GridX Interactive Touchscreen Demo

UX, UI, Strategy, Interaction Design, Art Direction

TLDR:

I designed and developed an interactive touchscreen web app for GridX conference booths, allowing attendees to explore short videos on product features at their own pace. The interface featured clean UI, custom character animations, and touch navigation, making it easy to use in a busy event environment. The result: higher booth engagement, more informed conversations with prospects, and a reusable framework for future showcases.

Project Overview

At major clean energy conferences, GridX wanted a way for attendees to explore its modern clean energy software tools without sitting through a lengthy live demo. The solution was an interactive touchscreen experience presented at the company’s booth. This web app allowed users to navigate short, engaging videos showcasing key features and benefits, giving them a personalized, self-paced product discovery experience.

Goals & Objectives

My role at GridX was Lead Experience Designer, and that meant ALL experiences. I wasn't limited to understanding and improving the way customers interacted with our software, I was in charge of the look, feel, and experience for all touch points.
Increase engagement at conference booths by offering an interactive alternative to traditional presentations.
Communicate product value clearly and concisely through targeted, visually engaging videos.
Encourage exploration by letting users control their journey through the software’s capabilities.

My Role

I led the design and development of the interface as a responsive web app optimized for large touchscreens. This included re-designing the trade show booth to fit the new experience, as well as selecting the right hardware for the task. Responsibilities included:
UI Design: Created a clean, intuitive interface for easy touch navigation.
Character Design & Animation: Designed a custom character to guide users and provide a friendly, approachable feel.
Art Direction: Directed the visual style of animations and video elements to maintain brand consistency.
Video Scripting: Developed concise scripts highlighting product benefits, ensuring clarity and engagement in under two minutes per video.

the approach

I began with user behavior research focused on the in booth experience at conferences. Having attended our largest conference the year before I had first hand knowledge of how the experience could be improved. I also spoke individually with members of the sales and marketing teams to make sure their needs were being met by the booth. From these experiences and interviews a few key insights were found:
Individual demo sessions worked great, but they were often too long and being given to current customers or people already familiar with the product. They wanted to see what's new, not spend 20-45 minutes at our booth.
We excel at talking with people we know, we fall short on bringing in new folks for conversations.
A lot of folks don't really want to interact with us at the booth, they're afraid of a 'hard sell', and so they just cruise on past.
A quick way to show current product lineup and big features would be really helpful.

Brainstorming and Ideating

Based on those conversations and some brain storming sessions  we decided to move forward with  creating an interactive demo that was quick and gave a good overview of the GridX products and their features. This experience had to feature:
Touch Navigation: Tap, and back navigation for quick topic switching, and to make it work on multiple size touch screens (large pedestal and smaller ipads)
Short-Form Videos: Each feature video ran under two minutes for maximum retention.
Custom Character: Provided visual continuity and a friendly, approachable tone.
Conference-Optimized: Designed for high visibility and minimal instruction—ideal for busy event spaces.

outcome

The interactive demo drew consistent traffic to the GridX booth, with many attendees exploring multiple product features. The self-paced format allowed sales staff to engage in higher-quality conversations with attendees who had already gained a baseline understanding of the software.
Increased booth engagement compared to prior events with only live demos.
Positive attendee feedback citing ease of use and clarity.
Reusable design framework for future product showcases.