I began the ideation process by mapping out some initial concepts and thoughts I had around the word glitch and its associated meanings, as well as how they may relate to branding and the exhibition space:
Concept #1 – Video Games
Premise: Exploring glitches within video games – how video games can glitch, how people abuse glitches for personal gain, how people unwillingly experience glitches that either better or worsen their experience. What are video games’ impact on culture – are video games causing a glitch? People are arguing they increase violence, but are they just looking for something to blame violence on? What power do video games hold?
Slogans: “Who has the power?”, “It’s not just a game anymore”
Brand names: Player Zero, P0, Control
Exhibition space: Gallery – a traditional area of exhibition
Concept #2 – Mental Health
Premise: A problem or malfunction in our minds that makes us believe things or feel things that we shouldn’t – for example, depression, anxiety, a lack of self-worth. Thinking abnormally – a flaw in our minds that causes us to malfunction. Are people like machines? Can they malfunction and is it necessarily their fault?
Slogans: “A mental malfunction”, “A flaw in our thoughts”
Brand names: Sane, Flaw, Flawed
Exhibition space: University, Library – targeted towards younger people but definitely open to all who may feel affected by the issue.
Concept #3 – Rebellion
Premise: A glitch in society – the glitch being a group of people going against the system – citizens rising against government inaction on a multitude of topics, such as climate change, inequality, poverty etc. How does humanity glitch? How do we react to a glitch? Are glitches necessarily bad, or can they be used for the greater good?
Slogans “We are the glitch”, “Join the glitch”, “A glitch of our time”,
Brand names: Unity, Virus, Trojan
Exhibition space: The digital world – a digital exhibition that anyone can access from anywhere using their phone, tablet or PC that directs users from one instalment to the next.
Concept #4 – History
Premise: A glitch in history – blending the past and the present together through augmented reality – objects of the future shown in the past. How might have history played out with modern technology? What would the world around us look like?
Slogans: “Past meets present”, “Back to the present”
Brand names: Nexus, Portal, Ocul
Exhibition space: A city, users use a wayfinding app to navigate around and view the pieces of the exhibition through augmented reality using their device’s camera.
After some thought and conversation with my peers, I decided that the first option didn’t quite click with me and I struggled to visualise any potential branding around the idea without being too cliche. The second concept was a little stronger, but again, I felt as though many of my ideas were a little cliche and didn’t capture the ambition I had for this project. The fourth concept struck with me a lot heavier – I loved the idea of having an augmented-reality window into the past available on your device, and the concept of an exhibition spanning an entire city felt really inspiring and provided a lot of inspiration. The potential this concept had for branding was high, too, but overall, the third concept was the one that really hit home, and the vast majority of my peers agreed. I felt really inspired by the idea of revolution and revolt against inaction, as these were topics I feel really strongly about, and the idea of a glitch in the system resonates this mentality well whilst providing strong visuals. I didn’t want to completely ignore concept four, however, as it had many ideas, so I began to ideate on how I could merge the two into one powerful idea.
What stood out to me the most from concept four was the idea of augmented reality, and how anyone with a smartphone can access the exhibition. This felt like a strong design feature that I could combine with the idea of the exhibition being digital, as mentioned in concept three. As such, I refined these concepts into one final proposal:
Final Concept – Virus
Virus is a collective of people around the globe; the downtrodden, the oppressed, the tired. Those who see and live in the blatant inequalities of the world, and are fed up with the systems of power facilitating them. In a world where money and status determine your right to live, Virus is a demand for change. It is a platform built for those who have realised the world has failed them.
This exhibition, curated by Virus, is a collection of these voices, a medium for revolution in the wake of oppression. It is an experience living in the digital world that anyone, anywhere can access using a device with an internet connection. It is a platform to showcase and put volume into the voices that have been forced into silence without choice. It is a demand to all governing bodies to do better. Anyone can contribute to the experience. By participating, you are acknowledging that the system has failed, and it is time to reboot. Become the glitch in the system.
BA (Hons) Graphic Communication - Journal 