Adobe MAX: Projection Mapping to Power a Brand Pivot
While this project focused on immersive world-building, the deeper lesson was learning to shape complexity into something people can connect with. Today, that same approach drives how I design in healthcare, transforming intricate systems into experiences that feel accessible, personal, and trustworthy.
Adobe faced a critical moment as it transitioned its creative software to a subscription model. To make this shift resonate with its core audience of designers, developers, and marketers, Adobe needed more than just a product launch. It needed a cultural moment. At Adobe MAX, the company’s flagship conference, the goal was to create an unforgettable brand experience that reinforced Adobe’s innovation leadership and energized its global creative community.
As creative director in partnership with the Kenwood Experiences team, I led concepting and design for a high-impact brand experience that engaged attendees at every level. I began with deep audience research to understand what would inspire digital creatives, then translated those insights into an immersive event narrative. The centerpiece was a large-scale projection mapped opener that was planned for over a year and designed to deliver a “wow” moment that set the emotional tone for the entire conference.
Because Adobe’s venue had no CAD models available at the time, our team had to physically take measurements on site and then construct a cardboard scale model to work out projection angles and stage geometry. I also crafted two keynote sessions that blended product launches with visionary storytelling, ensuring Adobe’s pivot was amplified both on stage and across media channels. My role extended through close collaboration with event producers, technical teams, and Adobe executives to safeguard the creative fidelity of every detail, from the stage environment to the post-event content strategy.
At the time in 2012, this was the largest projection mapped experience ever staged, pushing nearly one million pixels per second across a massive canvas. The experience generated massive social buzz with positive coverage spreading across Twitter, YouTube, and the design community at large. Adobe MAX achieved record breaking livestream and on-demand viewership, which signaled unprecedented engagement from its creative audience.
The projection mapped opener became a cultural talking point that strengthened Adobe’s brand perception at a critical business inflection point. More than a conference reveal, the event positioned Adobe MAX as a cultural milestone that demonstrated Adobe was not simply announcing a business model shift but cementing its place at the center of the global creative movement.