Experimental Designer

Horizontal Talent; New York (NY); On-site; USD 174,000 - 276,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Horizontal Talent seeks a designer to shape how people experience advanced AI in physical spaces through events and installations. You will lead concept development, design spatial experiences from idea to install, and help create memorable environments that make complex technology feel clear, engaging, and human.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, prototype with AI tools, and guide on-site execution across multiple spaces, building scalable design systems while maintaining a

Qualifications

• Experience creating built experiential work such as installations, exhibits, events, brand spaces, or lab prototypes.
• Strong concept development skills with the ability to generate multiple distinct directions for a single brief.
• Hands-on design and production experience across spatial design, 3D modeling, visualization, and prototyping.
• Ability to design for human behavior and explain design choices in terms of user movement and engagement.
• Experience working from initial drawings through fabrication and on-site installation.
• Clear communication skills, including presenting ideas to stakeholders who may not think visually.
• Ability to work independently and move a project forward from an open-ended brief to a finished result.
• Working understanding of AI products and what current models can and cannot do in interactive settings.
• Portfolio demonstrating concept-to-completion experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative concepts and strategic directions for experiential spaces and physical brand moments.
• Define the intended audience journey, including entry, orientation, interaction, and key takeaways.
• Sketch, model, prototype, and test ideas using spatial, visual, and interactive design methods.
• Create drawing sets and specifications to support fabrication, production, and installation.
• Partner with fabricators, AV teams, and production vendors to bring concepts to life.
• Stay involved through installation and on-site execution, making decisions as needed in the field.
• Build repeatable design systems and principles that can be applied across multiple events and spaces.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure experiential work accurately reflects the technology and brand story.
• Explore interactive and responsive experiences that use AI tools and model-driven behavior in physical environments.

Skills

Experiential design

Concept development

3D modeling

Prototyping

User engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Independent work

AI awareness

Job description

This role is an opportunity to shape how people experience advanced AI in the physical world through events, installations, briefing spaces, and launch moments. You will lead concept development, design spatial experiences from idea to install, and help create memorable, interactive environments that make complex technology feel clear, engaging, and human.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative concepts and strategic directions for experiential spaces and physical brand moments.
• Define the intended audience journey, including entry, orientation, interaction, and key takeaways.
• Sketch, model, prototype, and test ideas using spatial, visual, and interactive design methods.
• Create drawing sets and specifications to support fabrication, production, and installation.
• Partner with fabricators, AV teams, and production vendors to bring concepts to life.
• Stay involved through installation and on-site execution, making decisions as needed in the field.
• Build repeatable design systems and principles that can be applied across multiple events and spaces.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure experiential work accurately reflects the technology and brand story.
• Explore interactive and responsive experiences that use AI tools and model-driven behavior in physical environments.

Skills

• Experience creating built experiential work such as installations, exhibits, events, brand spaces, or lab prototypes.
• Strong concept development skills with the ability to generate multiple distinct directions for a single brief.
• Hands-on design and production experience across spatial design, 3D modeling, visualization, and prototyping.
• Ability to design for human behavior and explain design choices in terms of user movement and engagement.
• Experience working from initial drawings through fabrication and on-site installation.
• Clear communication skills, including presenting ideas to stakeholders who may not think visually.
• Ability to work independently and move a project forward from an open-ended brief to a finished result.
• Working understanding of AI products and what current models can and cannot do in interactive settings.
• Portfolio demonstrating concept-to-completion experience.

Preferred Skills

• Experience prototyping in code or using AI tools.
• Background in sensor-driven, projection-based, or generative experiences.
• Knowledge of behavioral science, cognitive science, environmental psychology, or a related field.
• Experience supporting technology conferences, keynotes, product launches, or developer events.
• Exposure to museum, exhibition, narrative environment, or lab design.
• Experience in retail, hospitality, or workplace environments where spaces serve repeat visitors.
• Additional depth in motion, sound, lighting, industrial design, or graphic systems.
• Experience helping establish a design language for a broader program, not just a single activation.
• Comfort explaining technical ideas to general audiences in a clear and accessible way.

Horizontal is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment where people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences can do their best work. We value equity and belonging as essential parts of how we collaborate, create, and support one another.

For those that join the team, we offer competitive compensation and benefits including medical, dental, vision, and retirement. Check out all we have to offer and how you can become part of the Horizontal Talent Team. The pay range for this role is $126 - $200 per hour based on qualifications and experience.