Avatar: The Experience
Designing Souvenirs as Extensions of the Experience for a World-Class, Immersive Exhibit
Roles
- Merchandise Design
- Illustration
- Art Direction
Merchandise That Extends Immersive Storytelling
For Avatar: The Experience at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, I designed a collection of exhibit-exclusive merchandise consisting of two t-shirts and two enamel pins. This officially licensed project was developed prior to the exhibit’s opening and before the public release of Avatar: The Way of Water, using client-provided themes, characters, and licensed assets as creative anchors. Set within the Cloud Forest, the exhibit immerses guests in Pandora’s bioluminescent environments, mystical creatures, and Na’vi culture across multiple interactive zones. My goal was to translate these sensory moments into physical keepsakes, allowing visitors to carry the wonder and discovery of the experience beyond the space itself.
A Field Guide to Pandora
Designed as a field guide, this t-shirt imagines the wearer as an explorer moving through the exhibit’s jungle environments and studying the vast variety of Pandoran flora. The fully vector illustration was created in Illustrator and printed with single-color, water-based ink to maintain a soft feel while reinforcing a sense of scale, realism, and discovery.
Designing for Younger Audiences Through Character
The banshee pin features Jake Sully riding a banshee in a chibi illustration style, chosen to appeal to younger visitors and families. The playful proportions make an iconic creature approachable while complementing the exhibit’s interactive banshee encounters.
Translating Immersion into Interaction
The woodsprite pin was designed as a glow-in-the-dark piece inspired by the exhibit’s bioluminescent projection rooms. Its simple form allows light to become the focal point, recreating the magic and wonder of Pandora in a small, wearable format.
