Orchestrion
Relaxation App For Gamers
Oscar Viking Jansson
Game & UX/UI Designer
2022
App DesignPrototypeUI DesignBranding
During a two-week assignment, I seized the opportunity to fully conceptualize and design a relaxation app tailored specifically for game enthusiasts. This initiative went beyond the basic requirements of the assignment, transforming a simple task into a fully realized concept aimed at creating a calming and immersive experience for a niche audience.
Project Deep Dive
Background
The Assignment
During a course about prototyping, we were assigned to create a fully working interactive prototype using Figma to learn all the tools.
The Idea
The idea emerged from an analysis of the increasing popularity of extended YouTube videos featuring video game environments. These videos are designed to replicate the auditory and atmospheric characteristics of specific virtual worlds.
Typically, these videos showcase visually immersive in-game locations, accompanied by ambient soundscapes and subtle musical cues from the game’s soundtrack. This combination has been observed to elicit a calming and soothing response in listeners.
Orchestrion aims to address this phenomenon by developing a comprehensive relaxation app. The app enables users to explore soundscapes categorized by game titles, create personalized auditory sequences, and discover novel sound environments, effectively leveraging the psychological effects of immersive audio for relaxation purposes.
Visual Identity
Although the assignment did not require the creation of a brand style guide, I chose to develop one anyway to ensure my vision was fully realized. Given that the task required us to begin prototyping almost immediately, I had limited time to dedicate to the brand design.
My process involved a small research session to then analyzing the target audience and assembling design elements that would feel familiar and resonate with them.
The result is a design that resonates with gaming enthusiasts by incorporating the bold neon colors often associated with gaming products. This is paired with sleek app components and clean, simple sans-serif typography to reinforce a modern design language.
The Logotype
The logotype design draws inspiration from the structure of an orchestrion, symbolizing harmony and musicality. The five pillars represent the components that create a harmonic chord, with the central pillar embodying the root note.
This design evolved into the silhouette of the orchestrion’s pipes, which also resembles a soothing audio waveform.
The dual representation captures the essence of Orchestrion, reflecting both its musical roots and its focus on creating calming soundscapes for users. The logotype effectively communicates the app's purpose while evoking a sense of tranquility and connection to the world of music and sound.
The Name
The name Orchestrion was chosen because, like the traditional machine that plays orchestral music, the app brings together different soundscapes from video games into a single, immersive experience. It reflects the app's aim to recreate the atmosphere of game worlds in a simple, accessible way for users to enjoy and explore.
Orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band. Orchestrions may be operated by means of a large pinned cylinder or by a music roll and less commonly book music.
Colors
Typography
The choice of the Poppins font family for Orchestrion was driven by the need for a contemporary and modern typographic aesthetic that appeals to gaming enthusiasts.
Poppins features clean lines and geometric forms that complement the app's sleek design and bold neon color palette. Its rounded edges provide a sense of friendliness and calmness while maintaining a professional appearance.
The use of both bold and regular weights of the Poppins font creates a strong contrast between headlines and body text, enhancing the visual hierarchy and readability.
This distinction helps users navigate the app effectively and absorb information while exploring the immersive soundscapes.
Overall, the Poppins font family contributes to the visual appeal and user experience of Orchestrion, reinforcing its identity as a modern and engaging platform.
Components
Project Deep Dive
Background
The Assignment
During a course about prototyping, we were assigned to create a fully working interactive prototype using Figma to learn all the tools.
The Idea
The idea emerged from an analysis of the increasing popularity of extended YouTube videos featuring video game environments. These videos are designed to replicate the auditory and atmospheric characteristics of specific virtual worlds.
Typically, these videos showcase visually immersive in-game locations, accompanied by ambient soundscapes and subtle musical cues from the game’s soundtrack. This combination has been observed to elicit a calming and soothing response in listeners.
Orchestrion aims to address this phenomenon by developing a comprehensive relaxation app. The app enables users to explore soundscapes categorized by game titles, create personalized auditory sequences, and discover novel sound environments, effectively leveraging the psychological effects of immersive audio for relaxation purposes.
Visual Identity
Although the assignment did not require the creation of a brand style guide, I chose to develop one anyway to ensure my vision was fully realized. Given that the task required us to begin prototyping almost immediately, I had limited time to dedicate to the brand design.
My process involved a small research session to then analyzing the target audience and assembling design elements that would feel familiar and resonate with them.
The result is a design that resonates with gaming enthusiasts by incorporating the bold neon colors often associated with gaming products. This is paired with sleek app components and clean, simple sans-serif typography to reinforce a modern design language.
The Logotype
The logotype design draws inspiration from the structure of an orchestrion, symbolizing harmony and musicality. The five pillars represent the components that create a harmonic chord, with the central pillar embodying the root note.
This design evolved into the silhouette of the orchestrion’s pipes, which also resembles a soothing audio waveform.
The dual representation captures the essence of Orchestrion, reflecting both its musical roots and its focus on creating calming soundscapes for users. The logotype effectively communicates the app's purpose while evoking a sense of tranquility and connection to the world of music and sound.
The Name
The name Orchestrion was chosen because, like the traditional machine that plays orchestral music, the app brings together different soundscapes from video games into a single, immersive experience. It reflects the app's aim to recreate the atmosphere of game worlds in a simple, accessible way for users to enjoy and explore.
Orchestrion is a generic name for a machine that plays music and is designed to sound like an orchestra or band. Orchestrions may be operated by means of a large pinned cylinder or by a music roll and less commonly book music.
Colors
Typography
The choice of the Poppins font family for Orchestrion was driven by the need for a contemporary and modern typographic aesthetic that appeals to gaming enthusiasts.
Poppins features clean lines and geometric forms that complement the app's sleek design and bold neon color palette. Its rounded edges provide a sense of friendliness and calmness while maintaining a professional appearance.
The use of both bold and regular weights of the Poppins font creates a strong contrast between headlines and body text, enhancing the visual hierarchy and readability.
This distinction helps users navigate the app effectively and absorb information while exploring the immersive soundscapes.
Overall, the Poppins font family contributes to the visual appeal and user experience of Orchestrion, reinforcing its identity as a modern and engaging platform.
Components
Oscar Viking Jansson
Oscar Viking Jansson