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Merlin's Mementos

Fall 2024

Merlin’s Mementos was a semester-long project where I developed a fully realized concept for an interactive retail show experience. 

 

I created the original concept and carried it through every hypothetical stage of design, conducting research, producing drawings, drafting multiple iterations, and refining the narrative and guest journey. I also built a detailed production timeline and cost analysis, ensuring the project was both creative and feasible. 

Graphic Design

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Presentation and documentation materials were fully themed to reflect the visual narrative of an ancient mythological spellbook.

Concept Art

Merchant Cart

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Guests meet a sly merchant who reveals himself to be an apprentice wizard capable of sealing real memories into enchanted keepsakes. After choosing a bracelet, necklace, or keychain from his merchant cart, guests enter his cluttered sanctum disguised as an impossibly small storage shed.

Magical Sanctum

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Inside the magical sanctum, guests become apprentices as immersive show elements and comedic spellcasting bring the experience to life. In the end, their chosen items light up as their enchantment was a success and their memories are captured.

Product Design

Technology

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Crafted to resemble jewelry forged by the hands of a skilled artisan, the merchandise showcases a resin or crystal centerpiece embedded with a kinetic-powered LED that subtly glows when activated by movement.

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How it works

  • Energy Storage - Before the magical transformation, any kinetic energy generated by movement will be stored in a capacitor or small rechargeable battery which temporarily holds that energy.

  • Smart Power Control - A  MOSFET switch ensures that the LED light stays off until the right moment. 

  • Magical Activation - During the show, enchanting stations equipped with RFID technology wirelessly activates the MOSFET switch at the specified moment and lets the stored energy power the LED.

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The result is a cost-effective piece of jewelry that feels truly magical, activating only at a specified moment and preserving the magic of the story without frequent recharging or battery changes.

Prototype

I designed and developed a merchandise prototype to help bring my concept to life. I 3D modeled and printed a "gem stone" to serve as a proof of concept, collaborating with my husband on the programming and computer components. The prototype was designed so that when the bracelet moves, it softly glitters and glows, creating the effect of a magical essence encased within.

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