Meet our collaborative team of designers, strategists, storytellers, technologists, artists and problem solvers who are on the job from day one until it's done.
Disorganize
Elinore is an experienced architect and exhibit designer with a diverse and international background in architecture, interior design and graphic design. She has designed and managed projects in Israel, France and the U.S.
Her specialties include interactive exhibits, exhibit master planning and immersive environments for science centers, nature centers, outdoor playgrounds, and museums. She also has experience integrating hands-on mechanical interactives with current technology and multimedia elements.
Prior to joining ESI, Elinore spent 4 years as the lead designer for several exhibitions for the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and its Experience Services department.
Elinore holds an MA in Exhibition Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in Architecture & Urban Design from the Technion- Machon Technologi Le’ Israel. She will bring her excellent organizational and management skills and great passion for experiential design to your project.
As an Associate / Senior Content Designer, Katie approaches her role as both strategist and storyteller. Working mostly with ESI’s corporate clients, Katie begins a project by absorbing all the information she can about a client, and then synthesizes and interprets her learnings to create memorable narratives. She advocates for both story and design, working with the client and ESI’s interdisciplinary team to realize engaging, meaningful experiences.
Prior to joining ESI, Katie worked as a Content Strategist for another leading exhibit design firm in New York, where she developed content for films, interactive experiences, and data visualizations for clients ranging from AT&T to the government of Kuwait. For AT&T, Katie worked closely with network and security specialists to conceive of and develop original media experiences for the Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Dallas.
Katie began her career at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she developed exhibits and digital media. She earned her M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in History from Abilene Christian University. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading exhibit catalogs, and playing video games with her godchildren.
As a Senior Associate / Senior Account Director, Lisa is the liaison between ESI Design and our clients, ensuring that design decisions reach the client’s goals and expectations and that project milestones and dates are effectively communicated. Her primary role is directing ESI’s account with the Boston-based real estate investment firm Beacon Capital Partners, with whom we’ve completed dozens of successful building renovations.
Lisa came to ESI Design with extensive management experience of complex projects. She trained in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of Sotheby’s auction house as an Exhibition Manager and Registrar, overseeing dozens of auctions every month with thousands of works of art.
Lisa’s academic background combines business and the arts. She earned a B.S. in Business, French and Art History and an M.A. in Art and Museum Studies, both from Georgetown University.
As a Leader, Creative, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Layne works with the studio’s creative leaders to set the conceptual vision and tone of projects. He helps guide design teams in developing creative—from business development to strategy through production and beyond—to ensure projects are future-forward and culturally transformative. A member of the core team that runs day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, he is responsible for leading the studio’s creative strategy and ensuring design excellence.
Layne joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where he previously held the title of Senior Vice President, Creative.
Layne is a 7x Cannes Lions-winning & 2x Clio-winning creative, known for his focus on experiential design and immersive brand worlds. In his 25+ year career, he has led innovative experiential projects for clients including Google, Twitter, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, Virgin, Lexus, BMW, Star Wars, Coke, Hermès, Marc Jacobs, Cartier, and Nike.
Previously, Layne was the Founder and CCO at Fake Love, the internationally award-winning experiential agency. After 6 years, he sold to The New York Times, partnering with a 165+ year-old company to re-imagine who they could be, from integrated experiential to acclaimed launches with NYTVR and NYTAR.
He has spoken about innovation design at places like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, TEDx, Adobe 99U, Future of Storytelling, Collision, Design Matters, M.I.T. and Columbia University. He has been featured in publications including Wired, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Communication Arts, IdN and Adweek.
He is a fan of sci-fi/fantasy and will absorb anything in that genre. He is also into indie gaming, avant-garde art and theater, and a good brunch. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son and two dogs.
As Leader, Media, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Cara oversees the software and media production department. She works with design teams on projects from concept to completion and manages all budgeting, production planning and technical operations for the various types of software and media content each project includes. A member of the core team that runs day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, she is responsible for leading the studio’s media production efforts and ensuring software and media excellence.
Cara joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where she previously held the title of Senior Vice President, Media. In addition to overseeing the software and media efforts for the company, Cara played a key role in projects for WarnerMedia, Barclays, Comcast Xfinity and Wells Fargo Center for Beacon Capital Partners.
