Designing with Materials in Mind: Real and Artificial Approaches to Brand Activation Design
When we begin designing an installation, materials are one of the first things we consider.
They shape how a space will feel, how it moves, and how people experience it. Texture, scale, and structure all start to take form through material choices, but they are always considered alongside the environment and the brief, particularly within brand activation design and experiential installations.
Across both real and artificial materials, including florals, trees, and planting, the approach remains the same. It is about understanding what will work best in the space, rather than defaulting to one direction.
There has been a clear shift in how brands are using physical space, particularly through IRL activations, pop-ups, and wider experiential design projects. These environments are no longer just visual. They are designed to create a buzz, build brand presence, and give people something they want to engage with and share.
Looking ahead into 2026, that expectation is only increasing. Brand activations are becoming more immersive and more considered, with a stronger focus on how a space feels as a whole. It is no longer about adding elements into a space, but about creating environments that feel complete and resolved.
There is also more attention on how installations perform in real conditions. High footfall, close-up interaction, and constant content capture mean that materials need to hold their quality throughout, not just at first glance.
In some cases, the direction is about creating something soft and natural. A large flower meadow for a brand activation, for example, relies on layered florals and planting to create movement, variation, and a level of irregularity that feels believable. The success of that kind of space comes down to how those details are handled.
In other environments, the focus is on structure and longevity. Retail settings, public spaces, or longer-term installations often require constructed elements such as artificial trees and controlled planting schemes to hold their form and maintain consistency over time.
Most projects sit somewhere between the two.
What matters is not choosing one approach, but understanding how to use materials in a way that works for the space and supports the overall visual. Sometimes that means building a strong base and introducing softer elements where they will have the most impact. Sometimes it is about restraint.
Natural-looking elements in particular need careful handling. Without the right structure and finish, they can quickly lose their impact, especially in high-traffic environments where people are interacting with them up close.
Alongside the design process, we also oversee the full build and production of each installation, managing elements such as signage, props, and CNC structures so that every detail is considered as part of the overall environment.
This approach underpins all of our installation design work, from short-term brand activations to longer-term retail and event environments.
Because the success of an installation is not defined by what it is made from, but by how it feels to step into it.