Questioning the Supernormal in the Digital World
The intermediate ubiquitous states (loading, success and error) of a travel application have been revamped to deliver a crucial message of travelling sustainably by the means of short animations.
The text “Super Normal Sensations of the Ordinary” by Naoto Fukasawa and Jasper Morrison provoked me to question the “Super normal” in the digital context. The fast-paced technological transformation also forces a timely update of digital design. Hence the “normal” in the context of the digital world can be considered dynamic. I also believe that normal in the case of UI/UX design is subjective to different user types and their preferences. Taking this thought into account my partner Rhebsa and I worked on loading, success and error state for a travel app. We designed and animated these states individually with a perspective of “normal” to ourselves.
My Approach
I decided to add a larger meaning to the simple function of these states for a travel application. Being an avid traveller and a nature lover I have always been very cognisant about my actions as a traveller to preserve the beauty of nature. What pains me is to see sustainability being a trend but when it comes to following people are hardly aware of or forget the steps that need to be taken. So, through these states, I shed light on different ways of sustainable travel. Go green campaigns have been quite normal however it is not so normal to see such reminders in intermediate states of an application.
A playful approach was taken to illustrate such crucial reminders so that users wouldn’t feel imposed or commanded to take a positive step but rather to generate a feeling of willingness. Orange was chosen as a primary colour to represent the emotions of excitement and enthusiasm while travelling. Whereas green was an obvious choice to represent eco-friendly and sustainable behaviour.
The illustrations were designed and animated using Procreate and the file screens were made in Figma.
Loading State
The loading state was depicted through an electric bus moving across lush green trees. It had been inspired by the thought of enjoying the journey while reaching a destination. The bus is a reminder to use public transport in order to reduce the carbon footprint.
Success State
The success state consisted of a suitcase being packed with some essential items like a reusable water bottle, fork, spoon, straw, and toiletries that serve as a reminder to carry them and to avoid single-use plastics. Moreover, the CTA (Call To Action) “View Products To Pack” would provide a user with an extensive list of items to carry.
Error State
A huge fish stuck inside a plastic bottle is a metaphorical yet provocative illustration of an error state. The idea was to highlight the sufferings of creatures due to unthoughtful human actions.