Cara graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in Film Production and Digital Media. Previously, she was Executive Producer of the New York location of the worldwide visual effects company, Method Studios, where she oversaw film and commercial production. Additionally, Cara has worked for several visual effects and post-production companies throughout New York City. Her wide range of experience encompasses all aspects of media production and client types. Film studios, television networks and advertising agencies have all benefited from her expertise.
Cara has contributed to several Visual Effects Society-nominated projects such as the film, The Wolf of Wall Street, and commercials for General Electric.
As the Technical Director of Software, Adam oversees development of the custom high performance software which drives the media-intensive experiences designed by the ESI team. He draws upon his 8 years of expertise in creative technology and software design to create robust frameworks for dynamic, engaging user experiences. He is fluent in C++, C, Swift, Objective-C and Python, specializing in computer vision and realtime interactive media.
Before joining ESI Design, Adam was a Lead Creative Technologist at Fake Love, an innovative experiential advertising agency that is part of The New York Times, working on campaigns for clients including IBM and Samsung. He was also the Lead Engineer at Knit Health in San Francisco, working on computer vision algorithms for health monitoring and video streaming.
Adam earned a B.F.A. in New Media from Ryerson University in Toronto. In his spare time, he contributes to the open source community as a project maintainer for openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit for creative coding.
As a Senior Physical Designer at ESI Design, Andrew is responsible for the space planning and overall design direction for elements in the environment. He designs the physical space and creates visualizations of it through 3D modeling, renderings and drawings.
Prior to joining ESI, Andrew worked at Second Story, where he created immersive brand experiences for leading brands including Lululemon and Comcast Xfinity, and Potion Design, where he was faced with the unique challenge of making the Constitution fun and interesting for visitors at the National Constitution Center.
After initially studying accounting at UCLA, he discovered architecture through an extracurricular class and switched tracks to earn his B.A. in Architectural Studies, then his M.Arch. at South California Institute of Architecture. His freelance projects include designing the set for Sprint’s iPhone 6s TV commercial.
Since joining ESI Design in 2000, Jonathan has developed user interfaces, animations, and interactive communications tools for a wide range of ESI projects — from an iconic digital sign in the heart of Times Square to the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo.
Earning his MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU enabled him to bring a deeper understanding of what makes a successful product to his visual design. Jonathan’s holistic approach to design ensures that he arrives at unique and considered visual design solutions which remove barriers between the user and the desired outcome.
Jonathan counts among his creative influences the art of Joan Miró, the illustrations of Hergé’s Tintin, Rene Magritte’s clever point of view, the simplicity of 1970s airline branding, and a childhood spent internalizing the broad strokes of the New Mexico landscape.
Baldur has worked in the Visual Design department at ESI for over 5 years as a motion designer, graphic designer, illustrator and photographer. He creates new media for clients and explores the possibilities of motion graphics in new applications. His innovative work helps elevate ESI’s graphic capabilities.
Previously he worked at various advertising agencies and design studios, such as Ogilvy, Digitas, karlssonwilker, Ladies & Gentlemen and Vitra. His past clients included American Express, The New York Times, CNN, Comcast, Samsung, Pfizer and ESPN developing and designing online experiences and animations.
Outside of ESI he is the photographer and graphic designer for a small jewelry design company that his wife runs. When he is not behind the computer or camera, he is usually training for marathons.
As the Media Operations Manager at ESI Design, Aaron is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of completed projects, ensuring that all ESI-created experiences are running smoothly and that the client is getting the most out of their technology.
Aaron has been an A/V technology specialist for 10 years, with experience in a wide variety of settings from theatrical production, to in-gallery museum media, high-end home theater, and corporate events. Prior to joining ESI Design, Aaron was a theatrical sound designer and engineer, developing sound systems and effects to create engaging and immersive live experiences. He won two Elliot Norton Awards for his innovative designs for Boston-area theater productions.
Aaron earned a B.S. in Audio and Media Technologies from The New England Institute of Art in Boston, MA. Outside of work he enjoys 3D Printing, cooking, and enjoying all of the live theater NYC has to offer.
Susan brings more than 25 years of expertise to her role at NBBJ, as Leader, Finance and Operations, of the firm’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design. A member of the core team that runs the day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, Susan is responsible for leading the studio’s strategy and ensuring operational excellence.
