Bee plushie as a pillow. If space allows, guests may also notice a mug with the SCAD logo/Maya’s logo holding pencils, pens, drafting tools, and paintbrushes. A halfway finished, miniature piece of concept art rests against it or near it. A corner of a halfway finished draft of a building hangs out of the books. It may also be tucked under something, seeming as though the object is trying to keep the draft from rolling back up.

Walking by the bay window, a docent instructs guests to pass through a gated archway to a small garden space connected to the historic Savannah house. On the right, a gate connected to the archway leads guests further in. There are four freestanding touchscreens framed by iron, much like the historical markers across the historic district in Savannah. Two stand on the left and the other two on the right. Though a small garden space, guests do not feel cramped due to the staggering of the touchscreens.

A screen at the end of the garden space comes alive as guests file in. Maya pops onto the screen, welcoming guests to the experience and she explains the project (ride, restaurant, museum, placemaking) she needs the guests help in designing. Maya directs the guests to turn to their respective touchscreens to design their experiences. After ten seconds, the screen changes and Maya greets the guests once again. She presents the guests with which experience they will be designing (each kiosk is wired to only one of the four experiences). Guests interact through 3 rounds of options to choose from to design the project. During each round, the screen displays the options, descriptions, and examples of each. Maya introduces each category and option, and also gives advice and/or some quips about the category/options. Each category gives more detailed options as the guests go. Note: each screen has a time limit to keep the guests moving and the final product is not shown on the screen. Upon choosing the last option, the screen shows their final design and Maya congratulates them on designing the project. From there, Maya pops back onto the screen in the back and directs the guests to enter through the door at the back of the garden to see their designs come to life. She can’t wait to see how it turns out! 

Inside, a tiered and angled table with four different white models awaits guests at the end of the room. The walls are covered in molding and tasteful wallpaper. A cork board filled with current and/or past SCAD bees notes, tips, and insights encourages future SCAD bees to join THED at SCAD. Shelves display SCAD knick knacks and trinkets and illustrations she’s drawn. There is also a picture of Maya at her SCAD graduation and her diploma hangs on the wall. Maya’s voice pours out from a speaker, encouraging guests to let their future SCAD bees stand in front of the models.

On the table, each model represents one of the designs each guest created. There are paintbrushes and pencils laying around the table. The show begins and the room transforms with projection mapping. Maya reintroduces the problem she needed the guests to solve. Using projection mapping, the models come to life with the help of the paintbrushes, pencils, and tools. Maya focuses on each experience the guests designed, giving an overview of them all. Once each design has been in the spotlight, Maya presents the name of the park based on the designs and ends the show with an inspirational message for future bees. Maya encourages guests to stay for a minute and take pictures. The projection mapping stays on during this time. Maya lets guests know the projection mapping is turning off and to please exit the room, so the next guests may enter.

Coming out of the room, guests are greeted by Maya on a screen. She encourages guests to watch SCAD student artwork on the screens on the wall and to pick up a THED@SCAD card with a QR code on it. She explains briefly what the card can do for them: scanning the QR code to experience Maya’s Enchanted Entertainments all over again, learning more about THED and THED at SCAD, and taking a quiz that can show future SCAD bees what careers are available to them within THED based on their interests. A docent standing there asks questions of the guests (like did they like the experience) and reminds and/or informs guests about what the card can do for them even after SCAD day ends. Guests will also be encouraged to go through the experience again to design a different aspect of the park. Upon exiting the room, guests feel energized, excited, and inspired to not only be a part of SCAD but to be a part of THED at SCAD.