Immersive Artist Estarita Problem-Solves for Brands like Nike, Discovery, Republic Records, Interscope, Fossil & Cartoon Network

“Ana Carolina has great perception that adds to her outstanding problem-solving skills. She has the necessary knowledge and technical skills to tell stories and create experimental media art projects, from conceptual approaches to the use of technologies and also the experience of sharing her work through different formats.—Emilia Yang, PhD in Interdisciplinary Media Arts”

Increasingly today, businesses, institutions, organizations, artists and filmmakers seek to create innovative and engaging experiences that connect with their audiences. So, Immersive Media and Experiential Designer Ana Carolina Estarita has to understand the challenges of an artist who is tasked to create immersive and engaging experiences for clients. Always busy Estarita, who has worked with multinational giant brands like Nike and Interscope Records among many others, suggests that designers need to have a deep understanding of technology, storytelling, user experience design, along with creativity.

But she also adds in one more invaluable asset she offers, which was emphasized by Dr. Emilia Yang above: “One of my primary strengths is my ability to troubleshoot effectively. I have a knack for identifying and resolving complex problems, which is an essential skill in this field where technical issues can often arise.”

Indeed, as the use of technology in VR and AR experiences increases, Estarita explains how the importance of troubleshooting was taught by one of her mentors, Jeanette Jeanenne, an acclaimed film director known for award-winning short film, My Year of Dicks (2022). Estarita continues, “One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from Jeanette is about design thinking. She has shown me how to approach the creative process in a way that prioritizes problem-solving and user experience.”

Most importantly, Estarita notes how her immersive design skills are growing in demand. For her business clients, immersive technologies like augmented reality (AR), 3D product images, and virtual (clothing) try-on are being profitably used by online retailers. For example, she led the design and implementation of successful social media campaigns for household brands such as Discovery Network, utilizing “Social” AR technology

Similarly, LA-based but Colombian-born Estarita has designed projects for major institutions like LACMA and for the Getty Museum, explaining: “I was brought to the Getty Unshuttered Project to design and implement the projection mapping and file system playing a fully in Sync event across five main buildings. I also created dynamic and colorful 3D animations that could be projected on the rocks and buildings of the Getty Center.”

That project earned numerous awards, including: 2019 MuseWeb Conference GLAMi Awards Winner; 2019 AAM MUSE Awards Gold Video, Film, Animation, and Live Media or Digital Performances; 2019 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Honorable Mention; and, 2019 California Association of Museums Superintendent's Award Excellence in Museum Education.

Some of her other main projects and roles have included: Vibration Group, a “Transmedia Immersive” performance and an Alternate Reality experience for which Ana Carolina designed and implemented the digital components of the experimental Sci Fi Opera; AMA Constructing Memory, an Interactive Art Book for which Ana Carolina designed the AR User Experience; and, Nike Race The Pace, a dynamic AR experience developed with NikeLA for Instagram, and for which she and her collaborators had to meet two main key performance indicators: Make People Move and Make it Fun.

So, where did it all start for Ana Carolina Estarita?

Estarita is from Barranquilla a coastal city in Colombia that is steeped in culture, where dancing, music, and visual art are all deeply ingrained. So, creative activities were almost bred into her bones when she was growing up. But she confesses, “It wasn't until I received a video camera from my dad that I realized my interest in moving images. I started experimenting with video and found that it allowed me to express myself in a way that felt natural and exciting.”

Along the way to here, she has been inspired by cutting edge artists like: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and his work with installations like "Pulse," with Estarita saying “this kind of interactive art can be incredibly powerful and thought-provoking”; and, Ash Thorp, a motion graphic designer who’s always pushing the envelope of what's possible in the field.

Meanwhile, Estarita, who has an MFA from USC in Animation and Digital Arts, has seen an evolution in her creative output, relating: “When I first started my career in the arts, I was primarily focused on public and physical spaces, using installation art and projection mapping to create immersive experiences for viewers. However, when I moved to Los Angeles, I was exposed to a whole new world of digital art—now, for me, VR is simply another dimension of installation art, where all the elements are created digitally. Just like traditional installation art, you have to consider the position of the viewer in the space and make the experience interactive and engaging for the participant.”

In fact, that aspect of engaging the participant is key in Estarita’s creative and design motivation. Her diverse background includes multiple verticals, from CPG to entertainment and music, with internationally known brands beyond Nike and Interscope, to also include Republic Records, Fossil, and Cartoon Network among others. But with all of them, and with institutions, research projects and other organizations, she explains: “Ultimately, my goal is to create experiences that provide value to the consumers. By giving them something unique and interesting, I help my clients establish a strong connection between their brand and their target audience—wherever that audience may be, like on social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.”

Furthermore, she adds that with her personal design work, she follows similar tenets: “I am always asking ‘What would a participant of this experience take with them back home’ and try to create spaces where the interaction feels meaningful.”

“Ana Carolina's artistic eye and her deep understanding of the technology allowed us to push the boundaries of what was possible and create an AR experience that was technically advanced and visually compelling. Throughout the project, her focus on the user experience was uncompromised, and her commitment to creating a seamless and memorable experience for users was awe-inspiring.”—Cory Hutchinson, Creative Director Nike Race The Pace

As for her goals, she says, “In the mid-term, along with business clients, I'd love to work again with museums and educational institutions. Last year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a university, and I found it to be a unique challenge with a different set of needs. I enjoyed it a lot, and I think it could be a great avenue for me to expand my client roster. Looking further down the line, I want to find ways to integrate my personal practice and my commercial practice more. I've seen some projects that successfully do that, and I find them deeply interesting on a personal level.”

Check out the project videos on Ana Carolina Estarita’s website, and drop in on her Instagram and LinkedIn and Vimeo pages. (Ana Carolina headshot by Xiaobo “Daniel” Ma)