Susan joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where she previously held the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Under her stewardship, the studio doubled in size.
Previously Susan held similar roles at two entrepreneurial ventures: Biscotti & Company, the multi-brand cookie company, and Tactics, Inc., a database marketing company. In these roles, she was responsible for the overall management of the financial and business operations and evolved the companies from small entrepreneurial ventures to their successful acquisition.
Earlier in her career, Susan was Vice President and Director of Marketing Services at Shearson Smith Barney. Susan is a CPA and began her career in public accounting and received an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BS from Brooklyn College. She enjoys many sports including golf and tennis and divides her time between NYC and Sag Harbor.
Aaron is a technical designer working at the intersection of design and technology. With more than a decade of experience in lighting and electronics design, at ESI Design he works to find creative ways to advance our concepts with tangible visual and audio solutions. He also serves on the steering committee for ESI’s in-house research and development program, “Explore,” to innovate new and emerging approaches for experiential design.
Prior to joining ESI Aaron spent much of his professional career designing lighting and electronic creations for the performing arts. From supervising electrician on Oprah Winfrey’s 2014 tour, to concepting lighting fixtures for consumer markets, to developing audio visual and automation systems for major Broadway shows, he is comfortable working behind the scenes and collaboratively with all other disciplines.
Aaron earned his Master of Professional Studies at Tisch NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and his B.F.A at Purchase College in Theatre Design and Technology, with a concentration in Lighting Design. He is currently an adjunct professor at Tisch NYU. In his free time he enjoys designing and making circuit boards.
As Associate / Supervising Producer at ESI, Caroline guides media production on our projects from concept to completion. She oversees budgets and schedules and ensures a high level of integration between the media/software elements of a project and the technology/environment. She accomplishes this by communicating and coordinating closely with ESI’s partners and Production Managers throughout the design and installation process.
She previously worked as the Manager of School Programs at the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York and as a Collections Assistant at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection in Washington, D.C. She joined ESI in 2013 as a Project Coordinator on the Beacon Capital Partners account, applying her collections management experience to executing complex experience design projects. She has helped produce more than a dozen projects for Beacon Capital, as well as the Statue of Liberty Museum and eBay’s headquarters in Silicon Valley.
She earned her B.A. in American Studies from The George Washington University and an M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University. Outside of work she enjoys crafting and baking, especially pies.
Kristen directs projects from concept design through production, installation, and launch. She oversees and facilitates communication between internal, consultant, and client teams, and ensures that projects are delivered on time and on budget. Most recently, Kristen managed the software and media development for Terrell Place in downtown Washington, D.C., featuring 1,700 square feet of LED displays that react to the movements of passersby.
Prior to joining ESI, Kristen was a Senior Project Manager at another top experience design firm in New York City, where she directed projects for multiple high-profile clients including the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Rockefeller Center Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Ken Burns, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling, and SeaWorld San Diego.
Kristen has a background in Interior Architecture, and her personal work has been showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. Kristen earned an MA in Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design.
As a Leader, Creative, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Emily helms the studio’s creative and media environments projects, where she thoughtfully designs ways to activate a space and tell a cohesive story by highlighting a brand’s ethos and mission values. In her award-winning work with healthcare, corporate, commercial, and cultural clients, Emily brings a strategic approach to the design vision. Leveraging interactive technologies to help clients create engaging, immersive, and meaningful experiences, she views buildings as platforms that can adapt to changing needs, and has a keen sense of how to apply the latest technologies in the pursuit of innovation. A sought-after thought leader in her field, Emily has presented at high-profile conferences such as Digital Signage Expo and Fast Company’s Innovation Festival.
Matt is responsible for overall experience design direction for physical spaces, coordinating with architecture firms and production partners. He creates concept diagrams, models 3D environments and renders spaces from both an experiential and pragmatic point of view.
Matt has played an essential role on a wide range of projects at ESI Design including the Statue of Liberty Museum, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and the North Carolina History Center, coordinating with multiple consultants during the course of the projects to maintain design intent.
Prior to joining ESI in 2007, Matt worked with architect Michael Graves’ office on various exhibit projects in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., including the NCAA Hall of Fame and Washington National Monument. He holds a BS in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati.
Elinore is an experienced architect and exhibit designer with a diverse and international background in architecture, interior design and graphic design. She has designed and managed projects in Israel, France and the U.S.
