Immersive Invite

Building excitement through detail.

Storytelling
Design
Create

Feeling is Believing

There are some experiences or events that can’t be conveyed through words alone. It could be holding your pet, slipping on a wedding band for the first time, or seeing your favorite band live. Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge has crafted one of these undefinable experiences.

The amount of care, detail, and immersion takes visitors away from the real world. It my case, it woke up my fondest childhood memories and it made me want to share this feeling outside of the park. I committed to taking my Uncle, a lifelong Star Wars fan, back to the park for his retirement gift. I created a “smugglers box” that invited him to the park, and into the world created there.

Elements of Immersion

Khan, SepasgozarI, Liu, and Yu describe spatial, emotional, sensory, and cognitive components to an immersive experience. These are targets to engage a user’s feelings, actions, and suspension of disbelief.

Themed entertainment like Galaxy’s Edge use detailed and realistic scenes, settings, and architectural design to create a believable and immersive environment that visitors can truly lose themselves in.

I set out to do so with my own “immersive” invite.

Packaging as a Tone

The Star Wars "Rebels” have a signature style. This visual aesthetic was created by blending elements from real-world military gear and various cultures. Designers used these worn, found objects to create a unique, ragtag, relatable, and iconic rebel appearance.

Similarly, I chose a container that was easily available and easily fit my desired content. I painted and weathered a clear plastic bin, and then added handling instructions in Star Wars’ own “Aurebesh” font. At a glance, it looks like it came right off a star-cruiser.

Contents to Worldbuild

The items inside this crate tell a story. The packing slip bridges fiction to reality, tracing the crate’s journey through “First Order Checkpoints.” The Power converters hide precious information and money. On the remains of a torn uniform, a bright pin invites the recipient to “join the resistance.”

With few exceptions, we made, molded, or modified each item by hand to recreate the authentic feeling we had leaving Galaxy’s Edge. We dyed paper, sewed the uniform pieces, and combined every method we had to produce the ragtag “Star Wars” aesthetic.

An Activity Inside

I wanted the recipient to feel involved in a story. One of the best elements of Galaxy’s Edge is the variety of ways one can become a part of the narrative. So this invite didn’t come with instructions, just clues.

By using the “power converting” lights, the recipient could reveal a message to look under the shipping materials. When the recipient found the message, they curiously pulled back the layers of the crate. Their excitement grew as they “unlocked” more than just cardboard stuffing : a symbol, a map, funds for the trip, and an invitation to explore a galaxy far far away.

Closing Thoughts

Immersion can feel like the “white stag” of design. It’s a goal that is largely sought after, and difficult to attain.

I think we can create a lot of doors to welcome people into a world, effect, or experience. We can build detailed models. We can write wonderful stories. We can even create an ecosystem for visitors to lose themselves in. These are valuable and essential efforts. But we are only creating opportunities, and the user has to walk through the door on their own.

So, make a compelling invitation.