How we solved problems

Three challenges, three breakthroughs

Novelty breeds hesitation. We needed social proof.

Unusual installations trigger questions. Early visitors approached the typewriter, paused, walked away. The risk: invisibility. We stationed a facilitator to model the behavior – type, laugh, invite. Simple signage: "Type a postcard. We'll mail it for free." Once one person engaged, others followed.

After hour one, the installation became self-sustaining. Visitors invited other visitors. 600+ postcards typed. Novelty without invitation dies.

Personalizing 600+ postcards without losing the human touch.

Over 600 postcards were sent during the three-day exhibition. Handwriting wasn't practical. Pre-printed templates seemed impersonal. We combined physical interaction with digital stems. Visitors typed, the text was digitally captured, and the user could capture the moment and send it immediately as an online photo postcard. Instant results – in friends' inboxes and the online trade fair diary.

Digital touchpoints multiplied. Senders and receivers shared photos on social media, thus contributing to the impact beyond the trade fair – experience and technology as amplifiers.

System Design: Digital capture of typed text On-demand postcard printing Free mailing logistics post-event 6,000+ unique cards

Trade fairs optimize for transactions. We optimized for joy and shareable moments.

Installation Impact:

Self-explanatory after the first minute.

Average dwell time: 3–8 minutes

Visitors collaboratively wrote messages

«Human moments in the exhibition»

IMM Cologne: thousands of visitors, hundreds of booths. Interactions were predictable – pitches, nods, business cards. No connection. We designed an oversized typewriter with huge keys – some required two hands. Typing required collaboration. Forced visitors to slow down, craft messages together.

5-15 min average dwell time – far longer than typical interactions. Playfulness breaks transactional patterns.

What this project taught me

Unusual interactions need sparks—then they burn alone

The installation was strange. First visitors hesitated. But once the facilitator modeled the behavior, others followed. What worked: social proof + clear invitation. After hour one, the installation ran itself. Visitors invited other visitors.

Scale without losing soul—technology as amplifier

600+ postcards in a few days. Handwriting wasn't an option. What hurt: how do you keep it personal at scale? What helped: on-demand printing captured typed text, printed unique cards. Visitors saw their words materialize. Instant gratification. Technology amplified humanity—didn't replace it.

Design moments, not interfaces

Trade fairs are transactional. The typewriter optimized for joy. What was painful: booth interactions felt scripted. What helped: forcing collaboration. Oversized keys required two hands. Typing became shared. The installation created moments where people slowed down, connected, left changed.

Why this still matters

In 2007, experiential design was emerging—but mostly as marketing stunts. The typewriter installation proved that unusual interactions create authentic human connections, not just brand impressions.

The project shaped how I approach experience design today: Don't just design interfaces—design moments. Moments where people slow down, connect, and leave transformed.

6,000 postcards were sent. But the real impact? Thousands of visitors experienced something unexpected at a furniture fair. That's the work that lasts.