Her specialties include interactive exhibits, exhibit master planning and immersive environments for science centers, nature centers, outdoor playgrounds, and museums. She also has experience integrating hands-on mechanical interactives with current technology and multimedia elements.
Prior to joining ESI, Elinore spent 4 years as the lead designer for several exhibitions for the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey and its Experience Services department.
Elinore holds an MA in Exhibition Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology and a BA in Architecture & Urban Design from the Technion- Machon Technologi Le’ Israel. She will bring her excellent organizational and management skills and great passion for experiential design to your project.
As an Associate / Senior Content Designer, Katie approaches her role as both strategist and storyteller. Working mostly with ESI’s corporate clients, Katie begins a project by absorbing all the information she can about a client, and then synthesizes and interprets her learnings to create memorable narratives. She advocates for both story and design, working with the client and ESI’s interdisciplinary team to realize engaging, meaningful experiences.
Prior to joining ESI, Katie worked as a Content Strategist for another leading exhibit design firm in New York, where she developed content for films, interactive experiences, and data visualizations for clients ranging from AT&T to the government of Kuwait. For AT&T, Katie worked closely with network and security specialists to conceive of and develop original media experiences for the Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Dallas.
Katie began her career at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum and Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she developed exhibits and digital media. She earned her M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in History from Abilene Christian University. In her free time she enjoys traveling, reading exhibit catalogs, and playing video games with her godchildren.
As a Senior Associate / Senior Account Director, Lisa is the liaison between ESI Design and our clients, ensuring that design decisions reach the client’s goals and expectations and that project milestones and dates are effectively communicated. Her primary role is directing ESI’s account with the Boston-based real estate investment firm Beacon Capital Partners, with whom we’ve completed dozens of successful building renovations.
Lisa came to ESI Design with extensive management experience of complex projects. She trained in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of Sotheby’s auction house as an Exhibition Manager and Registrar, overseeing dozens of auctions every month with thousands of works of art.
Lisa’s academic background combines business and the arts. She earned a B.S. in Business, French and Art History and an M.A. in Art and Museum Studies, both from Georgetown University.
As a Leader, Creative, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Layne works with the studio’s creative leaders to set the conceptual vision and tone of projects. He helps guide design teams in developing creative—from business development to strategy through production and beyond—to ensure projects are future-forward and culturally transformative. A member of the core team that runs day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, he is responsible for leading the studio’s creative strategy and ensuring design excellence.
Layne joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where he previously held the title of Senior Vice President, Creative.
Layne is a 7x Cannes Lions-winning & 2x Clio-winning creative, known for his focus on experiential design and immersive brand worlds. In his 25+ year career, he has led innovative experiential projects for clients including Google, Twitter, Microsoft, IBM, Samsung, Virgin, Lexus, BMW, Star Wars, Coke, Hermès, Marc Jacobs, Cartier, and Nike.
Previously, Layne was the Founder and CCO at Fake Love, the internationally award-winning experiential agency. After 6 years, he sold to The New York Times, partnering with a 165+ year-old company to re-imagine who they could be, from integrated experiential to acclaimed launches with NYTVR and NYTAR.
He has spoken about innovation design at places like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, TEDx, Adobe 99U, Future of Storytelling, Collision, Design Matters, M.I.T. and Columbia University. He has been featured in publications including Wired, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Communication Arts, IdN and Adweek.
He is a fan of sci-fi/fantasy and will absorb anything in that genre. He is also into indie gaming, avant-garde art and theater, and a good brunch. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, son and two dogs.
As Leader, Media, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Cara oversees the software and media production department. She works with design teams on projects from concept to completion and manages all budgeting, production planning and technical operations for the various types of software and media content each project includes. A member of the core team that runs day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, she is responsible for leading the studio’s media production efforts and ensuring software and media excellence.
Cara joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where she previously held the title of Senior Vice President, Media. In addition to overseeing the software and media efforts for the company, Cara played a key role in projects for WarnerMedia, Barclays, Comcast Xfinity and Wells Fargo Center for Beacon Capital Partners.
