Dream
with me.
World-building can mean different things to different people. In my case, it means building worlds in thematic environments to unfold like cinematic experiences.
AI is already changing how design happens.
You're expected to create faster, visualize clearer, and deliver more. With tighter timelines and rising expectations. AI could help. But without structure, most designers are stuck experimenting instead of evolving.
That’s where I come in.
I’m Marlene Emig: Creative Director, AI Educator, and Spatial Design Storyteller.
For over 14 years, I’ve led complex, high-impact exhibition experience design projects across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East, working with clients like FIFA, Formula 1, the Berlin Air Show, and Singapore’s Botanic Gardens. My background spans top creative agencies in Germany, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S., specializing in thematic exhibitions, brand experience, event, retail, showroom and tradeshow design. Spatial storytelling and experience design for brands and institutions - corporate, as well as, governmental.
In 2022, I decided to rebuild my entire workflow using AI and real-time software, to amplify creativity merged with tech to be relevant and forward thinking. I chose tools like Unreal Engine because they let me integrate AI seamlessly into my design process, without losing clarity, control, or creative authorship, maintaining a high standard or visualization techniques utilizing the best of what technology can bring to be ready for what the future holds. Staying technologically fluent and creatively influential is my number one priority.
I don’t teach tools. I teach systems and processes that work for industry-ready projects.
Everything I teach is grounded in real agency workflows and client-tested deliverables.
I help design professionals:
Integrate AI into their process with clarity and control
Build future-ready toolkits that evolve with them
Present work faster, better, and with more strategic impact
To date, I’ve trained over 130 professionals across 25+ countries. My programs aren’t theoretical, they’re built from the same methods I use on active commissioned projects.
Ready to sharpen your edge?
→ Explore my AI trainings
→ Testimonials of creatives in my AI trainings
→ Book a call with me
I am inspired to innovatively shape the future of storytelling and dedicated to designing environments that captivate people physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What drives me.
I’ve always lived at the intersection of disciplines. Starting in Graphic and Media Design, deepening my focus with a Master’s in Exhibition & Experience Design, and building a career around translating stories into spaces. Since 2012, spatial storytelling has been my creative language. I live and breathe this work. That’s what my studio stands for: merging spatial design with emerging technology to create emotion and awe.
When I discovered AI for myself in 2022, I saw a shift in how we design, communicate, and scale creative ideas. Combined with traditional design principles, AI unlocked real-time prototyping of emotion, vision, and meaning in my own process. I evaluated all current software and reestablished a new personal toolkit of the future that allows me to be adaptive and powerfully future-ready in the challenges I get to solve.
Today, I help design professionals build AI-supported workflows tailored to their style, without losing authorship or intent. Many designers are silently struggling to keep up. There’s too much noise, not enough clarity, and few who truly speak the language of real-world design workflows.
That’s why I became the bridge, supporting design professionals to adopt future-ready workflows rooted in real-world agency practice allowing them to achieve creative independence through my personalized AI design training.
In 2024, I was invited by the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York to run design studio workshops that help modernize the Masters program curriculum by integrating innovative technologies into experience design education for the first semester students.
In 2025, I was named one of four featured AI experts at the WXO Experience Summit in London and had the pleasure of being on the speaker program.
My mission is simple:
I see it as my mission to continue to shape the future of design by bridging traditional storytelling with AI-driven systems, helping creatives transform their workflows without losing what makes their work uniquely human.
I’ve helped creatives in 25 countries confidently evolve their practice using future-ready AI workflows rooted in how we already think and work, reinvesting time into project criteria that needs it most, elevating ideas, and delivering design work that clients can feel and buy into through better visual understanding of the creative vision.
“I had the pleasure of collaborating closely with Marlene on several projects. She’s an extraordinary professional, distinguished by her unparalleled attention to detail and an outstanding creative touch. Marlene excels in posing insightful questions that fuel meaningful discussions and ignite creative ideas. Her consistent commitment to going above and beyond expectations and infusing creativity throughout the entire process makes her work consistently stand out and she is definitely a pleasure to work with.”
My design achievements for brands.
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The Space Pavilion at the Berlin Air Show 2022 faced the challenge of representing a diverse group of 30 industry partners, including the main players DLR and ESA, as well as the industry partners including Airbus, Jena Optronik, Thales and others. The need was for a cohesive design that would satisfy all stakeholders and attract significant visitor engagement. Without an effective and immersive exhibition design, the Space Pavilion would risk failing to represent the collective industry accurately, leading to dissatisfaction among partners and a missed opportunity to inspire future missions. This could have resulted in reduced visitor engagement and diminished industry impact.
