Street Sip

3D Design - Retail Activation - AI Implementation

Overview
Minor Figures, the creative oat milk brand, wanted to take over the streets in a way that reflects their playful energy and commitment to sustainability. The vision behind Street Sip is to create a pop-up concept that feels like it’s organically part of the city, offering a whimsical, interactive experience for coffee lovers and passersby alike. Using MidJourney, I am crafting this immersive urban design, which merges sustainability and creativity to surprise and delight the public.

(Mock) Client Brief
Minor Figures is looking for a pop-up that showcases their oat milk products and serves as a physical manifestation of their brand ethos—playful, sustainable, and deeply rooted in the independent coffee culture. The pop-up must engage with the streetscape and use materials that align with their environmental values, all while standing out in crowded urban spaces.

Design Solution
The concept for Street Sip revolves around crafting temporary pop-ups that appear as organic extensions of the urban landscape. The design uses eco-friendly materials like recycled cardboard from Minor Figures’ oat milk packaging, which is repurposed into paper mâché walls, giving the pop-ups a tactile, handcrafted feel. These sustainable structures punctuate the streets, drawing people in with their fluid, cave-like shapes that both surprise and intrigue.

Inside, the design is clean but quirky, with natural textures and soft lighting to create an inviting environment. The interiors highlight Minor Figures’ sustainability story, with recycled and reusable elements as central features of the design. Interactive elements invite visitors to explore and engage with the brand, while the entire space subtly reflects the company’s commitment to eco-conscious choices.

Sustainability
Sustainability is woven into every aspect of the Street Sip pop-up. By repurposing the cardboard from Minor Figures’ oat milk packaging into paper mâché walls, the design demonstrates how the brand minimizes waste while creating a unique and temporary installation. These walls are not only eco-friendly but also visually expressive, embodying the brand’s focus on creativity and sustainability. The entire structure is designed with temporary materials, ensuring that the pop-up leaves no permanent impact on the environment, reinforcing Minor Figures’ dedication to reducing their carbon footprint.

AI Integration
AI tools were utilized in the conceptual design process to streamline the creation of the organic forms and fluid structures that define the Street Sip pop-up. Using MidJourney, the pop-up’s world was generated through AI-assisted design, ensuring a balance between aesthetic appeal and sustainable practicality. AI also helped optimize material use, ensuring that each element was not only visually striking but also resource-efficient, further supporting Minor Figures' sustainability goals.

Privately Owned Public Space (POPS)
Street Sip is designed to occupy Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), transforming these often underused or overlooked areas into vibrant hubs of interaction. By utilizing POPS, the design injects life into urban pockets, offering an immersive experience that encourages city dwellers to stop, engage, and explore. These temporary installations create a playful, dynamic environment in private spaces open to the public, aligning with Minor Figures’ mission of making sustainability approachable while offering a refreshing twist on how retail interacts with the urban landscape.

Outcomes
The Street Sip pop-up concept successfully merges playfulness, sustainability, and community:

Urban Engagement:
The pop-ups captured the attention of city dwellers, turning urban corners into interactive experiences.

Sustainability in Action:
Reusing oat milk packaging in the paper mâché walls highlighted Minor Figures' commitment to reducing waste.

Brand Visibility:
The eye-catching design and immersive storytelling increased brand awareness, positioning Minor Figures as a creative force in sustainability.

Temporary but Impactful:
As a temporary structure, the pop-up leaves behind no lasting environmental footprint while making a bold statement in the moment.