Parallel Futures

A Constellation of the Human Imagination

Combining this concept with the archetype of the Explorer, I drew in the metaphor of constellations. Throughout the world, ancient cultures created mythologies around constellations, showing an infinite possibility of human imagination. Drawing from such a primitive human experience (star gazing) gives the brand an innate sense of inclusivity (without being on-the-nose). With astrology rising in popularity, the concept is both timely and absolutely timeless.

To help with illustrations on the project, I called in the talented designer J Hogue.

With two of us collaborating we were able to reach greater heights!

Color and Optimism

Researching the existing tech landscape, I found a lot of sameness. Grayscale and blue. These palettes were a bit stiff, dated, and may read as masculine-leaning. I wanted to go beyond what was expected for a tech company, and use a palette that felt gender-inclusive and new. Something that is at once technological, futuristic, and optimistic.

The Constellation Generator

J came up with the idea that a system could be programmed to draw constellations using a set number of points and steps. Each system user could get their own version of the logo. This would give each customer a sense of individuality, while still maintaining a strong thread within the product brand.

With HTML canvas and javascript, I built a prototype of a randomized constellation generator. It's a bit rudimentary, but give it a try!

Prototyping in the Browser

To get a sense for how these colors would read in context, and if they'd have enough contrast to meet accessibility standards, I built an interactive component playground with variable sets to easily swap out the palette and saturation.

Room for Improvement

• Automatically detect color contrast ratios, and flag ones that don't meet at least WCAG AA criteria.
• Improve the controls so that they use radio inputs instead of checkboxes, adding javascript for the functionality.
• Add more robust visual state changes to focusable elements.
• Include more elements to get a broader sense of how color would be applied in a completed interface.