TurboTax Flagship Store — Soho, NYC
The TurboTax flagship store in SoHo is an immersive, sensor-driven retail experience designed to bring TurboTax’s brand and services into a physical space. As Lead Creative Technologist / Technical Lead, I translated service design intent into a robust, scalable hardware–software system and led the technical delivery of the store’s core interactive experience.
The project was developed at Gensler for TurboTax, combining real-time sensing, high-resolution media playback, and a flexible content management pipeline to support both day-to-day operation and live facilitation.
Role
Lead Creative Technologist / Technical Lead
Technologies Used
Unity3D (real-time interactive application)
LiDAR-based people tracking
Custom LED wall system
HAP Q video playback (high-resolution, high-performance media)
Backend CMS integration for dynamic content control
Interactive scene system & presentation modes
Custom hardware–software integration
AV & experiential systems coordination
Experience Overview
At the heart of the store is a custom LED wall experience, built on Gensler’s immersive tech stack platform. The system uses LiDAR sensing to detect and track visitors in real time, driving interactive Unity-based scenes that respond to presence and movement.
The experience supports multiple operational modes:
Ambient and interactive scenes for daily retail operation
High-quality HAP Q video playback for cinematic brand moments
Custom presentation and facilitation modes designed in collaboration with the client
Platform & Content Strategy
The Unity application is fully integrated with Gensler’s CMS backend, giving the TurboTax team complete flexibility over:
Media assets
Scene configurations
Content updates and scheduling
To support long-term sustainability and change management, I worked closely with the client’s video production team, training them on correct export settings and technical constraints to ensure reliable playback and smooth content updates without engineering intervention.
Collaboration & Delivery
Partnered with TurboTax’s service design team to translate experience goals into technical requirements
Led software architecture and development for the LED wall application
Coordinated across AV integrators, fabricators, and design–build vendors
Acted as the primary technical bridge between design intent, client needs, and on-site implementation
Use Cases
Immersive brand storytelling
Guided presentations and facilitation
Dynamic, sensor-driven retail engagement
Long-term, CMS-driven content evolution
