The HELIX NJ life sciences campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, was conceived as a living ecosystem of innovation. As the future home for major institutions, including Rutgers University, the New Jersey Innovation Hub, and Nokia Bell Labs, its core purpose is to open new pathways to discoveries across science, academia, and innovation. DEVCO President Chris Paladino summarized the objective: to create “an ecosystem that fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration.”

But how could designers ensure the environment reflected the pulse of discovery itself? The hurdle for experience design studio HUSH and real estate developer DEVCO was transforming dense, highly technical research into deeply emotionally resonant experiences while adhering to a fast-moving construction schedule.

Their solution was a dynamic digital exhibition powered by Adobe Firefly Services. By leveraging Adobe AI technology, HUSH created a living visual narrative system capable of translating complex scientific ideas into public-facing art. The result is a generative installation that expresses the soul of the research within, making invisible work visible and sparking connections between scientists and the public.

Making the invisible visible.

To give the building a “voice,” HUSH envisioned a system that translated molecular structures and scientific theories into immersive visuals recognizable by the researchers themselves. At the same time, HUSH wanted to avoid scientific clichés while creating an experience that would resonate emotionally.

The challenge wasn’t just creative — it was logistical. Some research papers exceeded 90 pages, densely packed with data. With Firefly Services as the ultimate creative collaborator, HUSH founding partner Erik Karasyk and his design team achieved massive scale and velocity: thousands of research papers were distilled into prompts that yielded more than 11,000 images and 2,500 video sequences in just weeks, ensuring construction deadlines were met without compromising vision.

“We had to work quickly and be responsive to changing needs as the building was still being constructed,” Karasyk says. “Adobe Firefly generative AI gave us a way to move fast while still deeply engaging with the material. It lets us design within the guardrails while focusing on the emotional power of the experience.”

The installation wasn’t just about visual impact — it was about honoring the people behind the science and creating an emotional connection with the public.

“We wanted scientists to feel understood and respected — to literally see their work reflected back at them,” Paladino says. “We’re using the same type of technology that they are using in their research. Using Adobe Firefly Services for a project like this shows that we get it.”

Impact at scale.

The HUSH breakthrough was making research the DNA of the installation. By leveraging Adobe Firefly, a uniquely hybrid process emerged: a dynamic interplay between prompt engineering, automated testing, human curation, and narrative refinement.

Working across design and engineering teams, HUSH used the Firefly Services “Generate Image” and “Generate Video” APIs in an iterative loop and translated the technical data into creative inputs by refining content into keywords used as prompts for Firefly. The iterative process that followed required a combination of manual finesse and programmatic experimentation, blending design instincts with engineered repeatability. Meanwhile, engineers tested those same variables programmatically through Firefly Services APIs to understand impact at scale. This innovative process created a flexible visual system in a matter of weeks, bypassing traditional animation timelines that would have taken months or years.

“It allowed us to stay ambitious and concentrate on the creative intent of what we wanted people to feel,” Karasyk says. “Firefly Services enabled us to distill research into creative prompts and generate visuals at a pace we’d never achieved before. That acceleration — a 10x speed improvement — meant we could stay ambitious without sacrificing vision.”

“The power of Adobe Firefly in this process was, ‘Are we going to be able to get to that level of visual quality?’” says David Schwarz, founding partner of HUSH. “‘Are we going to be able to get enough of it so that we can be human curators and get surgical about what we want to show?’ Adobe delivered on both fronts.”

The final outputs are floor-to-ceiling digital displays throughout the lobby, with immersive visuals ranging from swirling molecular structures to abstracted data visualizations — transforming research into a visual language the public can feel.

Amplifying the curator’s eye.

Those final visuals required careful editorial and technical refinement. To streamline creative feedback and curation, HUSH connected Firefly outputs directly into Adobe Frame.io — giving both the design team and clients a central space to review, comment, and refine visual assets in real time.

“If we’d had to manage that feedback anywhere else, it would’ve been a nightmare,” Karasyk says. “With Frame.io, every new batch of visuals appeared instantly for review, making iteration fast, collaborative, and painless.”

Turning research into resonance.

For HUSH, the experience will continue to evolve. With generative AI at its core, the installation is designed to grow alongside the science it reflects. New discoveries can be transformed into prompts and visuals, enabling the artwork to continuously update, making innovation visible in real time.

“It’s not a one-and-done creative output,” Karasyk says. “As the residents of the building evolve, the installation can evolve with them. Firefly gives us a way to keep reflecting the living pulse of the research happening here.”

Discover how Adobe Firefly Services can transform your complex creative challenges into breakthrough solutions at unprecedented speed and scale.

Jay Ganaden is a Gen AI Design and Technology Leader with experience across agencies, startups, and Fortune 100 companies. Jay joined Adobe in 2018 and is Director of Global Agency Innovation for Adobe Firefly. Jay was on the founding team for Firefly, and in a launch that surprised and galvanized Adobe and our customers in a Gen AI future, Jay worked to upskill his team in the rollout of Firefly across 500+ enterprise agencies, brands, and system integrators within 2 quarters. His team's work has influenced the development of new Adobe products like Firefly Custom Models, Firefly Services APIs and Firefly Boards.

Previously, Jay held UX Design leadership roles at Razorfish and Momentum Design Lab, worked as an Advertising Photographer for major brands and retailers, and began his career at Google and KPMG Consulting. His education includes graduate study at Stanford Business School, Stanford d.School, and MIT Sloan, with a BBA in Management Information Systems from University of Texas at Austin. Jay lives in the hills of Berkeley, CA with his bio-scientist partner Paulina and their two dogs, and enjoys wrenching on and racing bicycles.

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