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INTRODUCTION
Marvel reached out to us to create unique screen graphics for Thor: The Dark World. Our team’s specialty of combining real world design and forward thinking was perfect for the task at hand. The screens were for Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) home-brewed devices. We designed an energy reader, gravity reader, and a navigation device. The interfaces had to look utilitarian and somewhat archaic, while still aesthetically interesting.
Thor: The Dark World Interface and Screen Design
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JANE FOSTER'S TECH
Knowing the type of personality Jane’s character represented, we started our inspiration gathering within real world technologies, finding insights from military interfaces, scientific diagrams and environmental software.
INSPIRATION
Knowing the type of personality Jane’s character represented, we started our inspiration gathering within real world technologies, finding insights from military interfaces, scientific diagrams and environmental software.
EARLY CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
Once we had our inspiration, we needed to get into the mind of Jane by sketching and conceptualizing ideas that felt authentic to her expertise and limited budget. These are some of our early frameworks for her devices and how they work.
Because of the Marvel pecking order of “cool UI,” Jane Foster is at the lower tier – or “genius on a budget.” We approached the three designs as a family of devices all living in the same aesthetic world while appearing as if she built them with spare Radio Shack parts and technology she created in her lab.
MOTION STUDIES AND GRAVITATIONAL FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
Once Marvel decided on the designs they wanted to use throughout the film we needed to create prototypical animations that showed how the devices worked and the logic behind them to move the plot forward.
Jane Foster Devices - Data Visualization Study 1
Jane Foster Devices - Data Visualization Study 3
Jane Foster Devices - Data Visualization Study 2
Jane Foster Devices - Gravity Reader Test
DESIGN REFINEMENTS OF FOSTER TECH
After sending the prototypes to Marvel, they had the opportunity to add input and make revisions based on the script what actions needed to happen on the screen. We then refined our animations and followed specific timings to the story being told, to reinforce the story to the audience of Jane using these devices to track and destroy the villains.
CONCLUSION
It is always an honor to partner with Marvel, and we are very proud to have helped develop the UI design for all of Jane Foster’s home-brewed devices. In just a few short weeks, three unique, fully designed handheld devices were created that might have saved the world! Be sure to check out the rest of our work in Thor: The Dark World!
