Building Your Own Temple of Enthusiasm

Every once in a while I come across an example of an environment that really resonates as magical; Deus Ex Machina's Temple of Enthusiasm in Canggu, Bali does that.

If you follow the custom motorcycle scene then you've probably heard of Deus Ex Machina. If not, here's the short version… Deus is a Sydney-based company that takes stock motorcycles and makes them better, in the process tying together an artistic flair with solid mechanicals and a hyper-awareness of the bike/surf/outdoor lifestyle. Over recent years they’ve diversified, now creating and selling everything from clothing to bicycles to surfboards to motorbikes, and with outposts in Australia, Bali, New Zealand and the US.

Ultimately though, beyond their ability to create compelling product, Deus is a great example of an organization created around a passionate set of principles. The brand encompasses a holistic and far-reaching business ecosystem aligned around a particular, singular, defined and designed experience, and the possessor of an authenticity that isn't be faked, even through rapid growth.

To me, there are a couple of reasons why what Deus is doing with their Temple of Enthusiasm in Bali can serve as an experiential lesson for everyone from hospitals to retail environments to theme parks and airlines (as well as being a place I desperately want to visit).

Be distinctive.
While the Temple has inputs and outputs via both physical access and a digital counterpoint (blog, videos, etc.) that allow a visitor to experience the Temple, a visit to the physical site still remains at the heart of the experience system. In this case it's a traditional compound; each building serving a singular purpose from surfboard repair to office space to motorcycle repair shop to cafe. Being an enclosed environment allows Deus to control the experience, pathways in-and-out and physical interaction model.

Provide variety.
Deus Canggu isn't in an urban center that has other browsing opportunities or simply a point in a larger journey. They're clearly a destination. And being a destination they have to create and sustain prolonged interest, especially if they hope to create a place to relax or to return to. As a result, Deus Canggu has a lot to offer; they're a production facility, workshop, cafe, etc…

Make sure every element adds to the single vision.
Each product Deus sells is carefully curated, bubbling up to a core operating philosophy. There are no throwaway products or things that don't fit within the larger picture. Watching the video Deus produced to record the opening of the Temple is pure visual storytelling, every new element and environment acts as a unique chapter, building out the brand and enriching the narrative. Diverse products reflect many facets of the same compelling vision, from sales floor to cafe to workshops and studios, and it all coheres around the same core ideals.

Commit to a singular experience language within a loose framework.
While each element in the Cangu environment is distinctly different, inconsistent in outward appearance even, every element is ultimately tied back to a singular overarching experience. This cohesion over consistency strategy allows the environment to live, to sustain interest over time, and to evolve naturally. Ultimately the location offers a singular and unique experience, but unlike many environments it's additive rather than reductive in nature.

Be authentic, live and breathe through people.
Often, as organizations grow it becomes harder and harder for them to maintain a singular vision and a common set of goals. As more opinions and personalities are introduced, principles become rules of engagement and flexibility is replaced by the need for hardened barriers designed to maintain focus and continuity. But that desire for consistency and command-and-control management can backfire, especially within organizations created to be innovative and constantly evolving.

Deus seems to have avoided this rigidity by relying on a loose guiding philosophy and set of ingredients that permits each version of their brand to reflect the larger context in which it exists. For example, while the Australian version of Deus is centered around motorcycles and sells surfboards, etc. as other, secondary, offerings, the Balinese version uses surfing as the hub, but sells motorcycles etc. to make that surfing experience better. Each location is selected through a combination of authenticity, passion, interest and relevancy, becoming a nexus for experience, a touch-point and destination for the larger brand. Deus's digital presence does something similar, creating loosely woven stories built around a central narrative – Deus is about appreciation for the tools that provide freedom – and the output can range from anything from video to twitter feed to photoblog. What I think is impressive is how well they tie together disparate pieces and how loose it all feels, but how well it all works when considered holistically. The question is, which "mainstream" brands do this well and why aren't more trying?

As frog's Executive Creative Director, Nick de la Mare leads frog’s cross-disciplinary teams in the pursuit of strategic design solutions across product, service and experience. His work focuses on the convergence of digital and physical media to create branded experiences for Nike, Chase, Disney, Johnson & Johnson, among others. His projects have been recognized by the IDSA, AIGA and others, and published widely.