Creating immersive spaces and designs to change the way people experience the world.
We collaborate with a variety of institutions spanning museums, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and cultural partners, bringing spatial design, original media, and interactive technology together from initial concept through installation.
What We Do
I.
Experience Design
Our process begins with conversations where we strive to understand your unique vision, audience, and story. Exploring these connections, we bring ideas to life through storytelling, spatial design, and creative thinking. We consider how people move, interact, and discover, making every detail feel natural and purposeful. Our goal is simple: to create experiences that stay with people long after they leave.
About Us → Message Us
I. Our Team
Stephen Nottingham — Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Inwon Jong — Co-Founder, Creative Director
Ben Ruff — Art Director
Kristen Nicolais — Design Lead
Our Purpose
Design that inspires hope. Innovation that improves lives through meaningful human experience.
II.
Vision
We imagine a world where design and innovation bring people closer to new ideas and possibilities. Through curiosity, imagination, and discovery, we hope to create experiences that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Mission
We turn ideas into experiences people can step into. By bringing together storytelling, spatial design, and creative technology, we create work that inspires hope, encourages exploration, and leaves a lasting impression.
Why
We believe great design should offer more than something to look at. It should spark curiosity, create connections, and give people something meaningful to carry with them long after the experience ends.
How
We begin by listening. We find the story behind each project, explore new possibilities, and bring everything together through thoughtful design, collaboration, and technology. Every detail has a purpose.
What
We create immersive environments, interactive installations, and original digital experiences that bring stories to life. From the first concept to the final interaction, we turn spaces into places of discovery.
Selected Work → Get In Touch
I. In Progress — What we’re building now.
Some of our most exciting work is still taking shape. We’re collaborating with churches, government agencies, museums, and cities to develop large-scale immersive environments that bring people, stories, and spaces together.
These projects explore how storytelling, architecture, and creative technology can transform public and cultural spaces. From early concepts to interactive experiences, we’re creating environments that invite communities to gather, explore, and discover something new.
II. Selected Projects — Built to be experienced.
Our completed projects reflect a shared belief that great design is something people should experience, not simply observe. From immersive exhibitions to interactive installations, we bring together storytelling, spatial design, and technology to create engaging environments.
Each project begins with its own challenges, opportunities, and purpose. We work closely with our clients and collaborators to turn ideas into experiences that feel intuitive, encourage participation, and leave a lasting impression.
III. Design Archive — The work that shaped us.
Our design experience extends beyond the founding of FREN. This archive brings together selected work from earlier professional and creative roles, spanning signage, wayfinding, environmental graphics, visual communication, and design systems.
These projects helped shape how we think about clarity, simplicity, and the relationship between people and their surroundings. Although the disciplines and technologies have evolved, the principles behind thoughtful design continue to guide our work today.
IV. Explorations — Where curiosity takes us.
Not every idea begins with a client or a defined outcome. Some start with a question, an experiment, or the simple curiosity to discover what’s possible. We see exploration as an essential part of our creative practice.
Through emerging technologies, motion tracking, interactive systems, and experimental media, we explore new ways for people to engage with the world around them. These ongoing investigations help us challenge familiar approaches and discover possibilities for future experiences.
Before We Begin.
A closer look at our process, partnerships, and approach.
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We work across museums, healthcare, education, cultural institutions, and public environments. Our projects range from environmental storytelling and wayfinding to immersive exhibitions and interactive installations. While our experience includes spaces designed for children and families, our human-centered approach extends to audiences of all ages.
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Ideally, as early as possible. Involving us during initial planning or concept development allows spatial design, storytelling, and technology to evolve together. We can also join projects already underway, collaborating with existing teams to identify opportunities and address specific design challenges.
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Absolutely. We work alongside architects, interior designers, engineers, fabricators, technical specialists, and institutional stakeholders. Our multidisciplinary approach helps align creative concepts with the physical environment, technical requirements, and practical considerations of each project.
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Yes. A meaningful experience does not always require a new building or major renovation. We explore how existing environments can be enhanced through thoughtful spatial design, visual storytelling, lighting, digital media, and interactive elements. Each opportunity begins with an understanding of the space and its limitations.
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Every project has its own requirements. Scope, physical conditions, creative complexity, technical infrastructure, and installation needs all influence cost and schedule. Early conversations help establish priorities and identify a practical direction, while more detailed estimates can be developed as project requirements become clearer.
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Our process begins with listening, observation, and research. We explore the needs of the people who will experience the space, then develop concepts through storytelling, spatial planning, and thoughtful experimentation. Prototyping, design refinement, and multidisciplinary coordination help translate ideas into experiences that are both engaging and practical.
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We approach physical spaces and digital media as parts of a unified experience. Architecture establishes the environment, storytelling gives it meaning, and technology introduces new opportunities for interaction and discovery. By considering these elements together, we create experiences that feel naturally integrated rather than added as separate features.
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Not necessarily. Technology should serve a purpose, not define the experience. Sometimes thoughtful use of materials, lighting, graphics, and spatial composition provides the most meaningful solution. When interactive technology adds genuine value, we integrate it in ways that feel intuitive, accessible, and appropriate to the environment.
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We believe meaningful experiences should respond to the needs of diverse audiences. Accessibility, physical interaction, sensory engagement, and intuitive navigation are important considerations throughout the design process. We explore approaches that allow people of different ages and abilities to engage comfortably, while coordinating project-specific accessibility requirements with the appropriate specialists.
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Yes. We consider long-term usability and future adaptability as part of the design conversation. Depending on the project, this may include flexible content systems, documentation, operational guidance, and opportunities for future updates. Post-installation assistance and ongoing improvements can also be defined as part of the project scope.
Get in Touch.
Location
Address
10230 Ford Avenue
Richmond Hill, GA 31324
(912) 429-9131
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday - Sunday 10:00 - 15:00