Technology Center

THE CLIENT

Textron Systems produces innovative defense, government, and aerospace technologies and services that put tomorrow's technologies in the world's hands today. From product development and manufacturing to training, operations, and support, Textron Systems always pushes Past Possible to deliver exceptional solutions.

THE CHALLENGE

As part of the development of their brand new Textron Systems Technology Center (TSTC) in Crystal City, VA, Textron Systems aimed to walk customers through an integrated, interactive journey in a meaningful and impactful way. The Textron Systems’ team sought an innovative partner who could help them create interactive experiences that team members can leverage to guide visitors along Textron Systems’ brand story, products, and solutions.

THE EXPERIENCE

900lbs was hired by Textron Systems to be their experience design agency for this initiative, working alongside other partners like HKS Architects and Rand Construction. Together, we worked through Discovery to outline the customer journey experience, while along the way uncovering key storytelling moments that would support this journey.

We identified three large-scale experiential areas of focus that 900lbs would design, develop (turnkey), launch and maintain. These impactful storytelling moments came together to tell a holistic, cohesive story about Textron Systems’ rich history that has led it to be the innovative leader in providing products and solutions that support our warfighter today and into the future.

As visitors exit the elevator, they are immediately greeted by a 18’ x 7.5’ tall large scale LED wall with “Welcome to Textron Systems” branding. Prior to visitors arriving, Textron Systems is able to customize the screen, listing the group and individuals joining.

As visitors settle, an Ambassador greets them and walks them closer to the large LED screen in the lobby. Through a custom-developed iPad tablet, the ambassador takes visitors on the first stop in their journey, learning about the Textron Systems brand. A company made of a brand of brands over the years, the ambassador can walk them through Textron Systems’ rich history and operational footprint. The Ambassador is able to customize this journey by filtering the content to meet the audience’s needs, showing content that resonates most with the audience.

The second stop in the journey is at our Interactive Product Visualizer. Here, Ambassadors are able to walk visitors through the various products and solutions that are leading the future in innovation for aerospace, government and defense. They’re able to select products and view additional details such as the capabilities, specifications, photos and videos and 360 rotatable 3D versions of the product.

Our final stop on our journey is in our immersive theater consisting of a 26.5’ x 6’ 180 degree LED wall with surround sound speakers and an interactive Kiosk in the center to control the experience. It’s here where visitors see firsthand how Textron Systems products and solutions all come together in a 7:00 immersive 3D cinematic mission scenario.

Throughout the journey, we integrated a connected iPad controller for the Ambassador, giving the Ambassador full control of each of the experiences. And, the entire system was built with a Drupal Content Management System back-end so Textron Systems can manage content updates remotely, as needed.

THE RESULTS

The result was the creation of a fully integrated, customizable experience by the 900lbs Team. Each of the three experiences can be specifically curated to focus on each visitor’s specific goals and objectives. The Textron Systems Technology Center serves as a central hub for bringing visitors on a journey into the world of Textron Systems in a unique and meaningful way. The systems integrated into the Center are built with durability and scalability in mind, allowing Textron Systems to continue to evolve the content and their story as they continue to innovate new technologies and solutions for government, aerospace, and defense constituents across the globe.