Role
UX Researcher, Experiential designer
Timeline
August to November
Team
Fatema Nadeem, Malayaka Goel, Swaranjali Thakkur
Design an experience that merges realities.
Introduction & Inspiration
Elevators are often overlooked—functional, fleeting, and forgettable. Yet, Marc Augé’s concept of non-places reframed my view of these transitional spaces as zones of anonymity and passive movement. Building on this, recent research by Allen and Mollegaard (2021) reveals elevators as quietly expressive environments, shaped by human behavior and social nuance.
This project emerged from a desire to disrupt that invisibility—to reimagine the elevator as a mirror of modern urban life, revealing tensions between isolation and connection, efficiency and emotion, presence and avoidance in our increasingly automated, hyper-connected cities.
Process
Research Methodology
Field Observations | Video and Audio Recording | Interviews and Surveys
Analytic Framework
Spatial Dynamics | Social Interaction | Emotional Resonance
Visualisation and Representation
Blueprint Maps | Narrative Clips | Elevator Prototype
Key Insights
Semi-structured interviews
Participant Selection
Urban dwellers who used elevators at least four times per week were interviewed, with a focus on diverse contexts (residential, corporate, public).
Key Themes
Questions explored perceptions of waiting, elasticity of time, active vs. passive waiting, identity, and hypermodernity. Participants were also asked to characterize elevator encounters in three words.
Insights
Heightened awareness of time, preference for solitude, self-conscious movements, and momentary connections with strangers emerged, highlighting the ambivalence individuals feel in elevators.
Being Inside a Painting
This concept explores the idea of stepping into a live-scale painting—an immersive visual illusion created by placing a perspectival image opposite a life-size mirror. The viewer becomes both observer and protagonist, watching themselves become part of the artwork.
Iteration Insight
Initial tests with flat paintings lacked depth and immersion. Introducing perspective-based imagery enhanced the sense of spatial engagement. Transitioning from paper to projected visuals on a blank wall dramatically increased the scale and impact, creating a more enveloping effect. However, full immersion remained elusive, highlighting the tension between two-dimensional art and embodied experience.
Space as the Agent
Four reflective screens confront the participant, each offering a distorted echo—shifting size, proportion, and perspective. The space itself becomes the sculptor of perception, dictating how much of the self is visible, and from which angle. The participant is not just observed but confined—held within a spatial system that frames and fragments their image.
Elevator as a Rehearsal Room
An immersive audio-theatrical experience that transforms an elevator into a rehearsal room for the self. Drawing on theories of liminality and identity, the elevator becomes a space of transformation—where participants try on emotional roles, confront personal narratives, and are guided by a voice that acts as both director and inner dialogue.
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User Test
Script & Sound Iterations
The script underwent multiple refinements to align with the elevator's timing, incorporating the natural rhythm of ascent, descent, and pauses—particularly on the 13th floor. We explored a range of voice types (female, male, unisex) and sound effects (echoes, static, ambient tones) to craft a reflective, immersive narrative.
Softwares: Murf.ai, Audacity, Speechify, Soundtrap, Southbooth
User Testing & Feedback
Initial tests—conducted with blindfolded participants and mobile speakers—revealed the script was too word-heavy. However, syncing the narration with the elevator’s movement created strong sensory cues. Testing with Apple Spatial Audio added depth, allowing participants to visualize scenes and engage more fully.
Insights
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Participants followed subtle cues to interpret the experience.
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Guided questions encouraged introspection and curiosity.
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The build-up to the 13th floor heightened suspense.
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Sound design and pacing enhanced immersion and agency.
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A sudden ending and final prompt left a lasting impression.
Impact
This project has challenged conventional perceptions of elevators, revealing their potential as sites of emotional and psychological exploration. The findings have sparked conversations about the role of transitional spaces in urban design and the importance of creating environments that support emotional well-being.
© 2022 by Fatema Nadeem