Next/Now

Next/Now is a Chicago experience design and interactive agency that blends digital and physical design for brands and institutions. Based in the West Loop, it creates activated spaces using VR, AR, gesture control and projection mapping for events, festivals, retail and corporate settings.

A Reel Chicago report says its showroom work has included giant LED video walls, immersive racing rigs, AR portals and a VR experience built around a real motorcycle.

• Immersive environments for brands and events
• AR and VR experiences
• Projection mapping and LED video walls
• Gesture and interactive installations
• Audio placemaking, lighting design and custom fabrication

In 2024 Next/Now led the immersive visitor center at 360 Chicago, the observation deck on the 94th floor of 875 North Michigan. Per SEGD, the project includes a nearly 40-foot panoramic LED video wall and about 4,000 LED fixtures, driven by the agency's proprietary show control system, Activate360.

Reel Chicago names clients including Intel, McDonald's, the NBA, Mercedes-Benz, BP and Visa, and reports the agency won the AdAge Small Agency Award in 2018. Its leadership listed by SEGD includes founder Alan Hughes and managing director Randy Gress.