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Issue 9

The Socarrat

A selection of what inspired us recently
and occasional updates from the studio.

‘Drawing in the Air’ sculptures

Artist Lee Sangsoo turns long metal strips into elegant sculptures of parrots, dogs, cats, and other animals. Even though the sometimes gigantic statues are flowing and twisting in a three-dimensional space, his main inspiration comes from Picasso’s abstract animal drawings. The minimal creatures feature many colors, often running as subtle gradients from one end to another. He calls it “drawing in the air.”

instagram.com

Environmental Photographer of the Year

Late last year, during the COP26 climate change conference, the winners of the Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021 were revealed. While the stunning photos are celebrated in the competition, it nevertheless is sad to see these terrifying effects of the climate crisis we’re all in. Hopefully, these impressive photos will not only win awards but also call attention to the disasters currently happening in the world.

epoty.org

Collection of futuristic interfaces from games and films

HUDS+GUIS is a resource by designer Jono Yuen that collects samples of creative and futuristic-looking user interfaces sourced from anywhere, but primarily films and games. For example, the AR glasses of a Spider-Man movie, the retrofuturistic UI of The Mandalorian, and the control station interface of Marvel’s Black Widow. It gives an interesting look into how people could interact with technology, even if it does not exist yet.

hudsandguis.com

SF Symphony brand identity responds to sound

This is a throwback to the excellent brand identity for the San Francisco Symphony that launched early on during the Covid-19 pandemic. With new music director Esa-Pekka Salonen stepping in, it was time for a new look. Design agency COLLINS took on the challenge of creating something dynamic and flexible. However, with the help of Swiss type foundry Dinamo, the concept really came to life. They made a variable font that could respond to sound—each character changes shape based on the audio input, symbolizing classical music’s emotional expressions and details. On the interactive Symphosizer website, you can try the effect yourself by typing anything and making noise through your mic.

symphosizer.wearecollins.com

Fridays at Gusta‍

Last year, we decided to change up our workweek and experiment with how we spend Fridays at Gusta. Friday was already the home for our weekly get-together, where we have a fun show-and-tell of what we worked on, what we have learned, and share insights. In addition, we switched to a 4:1 working and learning ratio, making Friday our self-development day on regular workweeks. It’s a way to regularly plan time to learn new stuff, such as an experimental new tool that got us excited, follow a course, etc. Currently, we know ProtoPie inside out and are exploring to add interactive and realistic prototypes in our deliveries. Also, we’re trying out Spline to create fun 3D web experiences. Do you have any suggestions we could explore during our self-development time? Hit reply! 🙌

gusta.studio