Shimmers at the Edges
Visual Experience | Layout Design | Type Setting and Design | Experimental Design
“Hidden beneath the surface, and shimmering at the fringes, but I am always here.
Masked under the surface. Quiet but powerful. I am always here.”
“Shimmers at the Edges” confronts the overpowering voices that consume our minds by pulling us out of our safe space.
A table was chosen as the final form to represent something that shelters us in times of disaster—like an earthquake that’s always beneath the surface, never to be seen, but always felt.
The table itself is made of glass—fragile, almost invisible. Appearing cracked and unstable, it is still completely functional. However, the overpowering message only reveals itself clearly through shadows, consuming the floor beneath, just as an earthquake would.
After studying the patterns of cracked glass, each letter was designed using both smaller and larger cracks to form the final layout of the table. Every letter was cracked differently, just as glass would.
The final layout was designed to be read from multiple directions, so that no matter where you sat at the table, you could read part of it.
Version 2
The table went through multiple iterations, however, this version although successful for many different reasons, didn’t convey the intended nature of fragility that the project asked for.
Process
Through secondary research on earthquakes and fear, creative writing and material play, I discovered a pattern in how overcoming fears and being faced with difficult situations people come out stronger. This exploration further led to stories of people who’ve overcome traumatic experiences such as earthquakes…blurring the lines between a physical earthquake, and the metaphorical one that we face daily. Based on this, I decided on the media, and visual explorations and direction.
