Design and innovation has always been important to Heineken, and never more so than today with the rise of the design-conscious consumer who defines premiumness through high quality design.

The brand constantly strives to innovate and serving Heineken in ways that excite the consumer, to fit with their mood and setting, is a key focus. Heineken Open Design Explorations was created to embody this challenge. The year-long project sought to explore new concepts in nightclub design that would enhance the drinking environment and create progressive and interesting new experiences for consumers.

To enhance innovation and gain fresh perspectives, Heineken harnessed the creative power of emerging design talent globally. It sought people with real ideas and brought 19 designers from a multitude of disciplines together to co-create on a pioneering online creative hub where physical boundaries were broken down, and cultures, influences and design fields combined to challenge status quo aspects of clubs.

As a result the project has instigated people to order beer over other drinks. It stimulated social interaction of random strangers through games, reduced the waiting time at the bar through clever algorithms and by ensuring that everybody was served.

Over four days in Milan, the live exhibit saw 13,000 visitors – designers/design enthusiasts, journalists and clubbers. This design community was exactly the audience the event wanted to attract to showcase Heineken’s design credentials and progressive nature.

More than 1,500 tweets and 500+ articles were written in design and lifestyle media globally. Consequently, elements of the club are now being taken into production, starting with elements appearing in Asia in 2013, and across the globe directly after.

As a result of the enormous success of the first 'co-creation' project, Heineken has decided to

organize the second edition of the 'Open Design Explorations' at Salone del Mobile 2013.

The first ever interactive bar was created to give customers the best possible service and help the ordering process, addressing the age-old issue of clubbers’ becoming irritated by waiting slowly in line. Touching a Heineken shaped light on the bar’s surface, which could be approached from any angle, activated an illuminating signal that would glow brightly to show the nearby waiters that a customer was in line. The bar also functioned as a fun tool, allowing guests to play and interact with total strangers by moving, ‘drawing’ or passing light shapes across. A key part of the clubbing experience is meeting new people, after all.