Femina
This project explores the lived experience of women within male-dominated spaces through narrative motion design and audio storytelling. Blending layered voice-over interviews with a shifting visual language, the animation creates an emotionally driven journey from discomfort and restriction toward agency and self-defined space.
Main Animation
The Brief
Encouraged an experience that focused on genuine play, emotional connection, and interaction rather than gamification or entertainment-driven outcomes. Our group made an installation that combined animation, interaction, poetry, and workshops to create a space where women could reflect, engage, and form their own narratives around identity.
We Were Guided by the Question:
How might emotional and interaction design be utilised under the scope of feminism to create a physical installation that incites empowerment within women through play?
Feminism
Emotional Storytelling
Representation
Design Approach
My role focused on creating a supporting animation and logo animation that added emotional and conceptual depth to the wider installation experience. Rather than taking an instructional approach, I intentionally shifted the animation toward a more emotional and narrative-driven direction after early development stages revealed the original concept felt too explanatory and disconnected from the intended emotional experience.
The animation follows a symbolic character moving through a constructed digital environment where glitch-based motion disrupts space and time, reflecting discomfort, surveillance, and resistance within male-dominated spaces. To reinforce the themes of resilience and diversity, the final character design was inspired by the Protea flower.
Some key design decisions were directly informed by the brief and emotional goals of the project, including:
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2D animation
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using layered interview audio from women to ground the work in lived experiences
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incorporating glitch effects and distortion to visually represent instability and discomfort
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creating a non-linear soundscape to prioritise emotion over direct narrative explanation
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balancing bold colour and texture with clarity to avoid overwhelming viewers
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shifting toward symbolic storytelling rather than literal instruction to encourage reflection and interpretation
These decisions helped create an experience that felt emotionally immersive while still staying accessible and engaging within the installation environment.
Logo Animation
Character Design
Storyboard
Process & Development
The project involved a lot of experimentation and iteration across animation, sound, and visual storytelling. My process began with research into ludic urbanism and observations of how people interact within public and transitional spaces, helping ground the project in ideas of play, interaction, and emotional engagement.
My Contribution
During ideation, I contributed concept drawings, AI mockups, and projection test animations to help visualise possible installation directions. Some early projection concepts were later abandoned after testing revealed issues with outdoor visibility and visual overload when combined with other digital installation elements. I also created storyboards, animatics, styleframes, and logo animation tests, refining the visual language throughout the process to better support the emotional tone of the project.
Styleframes
Outcome
The final animation works as a supporting piece within the installation, helping deepen the emotional atmosphere and conceptual storytelling of the wider experience. By combining motion, sound, symbolism, and layered narrative, the project explores complex themes surrounding gender and identity in a way that feels reflective, immersive, and emotionally driven.
The project reflects my interest in creating concept-led and socially aware motion work that uses storytelling, interaction, and emotion to communicate meaningful ideas through immersive visual experiences.
Credit:
UX UI Designer: Maisie Braem
Graphic Designer: Sandy Hughes & Sophie Allis-Burton
Voice-over: Maisie Braem, Caitlyn Haines,