Ciran
"Beyond the ephemeral"
project type
Experience Design
year
2024
my role
Lead Designer
client
GAC Motors
project overview
Ciran is an immersive brand experience developed in partnership with GAC Motors, the Chinese automotive brand. The brief: create a memorable brand activation that builds a genuine, positive connection between the customer and the brand. The result was a corner shop inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, a complete system spanning spatial design, user flow, digital interaction, and a take-home product.
the challenge
GAC Motors needed more than visibility, they needed resonance. As a Chinese brand entering a new market, the opportunity was to lean into cultural depth rather than generic automotive imagery. The question was how to translate brand values into something a person could touch, smell, and remember.
Solution
Traditional Chinese medicine became the conceptual bridge, familiar enough to invite curiosity and specific enough to feel intentional. The space was designed as a curved, enveloping structure in deep black, built to make light the protagonist. Directional lighting kept visitors anchored inside the experience, while informational elements were distributed throughout the journey to pace the discovery. The user flow was carefully designed: visitors entered on the left, scanned a QR code, and completed a short digital test that identified their ideal essential oil based on their wellness needs. While the oil was being prepared, they moved through the stand, smelling each essence, learning about the practice, experiencing the brand through their senses rather than through messaging. They exited on the right with a personalized 10ml amber roll-on bottle in custom packaging and an informational leaflet. Every touchpoint, spatial, digital, and physical, was designed by the team. Ciran was presented at the Open Room exhibition at Tec de Monterrey 2024, where it was awarded the Featured Design Award, selected from all projects in the exhibition.