Cara graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in Film Production and Digital Media. Previously, she was Executive Producer of the New York location of the worldwide visual effects company, Method Studios, where she oversaw film and commercial production. Additionally, Cara has worked for several visual effects and post-production companies throughout New York City. Her wide range of experience encompasses all aspects of media production and client types. Film studios, television networks and advertising agencies have all benefited from her expertise.
Cara has contributed to several Visual Effects Society-nominated projects such as the film, The Wolf of Wall Street, and commercials for General Electric.
As the Technical Director of Software, Adam oversees development of the custom high performance software which drives the media-intensive experiences designed by the ESI team. He draws upon his 8 years of expertise in creative technology and software design to create robust frameworks for dynamic, engaging user experiences. He is fluent in C++, C, Swift, Objective-C and Python, specializing in computer vision and realtime interactive media.
Before joining ESI Design, Adam was a Lead Creative Technologist at Fake Love, an innovative experiential advertising agency that is part of The New York Times, working on campaigns for clients including IBM and Samsung. He was also the Lead Engineer at Knit Health in San Francisco, working on computer vision algorithms for health monitoring and video streaming.
Adam earned a B.F.A. in New Media from Ryerson University in Toronto. In his spare time, he contributes to the open source community as a project maintainer for openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit for creative coding.
As a Senior Physical Designer at ESI Design, Andrew is responsible for the space planning and overall design direction for elements in the environment. He designs the physical space and creates visualizations of it through 3D modeling, renderings and drawings.
Prior to joining ESI, Andrew worked at Second Story, where he created immersive brand experiences for leading brands including Lululemon and Comcast Xfinity, and Potion Design, where he was faced with the unique challenge of making the Constitution fun and interesting for visitors at the National Constitution Center.
After initially studying accounting at UCLA, he discovered architecture through an extracurricular class and switched tracks to earn his B.A. in Architectural Studies, then his M.Arch. at South California Institute of Architecture. His freelance projects include designing the set for Sprint’s iPhone 6s TV commercial.
Since joining ESI Design in 2000, Jonathan has developed user interfaces, animations, and interactive communications tools for a wide range of ESI projects — from an iconic digital sign in the heart of Times Square to the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo.
Earning his MPS in Interactive Telecommunications from NYU enabled him to bring a deeper understanding of what makes a successful product to his visual design. Jonathan’s holistic approach to design ensures that he arrives at unique and considered visual design solutions which remove barriers between the user and the desired outcome.
Jonathan counts among his creative influences the art of Joan Miró, the illustrations of Hergé’s Tintin, Rene Magritte’s clever point of view, the simplicity of 1970s airline branding, and a childhood spent internalizing the broad strokes of the New Mexico landscape.
Baldur has worked in the Visual Design department at ESI for over 5 years as a motion designer, graphic designer, illustrator and photographer. He creates new media for clients and explores the possibilities of motion graphics in new applications. His innovative work helps elevate ESI’s graphic capabilities.
Previously he worked at various advertising agencies and design studios, such as Ogilvy, Digitas, karlssonwilker, Ladies & Gentlemen and Vitra. His past clients included American Express, The New York Times, CNN, Comcast, Samsung, Pfizer and ESPN developing and designing online experiences and animations.
Outside of ESI he is the photographer and graphic designer for a small jewelry design company that his wife runs. When he is not behind the computer or camera, he is usually training for marathons.
As the Media Operations Manager at ESI Design, Aaron is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of completed projects, ensuring that all ESI-created experiences are running smoothly and that the client is getting the most out of their technology.
Aaron has been an A/V technology specialist for 10 years, with experience in a wide variety of settings from theatrical production, to in-gallery museum media, high-end home theater, and corporate events. Prior to joining ESI Design, Aaron was a theatrical sound designer and engineer, developing sound systems and effects to create engaging and immersive live experiences. He won two Elliot Norton Awards for his innovative designs for Boston-area theater productions.
Aaron earned a B.S. in Audio and Media Technologies from The New England Institute of Art in Boston, MA. Outside of work he enjoys 3D Printing, cooking, and enjoying all of the live theater NYC has to offer.
Susan brings more than 25 years of expertise to her role at NBBJ, as Leader, Finance and Operations, of the firm’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design. A member of the core team that runs the day-to-day operations of the NBBJ studio, Susan is responsible for leading the studio’s strategy and ensuring operational excellence.
Susan joined NBBJ in 2020 through its acquisition of ESI Design, where she previously held the roles of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Under her stewardship, the studio doubled in size.