As Creative Director, I spearheaded the pitch and design development, coordinating monthly meetings with all partners to ensure consensus and directing communication to make everyone feel equally heard and valued. The focus was on creating a design that reflected the industry's claims and inspiring future missions. Managed the scope, design, budget, and timeline of the project. Initiated brainstorming sessions with the design team and partners, developed the conceptual and design platforms, and ensured the efficient execution of design. The role included overseeing layouts for review and approval, guiding the creative process, and maintaining high production quality.
The air show attracted 72,500 visitors from 80 countries over four days, featuring an immersive exhibition, stunning artifact showcases, and an all encompassing stage program at the core of the exhibition space. The Space Pavilion was recognized for its innovative and immersive design, winning the top story award for Brand Experience in the Trade Fair Design Annual 2022/23 publication. The success of the Space Pavilion solidified Ad Modum GmbH's reputation for delivering high-quality, impactful exhibition designs. This prestigious recognition highlighted our ability to turn strategic goals into design solutions, ultimately enhancing the brand identity “Space for Earth” and attracting future high-profile projects.
[This project achievement was accomplished as Creative Director while full-time employed by Ad Modum GmbH] -
With my guidance, TRIAD Berlin aimed to enhance its portfolio with high-profile exhibitions for the FIFA World Cup in Moscow and Paris, sponsored by Hyundai and managed by the FIFA Heritage Museum. The challenge was to manage cultural nuances and deliver content in a way that resonated with diverse audiences. Failure to deliver a successful exhibition could have led to a damaged reputation and lost opportunities for future high-profile projects. It would have also resulted in missed chances to engage visitors and stakeholders effectively.
As Senior Designer, I led the design and execution of the exhibitions. Handling all content and design deliverables, maintaining budget control, and overseeing production quality, as well as, managing client interactions and ensuring cultural differences were respected and valued. I controlled the scope, design, budget, and timeline, initiating brainstorming sessions, managing the creative process, and ensuring high-quality execution. I presented design ideas and handled important signoff milestones with stakeholders from Korea and Switzerland.
The exhibitions both achieved up to 2,500-3,000 daily visitors, maintaining high production quality and budget control, the first built in Moscow, the second built in Paris as a freestanding pavilion. The project enhanced TRIAD Berlin's prestigious client list and demonstrated my ability to handle complex, culturally diverse projects, offering great success to both client parties, FIFA and Hyundai. The FIFA World Cup exhibitions strengthened TRIAD Berlin's market position, showcasing our expertise in exhibition design and our ability to manage multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams. This success led to further high-profile opportunities and solidified the reputation for delivering exceptional client experiences.
[This project achievement was accomplished as Senior Exhibition Designer while full-time employed by TRIAD Berlin] -
Before my involvement, PICO Group was not known for stunning exhibitions and was aiming at expanding its presence beyond tradeshow booths by securing large-scale exhibition contracts, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens pitch. Without securing this contract, PICO would have missed the opportunity to showcase its capabilities in museum-like exhibitions, potentially limiting future high-profile projects and client relationships.
As Exhibition Designer and later Lead Designer, I led the design and pricing strategy for the Singapore Botanic Gardens pitch. I managed client interactions, directed the creative process, and ensured the content and design met industry standards. I initiated brainstorming sessions, developed conceptual and design platforms, and ensured the efficient execution of design, production, budget, and timeline. I managed high-level client interactions, including communication with the team of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and secured the first large-scale exhibition contract for PICO, leading to six consecutive high-profile exhibitions and a 3-year exclusive design and build contract with the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Additionally, I secured a long-lasting relationship with the Ministry of Home Affairs for their Home Team Gallery museum.
This success transformed PICO's presence in the industry, showcasing our capability beyond tradeshow booths to delivering museum-quality exhibitions. These high-profile projects and long-term client relationships established PICO as a leader in exhibition design, leading to additional prestigious projects and exclusive contracts.
During my time at PICO, I was awarded the opportunity to exhibit two projects consecutively in the museum experience design category at Singapore Design Week. Both projects were recognized for outstanding interior exhibition design, content depth, and high visitor engagement, further demonstrating our design excellence and solidifying our reputation in the industry.
[This project achievement was accomplished as Lead Designer while full-time employed by PICO Group]
