I was the lead designer for a learning experience created for Mastercard. I'm sharing here just one of the videos contained within that. The overall experience was no more than ten minutes of content, comprising videos, information, and questions seamlessly knitted together. Central to this experience was a mentor character who guided the user through the content and introduced them to Mastercard's 'Learning Lab'.
The design needed to look modern, sleek and sophisticated. As per my usual process, I created a mood board with visual references and discussed them with the client to share my vision and agree on an aesthetic for the project.
I experimented with various techniques to define a look for the mentor. The client was looking for something fluid and responsive, something that could evolve, something unconventional that could challenge expectations. The mentor occasionally morphed into different shapes to reflect the subject matter and took on more complex forms. It would travel through the interface, taking the user on a journey through a physical space. At other times, the mentor would appear in the interface when guidance or narration was required.
Learning Lab was presented as an abstract 3D city. The map of this city was also used as a navigational device to access different areas of content at the end of the learning experience. I enjoy working with 3D software because of the complexity and control it gives you. You can model objects and create a world of your own. You clothe these objects with different materials and light them, much like a cinematographer, to achieve a specific look. You can then animate these objects, the camera, or both, framing your shots to tell your story with a particular intention. There are a lot of ingredients in the mix, but get things right, and the look becomes delicious.
