Keeping Emotional Responses at the Center of the Design

Whether you’re an integrator, a designer or simply a label-defying creative, the experience is everything. Host Bryan Meszaros explores the story behind the exhibit to understand how a carefully crafted experience traps into the human experience to connect people to place.

 

Design can transport the mind and invoke emotions, and that’s the point of it, especially experiential projects. Digging into the experiences of design once again, Experience by Design host Bryan Meszaros welcomed Jonathan Alger to the show to discuss these topics and a recent project. Alger is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of C&G Partners. He has an impressive career working with some of the most prominent brands in the world.

Meszaros and Alger spoke about a recent installation for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

“They were looking for a positive distraction art form, an environmental feature that creates positive feelings and distracts from negativity and worrisome thoughts,” Alger said.

Alger and team worked on two different designs. One was for the main lobby and the other on the sixth floor. “The first floor is a naturalistic, ever-lasting animation of bonsai, butterflies, koi fish, and blooming plants,” Alger described. What makes this so unique is the use of fiber optics and wood. It creates a meditative and calming environment, as nature tends to do. See its beauty here.

The sixth floor includes a virtual koi pond in collaboration with Potion. The environment evolves with color and light, changing season for an immersive experience.

In discussing these emotive works, Meszaros and Alger explored what it means to have an immersive experience with art and the path to appealing to emotions. “I hear from clients they want to appeal to emotions, and I ask, ‘Which one?’”

Alger referenced the movie Inside Out as a good way to broach the topic since it gives life to the five critical human emotions. The experiences that come from design can be impacting and completely change the experiencer, which was certainly the goal for those facing a health crisis.

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

stealth students
Colleges Turn to Precision Marketing, Advanced Tracking, and Privacy-First Strategies to Engage Stealth Students
September 5, 2025

Colleges and universities face mounting challenges in reaching prospective students who never formally identify themselves in the recruitment process—often called “stealth shoppers.” Research shows that at least one in three applicants to private four-year colleges in the U.S. apply as stealth students. For enrollment leaders, this hidden audience—students who research institutions anonymously online before ever…

Read More
UGC
How to End UGC Self-Sabotage in B2B with Vidlo’s Chynna Morgan
September 4, 2025

Most B2B marketers already know user-generated content (UGC) has power. But too many still get in their own way — clinging to polished video shoots, siloed workflows, or the excuse that their brand “isn’t sexy.” In the latest episode of UGC for B2B, host Daniel Litwin sits down with Chynna Morgan, CEO & Founder…

Read More
How Hotels Bounce Back From the Unexpected
How Hotels Bounce Back From the Unexpected
September 4, 2025

In this episode of Inside Restoration & Recovery, host Martha Lewis sits down with Josh Creznic, Director of Hospitality Services at BMS CAT, to unpack the unique challenges and critical priorities in hotel restoration. With over two decades of experience in hospitality—spanning major brands like Marriott and Wyndham—Josh brings deep insight into how restoration…

Read More
Built from the Dirt Up: Dillan Dumont’s Journey from Bricklayer to Industry Disruptor
September 4, 2025

With all types of infrastructure across America aging, there has never been more of a need for smarter, less disruptive solutions than now. From trenchless pipe repair to utility innovation, the construction world is shifting and young leaders like Dillan Dumont are stepping into the spotlight. Cities like New York and Chicago are facing…

Read More