Development: Card Designs

Design Development

Creating a clear and distinct identity for each planet.

Anthro

For the Anthro character, the design played with linear structures, keeping to repetitive notions as well as strict/confined grid and graph-like compositions. The line went either directly horizontal, upwards or sideways. The shapes were then repeated to build up a construction that resembles 'linear capitalism' and rigid industry. Some designs became arrow-like, referencing the singular direction humans consider their lives to go in, and some had great depth, depicting the locked-in nature of a society dependant on industry.  

Techne

The design for the technosphere character was a lot more straight-forward. It wanted to resemble AI / alien-like futuristic technology and so played with a simple circuit board depiction, as well as a QR code, due to its Tetris-like shapes. The design looked at line weight, as well as removing certain elements to ensure the final design was considered. The QR idea when produced did not flow as well with the series and so was rejected.

Gaia

For Gaia the design wanted to represent symmetry, cyclical notions, and interconnectedness. As such, more basic forms of this was compared and contrasted with more complex patterns, in order to achieve a rational balance that fitted well as a set with the other designs. Additionally, the thickness of the line was altered to see how bold the designs could be, and thus what was visually more appropriate is communicating the intended message of delicacy. 

FINAL DESIGNS:

The final designs were chosen based on how they worked as a series.

By having distinct, contrasting imagery, each planet's identity is visually aided.

The final depictions clearly show a linear, constructed, graph-based industrial society; a circuit board of technological language; and the perfect geometry of natural phenomenon.

This visual language through shape, communicates the intended personalities of each character, from 'evil' to 'alien' to 'maternal'.

Card Information & UX

For each character the design made 10 cards that would communicate clearly to a young audience their key ideas and concepts.

The cards are 6 x 9 cm so that they fit well behind the 7 cm spheres. 

The type choice was SchulbuchNord Normal (in keeping with the logotype) due to its clear and playful edge. 9 pt and 8.5 pt for cards with more text.

The border is 1cm.

The cards are clearly named and numbered so that the order of the game is evident.

The nature of the layout seeks to be simple and self-explanatory for the user. The instructions and diversity means the game can be adjusted depending on the teacher; e.g. there can be further discussions around each card / students can read a card each out loud / volunteers etc. It is also designed in a way that the game can be used at home between parents and children.