Year: 2016
Role: Creative Technologist
Client: Type/Code for FLIR
Media: Open Frameworks
Team: Andrew Mahon (Technical Direction), Pei-Yi Ni (Design), Zeke Shore (Creative Direction)
Thermal imaging cameras provide the power to see problems invisible to the naked eye and to see in total darkness. While primarily practical for detecting issues and preventing costly shutdowns, this technology is also fascinating to work with. I collaborated with Type/Code to design and develop the thermal imaging photobooth for GE's Disruption Lab—part of their "Science of Heat" campaign that transformed industrial thermal imaging into an interactive experience helping people see, taste, and feel advanced materials engineering.
GE's Disruption Lab needed to tell compelling stories about the future they're building for the industrial world, specifically their latest advance in Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs). These super-materials can withstand 2,400ºF operational temperatures and will be instrumental in creating more efficient jet engines, wind turbines, and locomotives. The challenge was educating the public about these impressive materials in an engaging, memorable way that would resonate with diverse audiences from hot sauce enthusiasts to potential engineers.
In their brilliant marketing compaign, GE created the 10³² Kelvin hot sauce—named for the temperature at which all matter breaks down—contained in their heat-resilient CMCs. After exploring several activation concepts, we determined that a thermal imaging powered GIF photobooth would best demonstrate the science of heat. Participants could taste the ultra-hot sauce while thermal cameras captured their heat signatures, creating shareable moments that viscerally demonstrated the technology's capabilities.
The experience centered on creating authentic moments of discovery that balanced entertainment with education. Participants approached the booth to learn about GE's advanced CMC materials before taking on the challenge of tasting the 10³² Kelvin ultra-hot sauce. As daring participants experienced the extreme heat, thermal imaging cameras captured their reactions as animated GIFs, literally visualizing the science of heat in real-time. This visceral moment created an immediate understanding of thermal dynamics while users saw their heat signatures and learned about materials engineered to withstand similar extreme temperatures. The experience concluded with social sharing, as participants posted their "spicy moments" across social media platforms with embedded educational content about GE's innovations.
As the activation expanded beyond the initial Hot Sauce Expo, the experience successfully adapted the core concept for diverse contexts—from the Brilliant Tailgate Tour targeting future engineers at college football games to a 10-day Super Bowl LI installation, and eventually reimagining the experience as "Refuel Café" for GE's Florence energy summit, where Italian coffee culture became the vehicle for exploring thermal imaging and the perfect espresso shot.
The design philosophy used the visceral experience of extreme heat to make advanced materials engineering tangible and memorable, ensuring that thermal imaging didn't just capture reactions but made the invisible science of heat visible and shareable.
Key User Experience Elements
Color Chorus Experience
After thousands of in-person experiences across the world, tens-of-thousands of media-coverage impressions, and millions of social media impressions, the ‘Science of Heat’ activation campaign was a red-hot success, fulfilling its goal of engaging new audiences with GE’s industrial innovations.
The campaign effectively bridged complex materials science with consumer experiences, making GE's advanced engineering accessible to general audiences. The multi-location tour strategy proved the scalability of experiential marketing for B2B technology companies, while the diverse venue adaptations (hot sauce expo to coffee culture) demonstrated the flexibility of the core thermal imaging concept.
Press a and Instagram posts
