SFO Flight Deck
INDUSTRY:
TRAVEL
CLIENT:
SFO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
EXECUTION:
EXHIBIT
step Into the wonder of flight
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) wanted to elevate the traveler experience as part of a major renovation of Terminal 3E. With over 35 million passengers annually, the airport envisioned a destination that would inspire curiosity, deliver utility, and reflect the spirit of the Bay Area. The result was the SFO Flight Deck—a large-scale interactive installation that transformed a high-traffic concourse into an immersive, exploratory space celebrating aviation, technology, and travel culture.
challenge.
SFO tasked the team with creating an engaging and informative experience that could stop busy travelers in their tracks. The challenge was to blend real-time data, intuitive interaction, and storytelling into a cohesive platform that served visitors of all ages and backgrounds. The experience needed to offer both depth and immediacy—rewarding quick interactions while encouraging deeper exploration. All of this had to work flawlessly in a 24/7 environment with variable lighting and foot traffic.
solution.
The Flight Deck experience was conceived as a digital destination that blended art, information, and play. The team designed a custom 16-foot rear-projection display—visible from both sides of the concourse—featuring real-time visualizations of flight activity and interactive gesture-based animations using Kinect. Below the display, six multi-touch screens allowed travelers to explore SFO’s services, museum exhibits, and Bay Area neighborhoods, as well as create mobile-friendly itineraries via QR codes.
As the creative lead for Emerging Experiences, I helped guide the experience vision and strategy—collaborating across architecture, content, and engineering to ensure a cohesive, functional, and emotionally engaging outcome. We approached the work through three pillars: quick but meaningful interactions, playful collaborations, and the traveler’s story as part of SFO’s legacy. The result was a layered, intuitive, and immersive experience that invited travelers of all ages to pause, engage, and reconnect with the wonder of flight.
Key experience features:
A 16-foot rear-projection display with real-time visualizations of SFO’s global flight activity
Kinect-powered gesture-based visuals that reacted playfully to passersby, encouraging participation
A bank of six synchronized multi-touch screens showcasing airport amenities, Bay Area points of interest, and historic flight archives
Gamified content for younger travelers to “earn their wings” by collecting digital badges
Mobile app integration via personalized itineraries and QR code handoffs, extending engagement beyond the space
result.
Over 3 minutes average dwell time per visitor
1,000+ flights tracked and visualized daily
99.99% uptime in a 24/7 public environment
Winner of the Peggy G. Hereford Award for Creative Innovation in Technology
Reinforced SFO’s position as a leader in experiential airport design
Project
Interactive Gestures
Wayfinding
Real-time Data Visualization
Role
Practice Lead
Creative Director
Pitch Strategy & Vision
Interaction Concepting
HCI Oversight & Strategy
testimonial.
T3 Boarding Area E provides a unique innovative, passenger-focused experience that travelers from around the world will enjoy in the ‘Innovation Capital of the World.
Ed Lee
San Francisco Mayor
