Google Design Development

Our initial brief evolved around the idea of building a narrative that travels through different levels of detail and touches upon different aspects of the “MaterialYou” user interface design. From the smallest particle, to parts of the UI, to Google’s very own devices in a semi-realistic environment.

Aesthetically our research evolved around defining a palette of materials, objects and tactile qualities that would be ownable by Google Design. Not only to distinguish the designs from those of competitors, but also to express an emotional quality that suits the overall brand expression. Some of these qualities included approachability, warmth, friendliness, which in turn resulted in soft materialities, organic forms and playful and engaging shapes.

Credits:

Design & Direction
someform Studio

Creative Team
Helge Kiehl, Matthias Winckelmann, Dominik Grejc, Yannik Wenk

Sound
Zelig Sound

Client
Google Design

Client Creative Director
Nando Costa

Hero Animation
The outcome of letting us roam freely through the creative landscapes are a wealth of ideas, a pool of over 100 images and a big collection of independent motion concepts. To tip it all off we created a 25 second hero animation that utilises some of the ideas created in our RnD process.

As a part of someform Studio I was working with a great team on all aspects of this project, from styleframing and art direction to simulations and production.

Atomic Unit

The world of the “Atomic Unit” is purely abstract, it consists of colors, gradients and particles with almost no reference to the user interface. The scale is macro and compositions predominantly close up. The atomic unit defines the smallest unit of our design system and thereby plays with the idea of giving an abstract digital world a physical limitation. Everything is based on this smallest unit, but we can never go beyond it.

UX Parts

“UX Parts” focuses on individual pieces of the user interface. We intended to emphasize the distinct shape language that defines “MaterialYou” and wanted to celebrate its unique beauty.

Playful arrangements of abstract objects create compositions that are floaty with little to no spatial context. The materiality is abstract, but the light semi-realistic with shadowing between the objects.

The flat shading, organic shape language and soft materiality convey an inviting and approachable aesthetic, while the warm directional lighting suggests a realistic and inviting environment.

Material Essences

“Material Essence” finally reveals the full scale UI and its functionality (or creative interpretations of it). The user interface is shown as physical shapes with physical properties, interacting with the enviroment. The functionality of those UI elements is expressed with creative interpretations that use realistic everyday objects.

The objects are shown in spatial context, obey gravity and have clear directional shadowing on the surface they rest upon. The surfaces use realistic materials that reference real-world settings and the additional objects in the scenes have realistic connotations.

Suite of Experiences

Moving out further we reveal the environments in which the scenes of “Material Essence” are situated in. Livable spaces, desks, tables, kitchens, living rooms, are the stage for more explorations and interpretations of the shapes of the user interface.

Finally, we arrive at a realistic setting in which the actual devices, utilising the user interface, are showcased. Beautiful, warm and inviting spaces that reference “ordinary” scenes that the audience can refer to, thereby suggesting a natural habitat of those pieces of technology.