CHOCTAW
ART HIKE
HIKING
THROUGH ART
INNOVATION PROJECT | UI/UX
website | Interactive experience
Choctaw Casinos & Resorts launched Choctaw Landing in Hochatown in 2024, complete with luxurious resort lodging, several new restaurants, a striking pool, and an expansive gaming floor. Incorporating the Choctaw culture throughout, Choctaw Landing has worked with more than 20 Choctaw artists from around the country to create original artwork for the resort
To give this unique collection the attention it deserved, I conceptualized and helped bring the Choctaw Art Hike to life. I began by asking myself: What do people typically do during a hike? What excites them? What motivates them to keep exploring? The Choctaw Art Hike was designed to be a one-of-a-kind activity at the Landing, inviting visitors to explore art through an interactive map. Along the trail, they can learn about the artwork and the artists, engage in a fun game, and deepen their understanding of Choctaw culture.
an exhibition you can be a part of
Experience the exhibition as an artistic journey, offering visitors an engaging and interactive way to discover Choctaw culture.
interactive
map
Navigate the artworks and explore the property using the interactive map, just like embarking on a real hike.
foraging
game
Along with exploring the art and enjoying the hike, visitors are encouraged to play a game that involves foraging for Choctaw treasures, offering a fun way to learn about Choctaw culture.
working process
orked closely with the client’s art team to identify and confirm artwork locations throughout the space. Using the architectural floor plans as a reference, I developed a 3D floor plan model that mapped each artwork and served as the spatial framework for the development team to build the web-based interactive experience.
I researched Choctaw culture through visits to the Choctaw Cultural Center, studying the meaning behind traditional symbols, colors, language, and cultural references. The goal was to create more than an interactive art hike, it was designed as a cultural journey that encourages visitors to discover the artwork while also learning about Choctaw culture and language along the way.
The artist detail pages feature biographies, descriptions, and visuals showcasing each artist and their work. For interactive artworks, these pages include a button to launch the game, encouraging users to dive deeper into the art.
choctaw arts
The mobile website's interactive map makes it easy to explore artwork across Choctaw Landing Hochatown. Users can tap on any piece to access detailed artist information or engage in the gamified experience linked to that artwork.
interactive map
Visitors can access the experience by scanning QR codes placed throughout the resort. These can be found on items like coasters at the bar, video introductions in hotel rooms, and promotional materials such as flyers and brochures created for the exhibition.
a special thing-to-do
CHOCTAW
TOUR GUIDE
The exhibition is now ready, but what’s missing is a tour guide. Enter the AI avatar of Chief Gary Batton, who serves as a knowledgeable companion for visitors on the art hike. This avatar provides cultural insights into the artworks and answers questions with accuracy and authenticity. To create the avatar, Chief Batton’s voice and appearance were recorded through training footage. This footage was then processed using the HeyGen platform to generate videos of him speaking from a script or integrated with a language model like ChatGPT, enhanced with a custom knowledge base designed specifically for the art hike experience. The Digital Twin hologram is installed on-site using the Proto M holographic display system.
augmented reality exploration
Transform the courtyard sculpture, “White Buffalo,” into an interactive companion for the art hike. Each time a hiker discovers or scans an artwork, the buffalo’s skin changes to reflect the colors, patterns, or textures of that piece. As hikers collect more artworks, the buffalo continues to evolve, making the experience more playful, immersive, and interactive.
Credits:
A Work for TRG
Concept, Art Direction, UI & UX & Graphic Design: Tess Pham
Project Manager: Sean Donovan, Tara Allision, Lilli Boren, Kaitlyn Cleckler
Brand Experience: Nate Villaire
Video Animation : Gabrielle Steagall, Steven Rice
Branding Supervisor: Tim Tone, Michal Lauren Kumpf
Website and AI Experience Development: Click Here Labs
