Dubai Tourism
Tourism Innovation: VR, Rich Media, Social Invention, Responsive Web
Originating with Bedouin tribes, the majestic art of falconry has been a vital part of desert life for centuries. As its role evolved from hunting tool to regal sport, the falcon took on near-mythical status: an icon for the glimmering modern city that rose from ancient sands. I built a suite of digital experiences that let the falcon carry Dubai to the world.
A tourism engagement unlike any other and designed for use with "Google Cardboard," this VR engagement would provide potential travelers with a breathtaking bird's-eye view of Dubai.
Taking flight from a desert landscape, the viewer would be treated to an exhilarating 360 experience. Whether soaring through radiant corridors of towering glass and steel, or sweeping across the magnificent landscapes of sun-baked beaches, man-made islands and turquoise seas, our viewers would behold this true engineering marvel and be encouraged to experience Dubai for real.
Dubai Falcon VR key art: a falcon perched on the Google Cardboard viewer, high above the Burj Khalifa.
Cardboard view: the falcon banks over a rooftop helipad, wings filling the stereoscopic frame.
Cardboard view: sweeping over downtown rooftops and turquoise water in split-screen VR.
What if you could experience another world from thousands of miles away?
Dubai has proven that if you can dream it, you can build it, shape it, and experience it. And the digital world is no different.
While most online tourism initiatives simply advertise, we utilized search engine optimization technology to tap into the centuries-old cultural heritage of falconry to engage the audience and bring a Dubai vacation experience to the user.
Use password "thework" for sample video of the experience.
Rich-media banner: “Retrieve the internet’s best Dubai videos”; one click releases the falcon.
What if the world’s tallest building had the world’s tallest pin?
Standing at an awe-inspiring 2,717 feet, the Burj Khalifa holds the record as the tallest building on the planet, and the “city of endless possibilities” would recreate this modern wonder on Pinterest, setting another Guinness World Record in the process. Only this time, in the digital world.
Pinterest concept: the Burj Khalifa pin asks, “What if the world’s tallest building had the world’s tallest pin?”
The world’s tallest pin: scrolling the Burj Khalifa from spire to base, with facts pinned along the way.
With the team at BBDO Atmosphere, I collaborated on design revisions to Dubai’s existing responsive tourism platform. Team members included ACD/Art Director Geovany Sosa, ACD/Art Director Darrin Amelio and Senior Art Director Chris Bosler.
Responsive platform: the desktop homepage, “Discover All That’s Possible In Dubai.”
Tablet view: the dining hub, “Dine With More Than 200 Cultures.”
Mobile screens: a venue listing, the Dubai splash page and a festivals feed, with the app icon.
A suite of digital experiences for Dubai Tourism by Husani Barnwell, built around the emirate’s most iconic symbol: a Google Cardboard VR flight over the city as a falcon, an SEO-driven rich-media video fetcher that delivers the destination instead of advertising it, a Guinness-minded plan to give the world’s tallest building the world’s tallest Pinterest pin, and design collaboration on the responsive tourism platform at BBDO Atmosphere.
Writer: ACD/Writer Jason Lambert