In today's world, the line between digital and physical is blurrier than ever. And few people are navigating that evolving space more thoughtfully than Alex Levin. As the Founding Partner and Director of Strategy at L+R, a design and technology consultancy, Levin is helping to reshape how we experience environments across industries, from retail and hospitality to healthcare and entertainment.
His approach? Using a blend of spatial computing, AI-enabled workflows, and web-based technologies not just to enhance in-person experiences, but to reimagine them completely.
Instead of seeing physical spaces as static, Levin sees them as alive, responsive, immersive, and deeply human.
Bridging Design and Technology with Intention
Levin's journey began at Parsons School of Design, where he merged creative intuition with a growing fascination for technology. That synthesis of left-and-right brain thinking laid the foundation for L+R, which he co-founded in 2012. Today, the studio is a go-to partner for organizations looking to future-proof their digital and physical experiences, with clients like Google, Meta, Newell Brands, Amazon Web Services, LVMH, Hilton Worldwide, and the Estée Lauder Companies.
What sets L+R apart is not just the caliber of their client list, but their philosophy. Levin believes technology shouldn't be intrusive or ornamental; it should be seamless, intuitive, and even at times, invisible. The best tech, in his view, quietly amplifies the human experience.
"Technology should never overshadow," Levin says. "It should enhance an organization's values and create immersive, meaningful connections that transcend the digital layer."
A New Kind of Experience—Retail and Beyond
That mindset came to life during L+R's work with Printemps New York, the French luxury retailer's first U.S. flagship. Tasked with crafting a cohesive experience across both physical and digital touchpoints, Levin and his team turned to spatial computing, an umbrella term for AR, VR, and 3D environments that enrich real-world settings with digital layers.
The result: a dynamic wayfinding system that didn't just help shoppers navigate a 54,000-square-foot space; it told a story. Using tools like ShapesXR and Figma, the team prototyped in real time, experimenting with how shoppers interacted with digital signage and ambient cues.
Levin describes this as "subtle technology": solutions that complement a space rather than overwhelm it.
"The goal wasn't just to put digital screens in a store," he explains. "It was to create a living interface that supports both the shopper's needs and the brand's identity."
These principles extend beyond retail. L+R is also working with hospitality and healthcare clients to create similarly intuitive experiences. Whether it's a hotel lobby that adapts its lighting and signage based on occupancy, or a patient waiting room enhanced with calming, interactive visuals, the same tech-human harmony applies.
Empowering the Creators Behind the Scenes
In addition to client projects, L+R is building tools for the broader creative community, working with spatial and web-based technologies. Their suite of internal tools has evolved into open-source platforms used globally.
It started with LookSee in 2015, a mobile VR prototyping app, which gained traction with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton. That was followed by SeeLook, a no-code AR tool powered by Amazon Sumerian. Their most recent launch, Media View, is a developer-focused app for Meta Quest, built in Kotlin, that supports immersive media prototyping across industries.
Crucially, these tools integrate AI workflows that allow designers and engineers to iterate faster and more intuitively; streamlining everything from real-time environment testing to web-based deployment pipelines.
"We're not just building experiences," Levin says. "We're building the infrastructure to empower others to create their own."
Building a Global Community Around Innovation
Levin's influence extends far beyond his own firm, placing him at the center of the burgeoning spatial computing landscape. He's a consistent presence at the industry's premier events, from attending Meta Connect—where his L+R team launched a collaboration with the Meta Quest team on real-world XR applications and a new open-source app title Media View—to experiencing Samsung's Project Moohan headset and previewing Android XR at Google I/O and connecting with the enterprise teams behind Apple Vision Pro at WWDC.
His deep expertise makes him a sought-after voice on the future of spatial technology, with speaking engagements at major events like the Augmented World Expo in California and Droidcon New York.
This same commitment to advancing the field is what drives his community-building work. He founded Meridian, a global meetup series for designers and developers with chapters in cities like Accra, Brooklyn, Lagos, and Nairobi. L+R is also launching a new Emerging Technology Accelerator Program for Spatial Computing, with hubs in New York City, Milan, Madrid, and Doha. Beyond his firm, Levin lends his expertise to the next generation, mentoring startups at XRC Labs and advising the Ad Council on user experience design strategies.
In 2019, his cross-disciplinary impact on design, technology, and education was formally recognized when he was named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.
The Road Ahead: Where AI, Spatial, and Human Experience Intersect
In his vision of the future, Levin sees spatial computing as part of a seismic shift, where ambient technology and artificial intelligence converge to create dynamic, responsive spaces. It's a world where hotels anticipate guest needs, retail environments recommend products through smart glasses, and healthcare settings provide more empathetic and integrated care through connected systems and AI.
Levin argues that as this technology evolves, we will see environments that are "less about transactions and more about stories. Less about infrastructure, more about impact."
For Levin, the goal isn't to replace human connection, but to enhance it. He believes the future of experience is defined by more than just screens and sensors. "It's about the relationships between people and spaces, between stories and interactions," he says. "Spatial computing and AI are simply the bridge."
Ultimately, Levin's work shows what is possible when design, empathy, and emerging technologies converge. The environments he imagines, and builds, don't just look futuristic—they feel right for where we're headed.
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