Cosmos Concept
Overview
Cosmos Concept has started as a group thesis project, but it evolved over time.
It is based on a nonlinear script that can be experienced in many ways. It can be read as a gamebook, played as an urban game, watched as an interactive theatrical show and so on.
Script
The first part of the project was writing the script. Despite having to work really hard to improve our writing skills in order to create a balanced script, the real challenge was that the narrative could not be read linearly, but to have many short sections connected to each other for the story to become interactive and to basically allow the user to intervene in many key points and change the plot. In result, each time the script is read, the user ends up composing a different story.
In order to write the script, we created a core plot that was immediately separated to five parts based on the meaning. These five parts were later divided and many new sections with alternative paths and choices were added.
At this point we had two goals: To organize the sections and to achieve the flexibility for each section to be able to connect with 1 to 3 different paths in order to be interactive. For this we designed a tree structure that showed how each section would work and connect with another with page titles as numbers.
The second part of the project was to create the means with which project will be delivered to the users.
The first application of the script is an illustrated gamebook. The challenge was to convert the script in a way that it could be interactive in the pages of a book with its traditional form. In order to do this, the short sections of the script had to be transformed into pages. The problem we immediately faced was that we had to make it easy for the user to be able to intervene in the many key points throughout the plot. This was achieved by using simple call to actions that indicated the different options and the page number that connects the two paths.
Applications
While converting the script into a book, it became more clear to us how to extend the applications of the script. As a result the script became a web application (text based game), a board game, an urban game - currently taking place in the center of Athens, Greece, an interactive theatrical performance, a dancing role-play game and finally an escape room.
Why Cosmos
The name cosmos derived from the first interpretation of the term which is a group of similar elements that create a total. The definition of cosmos along with some other definitions and related quotes have been used as branding elements.
Branding
The logo is designed with clear, bold forms. The two words differ with two different colors that reflect the two options that the user can choose from while reading the script. The basic color that is used is yellow, but the color adapts depending on the script application. The background is always gray-black and the second half of the logo white.
The icon is designed to replace the logo in small dimensions and it is also used as graphic element in various branding applications. The two arrows and color combination reflects - just like the logo - the two different turns the story can take.
The branding system is designed to have consistency across digital and print applications. The background is black and the main contrasting color is yellow. Blue, red and purple are also used in some cases in order to set apart the different types of applications. Some quotes that represent the brand philosophy are used as a main branding element. Sketches and details have been extracted from the book illustration in order to be used as graphic elements.
Website
The website was designed to keep our audience updated and to keep all the applications of our script in one place.
The website aesthetics reflects our branding, while the navigation reflects our script: It is non linear.
The navigation between the applications is done horizontally, but information about the application itself is done vertically in order to separate these two different actions.