Previously Susan held similar roles at two entrepreneurial ventures: Biscotti & Company, the multi-brand cookie company, and Tactics, Inc., a database marketing company. In these roles, she was responsible for the overall management of the financial and business operations and evolved the companies from small entrepreneurial ventures to their successful acquisition.
Earlier in her career, Susan was Vice President and Director of Marketing Services at Shearson Smith Barney. Susan is a CPA and began her career in public accounting and received an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BS from Brooklyn College. She enjoys many sports including golf and tennis and divides her time between NYC and Sag Harbor.
Aaron is a technical designer working at the intersection of design and technology. With more than a decade of experience in lighting and electronics design, at ESI Design he works to find creative ways to advance our concepts with tangible visual and audio solutions. He also serves on the steering committee for ESI’s in-house research and development program, “Explore,” to innovate new and emerging approaches for experiential design.
Prior to joining ESI Aaron spent much of his professional career designing lighting and electronic creations for the performing arts. From supervising electrician on Oprah Winfrey’s 2014 tour, to concepting lighting fixtures for consumer markets, to developing audio visual and automation systems for major Broadway shows, he is comfortable working behind the scenes and collaboratively with all other disciplines.
Aaron earned his Master of Professional Studies at Tisch NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and his B.F.A at Purchase College in Theatre Design and Technology, with a concentration in Lighting Design. He is currently an adjunct professor at Tisch NYU. In his free time he enjoys designing and making circuit boards.
As Associate / Supervising Producer at ESI, Caroline guides media production on our projects from concept to completion. She oversees budgets and schedules and ensures a high level of integration between the media/software elements of a project and the technology/environment. She accomplishes this by communicating and coordinating closely with ESI’s partners and Production Managers throughout the design and installation process.
She previously worked as the Manager of School Programs at the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York and as a Collections Assistant at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection in Washington, D.C. She joined ESI in 2013 as a Project Coordinator on the Beacon Capital Partners account, applying her collections management experience to executing complex experience design projects. She has helped produce more than a dozen projects for Beacon Capital, as well as the Statue of Liberty Museum and eBay’s headquarters in Silicon Valley.
She earned her B.A. in American Studies from The George Washington University and an M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University. Outside of work she enjoys crafting and baking, especially pies.
Kristen directs projects from concept design through production, installation, and launch. She oversees and facilitates communication between internal, consultant, and client teams, and ensures that projects are delivered on time and on budget. Most recently, Kristen managed the software and media development for Terrell Place in downtown Washington, D.C., featuring 1,700 square feet of LED displays that react to the movements of passersby.
Prior to joining ESI, Kristen was a Senior Project Manager at another top experience design firm in New York City, where she directed projects for multiple high-profile clients including the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Rockefeller Center Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Ken Burns, Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling, and SeaWorld San Diego.
Kristen has a background in Interior Architecture, and her personal work has been showcased at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and the Museum of Art and Design in New York City. Kristen earned an MA in Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design.
As a Leader, Creative, at NBBJ’s New York experience design studio, ESI Design, Emily helms the studio’s creative and media environments projects, where she thoughtfully designs ways to activate a space and tell a cohesive story by highlighting a brand’s ethos and mission values. In her award-winning work with healthcare, corporate, commercial, and cultural clients, Emily brings a strategic approach to the design vision. Leveraging interactive technologies to help clients create engaging, immersive, and meaningful experiences, she views buildings as platforms that can adapt to changing needs, and has a keen sense of how to apply the latest technologies in the pursuit of innovation. A sought-after thought leader in her field, Emily has presented at high-profile conferences such as Digital Signage Expo and Fast Company’s Innovation Festival.
Matt is responsible for overall experience design direction for physical spaces, coordinating with architecture firms and production partners. He creates concept diagrams, models 3D environments and renders spaces from both an experiential and pragmatic point of view.
Matt has played an essential role on a wide range of projects at ESI Design including the Statue of Liberty Museum, the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, and the North Carolina History Center, coordinating with multiple consultants during the course of the projects to maintain design intent.
Prior to joining ESI in 2007, Matt worked with architect Michael Graves’ office on various exhibit projects in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., including the NCAA Hall of Fame and Washington National Monument. He holds a BS in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati.