Build Challenges

When I first started developing The Mind’s Eye Experience Pod, I thought the hardest part would be figuring out the lighting or the tech—or maybe managing the logistics of installing something in a retail space that doesn’t belong to me.

Turns out, the biggest challenge has been sound. Not making it, but blocking it.

Because if this is going to work—if people are really going to get lost in their stories and characters—the outside world has to disappear the moment they close the door. That means designing something that can shut out the roar of tournaments, the slam of bathroom doors, the hum of air conditioning, and the thousand other distractions that come with public gaming spaces.

And that’s where things get tricky.

Building a truly sound-isolated room inside another room isn’t as simple as putting up some foam panels and calling it a day. It’s a complex combination of materials, air gaps, acoustic engineering, and (unfortunately) cost.

I’ve researched and spoken to a couple of local contractors here in Utah. The quotes I’ve received for even a modest 10x12 sound-isolated structure—without any tech or aesthetic components—start in the tens of thousands of dollars. The most affordable quotes have still hovered around $20,000 or more, just for the basic structure and soundproofing. That’s before lighting, screens, ventilation, and furniture even enter the picture.

It’s also not just about the money. It’s about feasibility. This booth has to be modular. It has to be movable. It can’t require drilling into walls or floors, because it needs to be installable in leased spaces without permanent alterations. That means no shortcuts—no bolting sound barriers into concrete, no adding foam between drywall layers. Everything has to be self-contained.

And of course, it can’t look like a recording studio. It has to be thematic, comfortable, and above all—welcoming. I want it to feel like you’re stepping into a story the moment you enter. That’s a hard thing to design when every wall and surface has to also fight echo, reverb, and bleed.

There are ways to solve all of these problems—and I’m working through them. But I wanted to be honest about what makes this particular challenge such a beast. It’s not just about making something “cool.” It’s about making something that works—something that feels like magic, even if it took blood, sweat, and decibels to get there.

Thanks for sticking with me while I figure it out.

More soon,
—Ben
Founder, The Mind’s Eye Experience™