M-Trends is essential reading for any cybersecurity professional. An annual threat intelligence report produced for over a decade, dating back to the early days of Mandiant. For RSAC 2025, Google Cloud Security needed a booth activation that leveraged M-Trends trivia to engage attendees and drive downloads of the latest report.
The first challenge was branding and content. Partnering closely with the Google team, we needed to develop a direction that would both captivate the audience and reflect the legacy and authority of M-Trends.
The second challenge centered on screen design, game flow, and content hierarchy: what was static, what was interactive, and how to balance the two. I joined after the initial framework (screen count and placement) had been set, but key decisions still needed to be made about content priorities and user experience.
This project involved working with multiple vendors and stakeholders and numerous deliverables, as well as tight deadlines.
For the screen design, we focused on two key interactive elements: a large main screen for displaying game questions, and a smaller lower-right screen for category selection. I designated the top-right screen to showcase the goodr sunglasses prize—this placement not only tied it logically into the gameplay but also ensured visibility above the crowd, drawing attention and engagement.
With those anchors in place, the remaining lower-left screens were reserved for supportive content pulled directly from the report, including a clear call to action and a QR code to download the full M-Trends report.
All of this was mocked up in a static design first, allowing the team to react and provide feedback before any animation began. Once we aligned on the content and art direction, I moved into layout and animation for the non-game screens. While we wanted to maintain consistency with our established animation style, new content from the report required some fresh visual treatment. I developed several motion comps using report cover illustrations and high-level stats to tease the report’s insights.
A full-screen video mockup helped sell the concept and show what it would all look like when it was brought together, including gameplay. After minimal iteration, we landed on a final motion design that enhanced the experience without distracting from gameplay.
The result was an immersive, branded interactive experience that pulled the audience into the world of M-Trends. By investing in up-front design thinking and early team alignment, we streamlined production, minimized revisions, and delivered a clean, compelling final product that audiences loved.
Final deliverables included all formatted game screens and active states for interaction, html and javasciprt animation for when the user got the correct answer, and formatted HD video loops for all non-game screens.
