From classroom to escape room: One student's path to immersive design

Designing experiences that tell a story was exactly what Kaitlyn Way imagined she’d do for her career — but she never imagined it would lead to the world of immersive experiences and live event production.

Through Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Experiential Design program, Way developed the skills needed for hands-on industry experience. In her third year, she was connected to Secret City through Sheridan Works, the college’s proprietary experiential learning platform. Secret City is an immersive experience company that uses live actors and storytelling to transform spaces into interactive adventures. During her time, Way had the chance to apply what she learned combining narrative and spatial design to create engaging, story-driven environments. She contributed to the production of one escape room, assisting with layout mapping and story integration, and independently designed a puzzle for another.

“One unique thing about the Experiential Design program at Sheridan is that we learn about both graphic design and architecture,” Way says. “It brings a really unique skill set into the workforce. I stood out as the only person on the team who knew how to create an architectural floor plan and elevations."

Way’s proudest achievement was helping with the design and coordination of a three-hour dinner escape event, which blended a live meal, actors, and interactive gameplay into one seamless night. Way created the event cue sheet, outlining every lighting change, sound cue, and actor entrance, and built a minute-by-minute team schedule to keep the event running smoothly across teams. The event earned praise for its immersive atmosphere and attention to detail.

“My internship taught me a lot about what it’s like working in a fast-paced design environment, but also on a small tight knit team,” explains Way. “I’ve really been able to hone my skills in both communication and adaptability.”

Since graduating, Way joined Secret City full time as an Associate Creative Producer & Game Designer. She continues to design interactive spaces that challenge, delight, and immerse players proving that storytelling can live well beyond the page or screen.

Interested in turning your creativity into immersive, real-world experiences? Explore Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Experiential Design program — where design meets storytelling, architecture, and interaction.

And to see how Sheridan connects students with industry-ready opportunities, visit Sheridan Works.

Photo, from left to right: Kaitlyn Way (Experiential Design '25) and Alyssa Carchidi, 4th-year Experiential Design student at Sheridan