I led content strategy and pre-visualization across a cross-functional team, translating biophilic design research and real-world environmental data into a living content system. Worked directly with the client and research teams to ensure the installation's narratives were grounded in both science and authentic Pacific Northwest identity. Bridged the gap between creative vision and technical execution, defining what the system should express so engineering could define how.
Sixty percent of travelers experience heightened anxiety during check-in and security. Port of Portland was in the middle of a major airport redesign rooted in sustainability and well-being, and they came to dotdotdash with a question: how do you make an airport feel calming?
The answer, backed by research from the Harvard Health Institute, was nature. Viewing natural landscapes reduces mental fatigue, lowers blood pressure, and improves overall well-being. The challenge was translating that into something that could live inside an airport terminal 24/7 and never feel stale.
I started with the content problem: how do you represent the Pacific Northwest in a way that feels alive rather than decorative?
I executed scouting trips to iconic Oregon landmarks (Mt. Hood National Forest, the Painted Hills, the coast) where we 3D-scanned trees, photographed wildlife, and captured environmental data that would later feed directly into the installation. This wasn't just reference gathering. Every asset we collected became source material for the six distinct natural landscapes that would power the final experience.
From there, I owned content strategy and pre-visualization, working across research, design, and engineering teams to define what each scene would contain, how it would behave, and what story it would tell. The key insight driving the content framework was that the installation shouldn't just look like nature. It should behave like nature. That meant designing content rules, not just content.
The result was Extraordinary Windows: a 24/7 digital installation built in Unreal Engine, powered by real-time weather, airport traffic, and time-of-day data. Rain outside triggers rain on screen. High passenger volume causes more fauna to gather and mushrooms to grow. The sun in the display tracks Portland's actual sunrise and sunset. No two visits are the same.
