experiential design

We fuse artful design and technology to create transformative experiences.

Belle & Wissell is a team of makers and innovators. We push ourselves to break new ground on every project—using original methods to tell inspiring stories and electrify audiences.

We take on challenging and diverse commissions, each fueled by close collaboration with our clients and partners. Our studio firmly believes in form following function, prototyping, and iterative testing—confirming the experience’s coherence, ergonomics, and usability.

Belle & Wissell’s award-winning projects can be seen in a variety of public spaces: in branded story environments, on university and corporate campuses, and at prominent museums and cultural institutions.

Recent projects include:

-Immersive media installations
-Technology-rich interpretive exhibits
-Brand story environments
-Experiential websites
-Filmmaking, animation, and soundscapes
-Content development and management strategies

Designer Gabe Kean founded Belle & Wissell in 2003. Gabe leads this multidisciplinary team to collaborate with clients and partners to create memorable visitor experiences.

Recent Clients

Amazon
Seattle Symphony
University of Washington
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Seattle Art Museum
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
The Art Institute of Chicago
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum
Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
Space Needle
J. Paul Getty Museum
Seattle Public Library
Museum of Pop Culture
Woodland Park Zoo
The Frick Art & Historical Center
Microsoft’s Strategic Prototyping Group
Umpqua Bank

The Spheres: Immersive Media Experience at Understory

Octave 9. Photo by James Holt / Seattle Symphony

SFMOMA Painting and Sculpture Interpretive Gallery

SkyPad™ Interactive Wall Observation Deck Experience

Recent Clients:

Design and Technical Capabilities

Experience and exhibition design; experience prototyping; digital strategy; custom software and CMS development; responsive interfaces and environments; environmental graphic design; filmmaking, animation, and motion graphics.

Content Creation Capabilities

Content research and story concept dev’t; interpretive content dev’t and writing, film/video direction and production; illustrated and animated story worlds; generative audio soundscapes.

Planning Capabilities

Visitor experience planning for interpretive exhibits and brand story environments.

Selected Awards and Publications:

The studio team is honored to be recognized and commended for our craftsmanship and collaboration.

Communication Arts Interactive Annuals, Awards of Excellence 2021, 2018, 2017, 2013, 2011, 2007, 2006
The Webby Awards Best Science Website 2020
UCDA Design Competition Award of Excellence 2019
Communication Arts Exhibit, The Tribute Wall 2019
Digital Signage Awards First Place, Corporate Communications 2019
DSE Apex Awards Bronze Medal, Experiential Design 2019
Smithsonian’s Air & Space Magazine Feature, “Why Wars Happen” 2018
Communication Arts Exhibit Design Feature, “SFMOMA” 2017
SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, JourneyMaker 2017<
International Design and Communication Awards Gold Medal (Best App) 2016
Juxtapoz Magazine Too Far Gone 2016
Data-driven Graphic Design: Creative Coding for Visual Communication Born: Fifteen Years of Art and Literature 2016
CBS This Morning Space Needle 2015
Society for Experiential Graphic Design: Global Design Awards SkyPad™ Interactive Wall 2015
Penn State University: Alumni Achievement Award Gabe Kean 2015
Communication Arts Exhibit, SkyPad™ 2014
CNN 2014
The New York Times 2013, 2011, 2009, 2005
The Hub Prize Umpqua Flagship Store, Winner, The Hub Cup 2014
Associated Press 2014
Takei’s Take Discovering Seattle, America’s Outpost of Innovation 2014
Seattle Business Magazine The Power of Design 2014
The Retail Institute International Store Design Awards Design of the Year 2014
Print Regional Design Annual 2013, 2009
HGTV Project Feature 2013
Seattle Times 2019, 2013, 2009, 2005
The Oregonian 2013, 2002
KOMO News 2013
Wired Magazine 2013, 2012
I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review 2011
Los Angeles Times 2011, 2008
USA Today 2010
AAM Muse Awards 2009, 2006
Communication Arts Insights 2009
Variety 2009
Adobe.com 2010
Telly Awards 2009
The Today Show 2008
MSNBC 2008
Vancouver Int’l Digital Festival First Place 2004
Dynamic Graphics Feature 2010
Novum: World Of Graphic Design 2006
Seattle Weekly Arts Feature 2008, 2006
The Stranger 2005
One Show Silver Pencil 2002

Public Presentations:

The studio and its partners actively participate in various industry communities by sharing work and process.

Digital Signage Experience (DSE) “A Beautiful (and Meaningful) Future of Data Visualizations” Las Vegas, NV, 2023
Design Assembly “XYZ Design Masterclass: Setting the Stage to Design & Deliver” Edmonton, AB, 2019
Digital Signage Federation “Digital Experiences at Understory” Seattle, 2019
SEGD Chapter Panelist Event “Exploring Immersive Experiences” Seattle, 2018
SEGD Conference “Expanding the Experience” Washington, DC, 2018
TIDE Conference (at InfoComm) “The Art of Collaboration” Orlando, 2017
SEGD Conference “Approaching the Media Centric Project” Seattle, 2016
Penn State University “Teamwork, Process, Vision” State College, 2015
Frye Art Museum/SEGD “Experiential Design in our Environment” Seattle, 2014
Webvisions “Designer as Artist” Chicago, 2014
Webvisions “Form Follows Function” Portland, 2014
Webvisions “Designer as Artist” New York City, 2014
ByDesign13 “Experiential Design” Seattle, 2013
Creative Mornings “The Experience is Everything” Seattle, 2012
UCDA Conference “Experience Design” Seattle, 2009
National Film Board “Media Storytelling” Montreal, 2009
AIGA “Hive” Seattle, 2009
Banff Institute “Story, Character & Interactivity” Banff, 2008
AIGA “Interactive Storytelling” Nashville, 2007
Flash Forward “Flash on Display” Seattle, 2006
Southern Utah University “Telling Stories with Interactivity” Cedar City, 2006
BE&P Creativity Symposium “Collaborative Approaches” Kansas City, 2005