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I’ll never forget walking through a pop-up concept store for a major brand that had turned its physical space into an AR-enhanced playground. Shoppers weren’t just browsing—they were exploring, engaging, and immersed. What struck me most wasn’t the tech. It was the reaction. People lingered longer. Smiled more. Bought more.

That’s when it hit me: the customer journey had changed—and it’s not going back.

In a world where consumers fluidly shift between mobile screens, virtual environments, and real-world moments, the line between digital and physical has blurred. Today, immersive experiences aren’t a novelty—they’re an expectation.

From personalized 3D environments to augmented in-store interactions, the brands that win are those that design for presence, not just presentation. This shift requires more than new tech. It demands rethinking how we discover, define, design, develop, and deploy experiences that create emotional resonance and measurable impact.

But how do you do that at scale? What’s the role of AI, storytelling, and system design? And how do you ensure it doesn’t feel gimmicky, but human?

I’ll be diving deeper into this topic with a group of brilliant thinkers and makers during an upcoming panel. I’m honored to moderate a conversation with:

• Silke Meixner, Digital Customer Experience Strategy, ZS Associates
• METAMORPHIX, Award-Winning Designer
• Christian Pierre, CTO, GUT
• Anna Cavazos, Co-founder, Finds.ai

Together, we’ll unpack how immersive design is reshaping customer relationships—and what’s next. Let’s expand the way we think about experience.

Are you ready to meet your customer in their reality?