Margherita Cucchi
Digital Product Designer
ASK
For the Spring–Summer 2026 collection, Diesel aimed to transform the traditional fashion show into a citywide, participatory experience, extending the runway to the streets of Milan.
The goal was to bring the brand closer to the public through a gamified format blending fashion, technology, and urban discovery.
SOLUTION
A mobile first web-app designed to guide users through an interactive city-wide treasure hunt, blending gamification and UX-driven strategy to foster exploration, engagement, and brand connection.
THE OBJECTIVE
The challenge invited participants to embark on a real-world fashion quest across Milan. Within just three and a half hours, from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM, players were tasked with finding and scanning 34 transparent eggs hidden throughout the city. Each discovery revealed an exclusive look from the Diesel Spring/Summer 2026 collection, while the fastest 20 hunters who completed the full route unlocked special prizes designed by Diesel. The promise of limited rewards and time-bound competition turned the entire city into a pulse-pounding, fashion-fueled race against the clock.
THE EXPERIENCE
At the core of the experience was a custom web app. It served as the digital command center of the activation: users accessed a real-time interactive map, scanned QR codes to locate eggs, unlocked exclusive content, and tracked their progress live. The platform seamlessly connected all physical installations into a cohesive digital ecosystem, transforming the event’s infrastructure into a game layer that became the experience itself.
THE APPROACH
I collaborated to define the user experience across every phase of the activation. Starting from Diesel’s goals and KPIs, I mapped the user flows for the three key moments of the event — from pre-registration and onboarding, to live participation, to post-event engagement. Each flow was designed to guide users naturally through the experience, balancing playfulness with usability.
Through rapid prototyping and testing directly in the streets of Milan, we validated the navigation logic and radar interaction, ensuring the treasure hunt felt intuitive and rewarding. Alongside the UX work, I developed the visual direction through moodboards and multiple UI proposals, exploring how Diesel’s bold aesthetic could be translated into an engaging, mobile-first digital experience.
THE RESULTS
The activation engaged over 8,000 participants, generating more than 24,000 QR scans and a large volume of user-generated content across social channels. Over 500 users completed the entire hunt, exceeding engagement expectations and driving measurable increases in both store visits and online traffic. Beyond metrics, the project demonstrated how thoughtful UX and gamification can expand a fashion brand’s storytelling beyond the runway — turning a city into a living, interactive brand experience.