Technology is becoming part of more and more immersive environments.
Interactive displays invite children to become part of the story.
Projection mapping adds movement to physical scenery.
Multisensory environments adapt to individual needs.
But according to Jamie DeRuyter, Entertainment Design Department Head at Ringling College of Art and Design, technology isn't valuable simply because it's new. It's valuable because it gives designers new ways to create engaging, meaningful experiences.
When technology is integrated thoughtfully, visitors rarely remember the hardware behind it. They remember the experience.
Every design decision should answer one simple question: Does this make the experience better?
Technology is no exception.
Interactive lighting.
Projection mapping.
Digital media.
Augmented reality.
Responsive environments.
Personalized experiences.
Each of these tools can strengthen an environment—but only when they're used with intention.
Technology shouldn't compete with the story. It should help tell it.
As DeRuyter explains, technology continues to expand what's possible for immersive designers. The opportunity isn't simply adding digital features. It's using them to create experiences that feel more engaging, responsive, and memorable.
One of technology's greatest strengths is its ability to turn visitors into participants. Instead of simply observing an environment, guests can interact with it.
Press a button.
Launch a rocket.
Trigger an animation.
Solve a challenge.
Every interaction encourages people to become part of the story instead of standing on the sidelines.
At Abundant Life Church in Overland Park, Kansas, technology is woven naturally into the themed environment. Interactive launch controls, digital kiosks, lighting effects, and other responsive features invite children to actively engage with the space.
The technology isn't there to impress them. It's there to reinforce the story.
Every interaction encourages children to explore, discover, and participate in the adventure unfolding around them.
Technology can also make physical environments feel more alive.
Projection mapping allows rivers to flow. Waterfalls shimmer. Fish scatter as children step into the stream.
The scenery itself remains real. The murals are real. The sculpted features are real.
Technology simply extends those physical environments by adding movement, responsiveness, and another layer of immersion.
When used thoughtfully, visitors aren't thinking about projectors or software. They're simply enjoying the experience.
Technology isn't always about creating bigger "wow" moments.
Sometimes its greatest value is creating the right experience for the individual.
"Everything's going to be more personalized."
— Jamie DeRuyter
At the Rockingham County Rec Center in Penn Laird, Virginia, technology serves a very different purpose.
Rather than creating excitement through spectacle, it helps create a multisensory environment that can be adapted to each individual's needs.
Inspired by the principles behind Snoezelen® multisensory environments, the woodland-themed sensory space combines lighting, sound, tactile experiences, and interactive sensory equipment to support relaxation, engagement, and sensory regulation. Staff can adjust different elements of the environment to create experiences that are calming, stimulating, or somewhere in between, depending on the person using the space.
It's a powerful reminder that technology isn't always about entertainment.
Sometimes it's about helping people feel comfortable, supported, and successful.
Technology will continue to evolve.
New tools will continue expanding what's possible.
As DeRuyter observes:
"Everything has some kind of digital component to it."
For designers, that doesn't mean replacing physical environments. It means gaining another set of tools for creating meaningful experiences.
The challenge isn't deciding whether to use technology. It's deciding how to use it in ways that genuinely improve the experience for the people interacting with it.
Throughout this series, we've explored how immersive environments use story, emotion, behavior, and perception to shape meaningful experiences.
Technology simply joins that list.
It's another tool designers can use to encourage participation, deepen immersion, and create experiences that feel more personal and engaging.
Whether the tools are physical, digital, or a blend of both, the goal remains the same: Create environments that people don't just see—They experience.
In this eighth installment of What Themed Entertainment Can Teach Us About Designing Memorable Spaces, Jamie DeRuyter discusses how technology is expanding what's possible in immersive design while reinforcing an important principle: the best technology serves the experience—not the other way around.
Technology can enhance immersive environments through interactive media, projection mapping, responsive lighting, digital storytelling, and personalized experiences that support the overall design.
No. The most effective immersive environments combine physical scenery with digital enhancements, allowing each to strengthen the other.
Projection mapping uses digital projectors to add movement, animation, and visual effects to physical surfaces, making scenery feel more dynamic and immersive.
A multisensory environment combines lighting, sound, tactile elements, projections, and other sensory experiences to support engagement, learning, relaxation, or sensory regulation based on the user's needs.
Technology gives designers new ways to encourage participation, personalize experiences, and enhance physical environments while keeping the focus on the people using the space.
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This article was co-written with human creatives and AI tools, and the content was checked for clarity and accuracy. Photo/video credits: Wacky World Studios, Special Care, Inc., and Emmalee Rathsam Photography.