About us

NorthernLight is a creative agency. We create experience platforms for the learning society. Our ambition is to inspire our audience to rethink, reimagine and reshape their world. Change after all starts with knowing where you are. Our transformative experiences connect people, touch hearts and change minds.

We know how to create great user experiences and learning journeys
We are masters merging digital and physical worlds
We know how to analyse and solve problems
Science, technology and innovations are our work environment

Our weapon of choice; digital and physical experiences that merge online and offline storytelling. Our cutting-edge experiences are designed to deepen reality of our past, present and future through stories.

What people say about our experience platforms:

They inspire young people to be involved in science, technology and feel empowered to participate in innovation.
They are impactful, invasive, transformative. A perfect tool for our 21^st century learning society.
They are a novel approach to consumer engagement and allow brands to connect consumers to their brand purpose.
They help to create thriving creative and learning communities.
The storytelling is authentic, meaningful and transparent. It is not about escaping reality, it is about deepening reality.
Our experience platforms are designed with love for grandeur and passion for detail.

We believe design can be catalyst to the societal changes of our times. Innovative thinking, creative technology and an hands-on approach, are core to the way we approach the needs of our clients. NorthernLight was established in 1998 and has offices in Amsterdam and China. Our portfolio includes 150 projects in 25 countries.

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Our team

Design is not only about thinking it is also about making. Implementation and execution are key to good design. ‘The devil is in the details’. NorthernLight brings a full service approach with it’s partner companies. From strategic thinking, creative planning to implementation of immersive spaces, games and apps.

Our international team provides holistic thinking and overview. We ignore traditional boundaries between diverse disciplines, you’ll find a colorful tribe of designers, social media experts, film makers, strategists, writers, software developers, science communicators, projectmanagers, architects, animators… All passionately working on developing the coolest experiences. Diversity makes us smarter…..

Meet our team

Strategic consultants

In the modern, fast-paced world we live in, opportunities to educate and inform people arise out of every corner, be it digital or non-digital. New ways and systems are discovered on a daily basis. At NorthernLight we help you find these opportunities and create strategies and solutions to achieve your goals.

Exhibition designers

Creativity and originality and are a few characteristics of our exhibition designers. They create unique environments for active exploration and enjoyment. Being specialized in taking an exhibition project from first concept and design to production and installation, we provide turn-key results for our clients.

Interior architects

Each experience we create is highly influenced by the design of the interior. Light, colour and the materials chosen for exhibits and displays all play a role, as well as visitor’s flow and ergonomic aspects. Through space and light planning and with the help of 3D visualisations, our interior architects translate the clients’ objectives into an inspiring environment that stimulates the senses.

Content analysis
Storytelling
Interpretive planning
Copy and script writing
Storyboard development
Content management
Custom E-learning, social and mobile learning

Graphic and brand designers

We are all round designers. We create authentic designs, with a European touch, and with an eye for detail and materials. From small text panels, to big wall graphics, we enhance the visitor’s experience. Designing complete brand manuals for our clients is part our graphic designer’s role.

Interaction designers

Interaction designers New technologies lead to amazing possibilities to make experiences that go beyond the physical space. They add a layer of storytelling and gaming to the real world. For these digital experiences NorthernLight uses technologies such as iBeacon, RFID, virtual reality, location based storytelling and location based gaming.

Project managers

Content creators

For every project we dive into the content, the stories that the client wants to tell. That’s what inspires our designs. NorthernLight’s content managers collaborate with the client to get the right content into the right place. Together we explore and develop methods to share stories with the visitors in an engaging way.

Script writers

A good script serves as a blueprint of an app or multimedia presentation. It includes details about formats, images and texts and provides instructions for our developers and designers. Each script is written in close cooperation with the client, to ensure the desired result.

Copywriters

Copywriting is an essential step in the production of an app or exhibit. The scope of work of our copywriters varies from informative texts for exhibition panels to voice –overs and instruction texts for apps and games. User-friendliness and the right tone-of-voice are key aspects we take care of to guarantee an experience that relates to the visitors’ world.

CO-FOUNDERS

Process and services

NorthernLight is a full service creative agency. We can provide turn-key results when required, specializing in taking a project from initial brief and design to final execution of the experience.

Process

Creative and strategic planning

In our modern world opportunities to educate and inform people arise out of every corner, be it digital or non-digital. New ways and systems are found on a daily basis. At NorthernLight we help you find these opportunities and create strategies and solutions to achieve your goals. Strategic analysis, digital vision development and spatial planning are all part of this process.

Concept & content development

We are content-driven. For every project we dive into the content, the stories that the client wants to tell. That’s what inspires our designs. NorthernLight’s content managers, copywriters and communication specialists collaborate with the client to get the right content into the right place. They help the client to explore and develop methods to share their story with their visitors.

Preliminary design

We are all round designers. We create authentic designs with a European touch and with an eye detail. Moreover, we can be hired as art directors. Our design work varies from graphics, mobile media and AV scripts to motion graphics and personalized visitor systems.

Detailed design

Our engineers make the designs work in collaboration with our network of specialists including AV & hardware consultants, light designers, cost consultants, and access consultants. From AV scripts and specifications to component by component descriptions, our engineers take care of it.

Fabrication management

NorthernLight delivers turn-key solutions and services or takes responsibility for part of the production process. We identify exhibit suppliers, source and acquire exhibits, supervise fabricators and contractors and take care of the prototyping.

Installation management

NorthernLight oversees various processes during the installation process.

Planning, budgets, quality control
Supervision of fabricators and contractors
Preparation and submitting status reports
Training staff on operations and maintenance
After sales > service, maintenance contracts

Turn-key project management

NorthernLight oversees various processes during the installation process, including planning, budgets and quality control. We supervise contractors and fabricators and train staff on operations and maintenance. After sales is also part of the services we provide.

Products

Displays and graphics

Using real objects, texts and illustrations to enhance the visitor’s experience.

Themed environments

Environments to engage the visitor senses and emotions.

Smart interiors

Interiors that respond to their environment and inform the visitors.

Hands-on exhibits

Exhibition elements that engage the visitor physically.

Audio-visual experiences

Moving images are powerful media to establish the exhibition atmosphere.

Serious/applied games

One person or multi-user computer games to convey information in an appealing and attractive way.

Smartphone apps and augmented reality

Project types

Brands

Transforming customer journeys. Instead of just making a product incrementally better companies nowadays need to be able to emotional connect to it’s customers. We transform consumer experiences on all touchpoints. We intensify and extent engagement of your audience.

Museums

Transforming museum experiences. Museums should provide a rich platform with a variety of ways to explore and discover. Museums should tell stories, not merely present objects, involving people in meaningful ways. Engagement is the key to turn passive observers into active participants.

Public spaces

Transforming public spaces. Public spaces are the cement of cities. Context aware interaction can add to placemaking and create valuable layers for tourism as well as local residents.