100+ Square, Framed LCDs Celebrate Hamburger U Trainees At McDonald’s Global HQ
October 20, 2023 by Dave Haynes
There’s a lot of good stuff going on with the experiential design and execution for the relocated downtown Chicago headquarters building of QSR giant McDonald’s.
The company was in suburban Chicago for decades, but shifted its global headquarters to the Chicago West Loop, in a historic-looking building designed by Gensler. The HQ opened in 2018, and I am not sure what parts of the digital mix were in place five years ago and what’s newer. I do know I first saw a case study and video on it just this morning.
The interior spaces were designed by Studio O+A and IA Interior Architects, while the digital side was put together by creative technology shop Envoy Chicago (used to be known as Leviathan) and executed by integrator AVI-SPL’s XTG business unit.
The most notable things are a wall of more than 100 square LCDs, all in wooden frames, that show photos and fun facts about each of the McDonald’s staffers or franchisors attending what’s called Hamburger University.
There is a vast interactive display also aimed at Hamburger University’s management trainees. Responding to physical movement and touch, says an Envoy case study, capable of accommodating scores of interactions simultaneously, this incredibly powerful experience engine educates through elegant use of interactive timelines and an expansive video archive, inviting users to engage directly with the brand’s far-reaching legacy.
I also like a cluster of displays that is dedicated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC). Controlled by touchscreen and using a large-scale mosaic presentation style, the feature is constantly updated to relate the ever-expanding story of RMHC’s vital work, and its impact. Up on the third floor, RMHC donors are showcased in another interactive display, allowing playful sorting and further information discovery related to the charity’s contributors.
There are more images, photos and explainers here …
Very nice! They should enter this project for awards for Corporate Environments the next go round.