Killer Ideas for the week of 5/25

Creative inspiration for a new (virtual) reality

Welcome, friends. Without further ado, here are your KIFAPCW links for the week of May 25th.

• Designing for Distancing While no one is really sure what things will look like as we get back to “normal,” some interesting things have been happening organically in Singapore’s public spaces and small businesses. I especially like these DIY solutions from citizens and business owners, who have created their own iconography to help define new social norms based on safe distancing.
• Does anybody have the campfire booked? Zoom and the like have served us well over the past 2.5 months, but their generic design and UX are leaving lots of us looking for something more. Some folks have found it in the game Red Dead Redemption, where they’re holding team meetings around campfires. To me, it’s just another reminder that perhaps people don’t want virtual tools so much as they want virtual experiences. Thanks to Autumn Musso, Visual Designer extraordinaire, for this item.
• Speaking of which… If you’re producing a virtual event, this year’s Webby Awards (yes, there is an award show for “The Web”) should be used as a reference. Segments are kept short and sweet (5-word acceptance speeches!) and the entire experience flows at a pace that keeps the viewer’s attention without seeming rushed. An elegant design sets the mood, while motion graphics do some heavy lifting in terms of creating excitement and keeping things moving.
• And even more examples of virtual environments In case you haven’t heard enough on this subject yet…
• Coming soon in content creation Jorge Urdiain, our intrepid Director of Content Creation in Coppell, gets the assist for this bullish piece on the future of content production. From sending clients sterilized cameras to designing virtual sets, the author shares some smart insights on where he sees the industry going. My key takeaway — despite the challenges, he sees big opportunities for people willing to aim high.
• This week’s crazy Unreal link When you’re talking about the future of anything, you should probably if Unreal is doing something. This video outlines what they’re doing to take content creation into the future–and yes, it’s pretty F-ing cool.

And now for a break from all the COVID stuff to share some work that is just really awesome:

• Totally gnarly — Amazing! So do we have any of those LEDs in our inventory? ;-) Another assist to Jorge.
• Elegant augmentation — I followed the previous link down the rabbit hole and found some more work from the company that produced the wave. Their work for LG highlighted here is a fine example of how technology can subtly, yet substantially, augment a physical environment. What they’ve done extremely well, IMHO is in the subtle implementation. The tech doesn’t overwhelm, yet still helps create a rich environment for visitors.

Thanks for joining KIFAPCW for May 25th! Have something cool you think I should include? Then please send along :)