Mementos AR
Year: 2022
Category: 3D, Typography, Animation, Interactive, AR
Mementos is a project taking inspiration from Franz Kafka's magnum opus Metamorphosis. The goal of the project is to turn the novel's typographic material into a format to be experienced.
The thing I am obsessed with Metamorphosis is the concept of dehumanization and surreal transformation. In addition, the system of symbols in the story also captivated my attention since they are objects that significantly affect Gregor's transformation. At the end of the story, the question haunting me was:
"What's left to remember when Gregor is gone?"
"Will he be remembered at all?"
Big Idea
As the assignment requires the outcome to be related to typography, my big idea for the project focuses on the transformation of the letters into the symbol from Metamorphosis. This approach aims to align with the theme of the story, which is a surreal deformation into a monstrous, disturbing entity.
Art Direction
I decided to employ the medium of 3D since it could enhance the effect, turning the letters and symbol into organic, breathing, moving, living creatures.
Sketches
After deciding to focus on the metaphorical aspect of the novel, I move on to analyse symbols from the novel to pick out the most significant ones.
Although Metamorphosis is packed with metaphorical imageries, I shortlisted them down to 4 symbols: the bug, the clock, the apple, and the violin since they are most prominant imageries that mark the main phases of the story.
Final AR Cards Design
3D Morphing
Animation
The treatment for the 3D material and the animation aimed to embody the notion of transition, transformation, or to be exact, deformation. As the symbols and letters morph, they emphasize the deformation process of the story.
Hover over the thumbnail to activate the animation!
AR Interaction
(Recorded)
As the viewers scan the memento card, they will experience the morphing of the words into symbols. To make it even more interactive, the viewers could freeze and continue the morphing transformation at any moment by tapping on the screen. This allows them to inspect the morphing more thoroughly and thus, engage with the project better.
The AR Experience is demonstrated in the video on the right-hand side.
Exhibition Booth
The project is showcased at RMIT University Vietnam in September 2022 under the course Type and Design with the instructions of lecturer Nguyen Hung Giang.