Watching Anime Can Inspire Different Design Approaches

Sup readers. So you've probably bared whiteness to the more commercial beautiful Studio Ghibli animations such as Spirited Away, Princess Monoko and My Neighbour Totoro that were released between the late 80's and early 2000's. Japanese anime is not a new form of art nor concept to us however, it goes without saying, there's definitely a very deep rabbit hole you can journey down which unlocks a whole new world of adventures and perspectives.

Anime not only inspires a curious fascination for Japanese culture but it also prevails in immersive storytelling through a completely different form of media to your average Netflix series, Pixar animation, or blockbuster. As designers, what can we possibly learn from anime by understanding it in its entirety but also deconstructing the fundamentals of animated storytelling.

I've broken down a few takeaway points in which we learn new design approaches throughout watching and consuming Japanese anime. Nani?!

A scene change through quick interaction

Anime have these beautiful instant cut transitions that create an enjoyable experience and emotion for watchers. This is inspired and built by the foundation of Manga and its choppy pace of telling stories with minimal or no dialog (basically removing all the dribble).

Think about a user experience throughout the onboarding process, let's say the last app or website you signed up to. Was the language simple, quick and easy creating an emotional reach or did it feel lengthy, text-heavy and lacking sentimental connection? What we can learn from anime, is how to use better imagery in order to create more compelling stories. Take for example, the Headspace App onboarding.

As part of their brand messaging, Headspace tells stories and create exciting journeys through positive energy and relaxation. Their humorous, cute and friendly character design creates an emotional response.

The essence of adventure

The feeling of adventure can sometimes be underestimated. E.g. the anime film: Your Name, a multi-award-winning production. It completely transports you to another world from the opening scene. A story that completely hooks its viewers from casual to hardcore anime lovers. I remember watching this film for the first time alongside a friend who I wouldn’t even label a casual viewer (an ani-novice). He was completely mesmerised throughout failing to blink even once. That's the power of storytelling, transporting the viewer into a surrounding (you don't need VR for this).

Adventure is excitement. It's the start of something new, an unexplored chapter that's waiting to be read. Design with adventure first and watch those consuming it fall in love creating new memories. Unfold affords story creation for Instagram and other social media content creators. Where the key underlining essence of adventure unfolds is through branding and its consistency.

This startup and its design approach are to encourage creators to use consistent and similar template designs throughout the content they post online. They want users to connect and therefore immerse followers more intimately throughout a journey.

The playing field of expressions

One of the key aspects to why anime is so profoundly loved and adored is down to its creative display of expression.

It creates an entirely new layer of emotional investment between the anime, the art and you the viewer. Some of these expressions have become conventional throughout Japanese anime media however, animators have explore alternative ways of portraying these emotions depending on the art style and tone of the series. Take for example this de-animation/cut out scene from ‘Full Metal Alchemist’:

This odd expression involves the character abruptly transforming into a pencil sketch or some other primitive cut out shape. This expression is used for extreme surprise, shock or feeling dumbfounded. This typically shows up as comedy relief and in reaction to something another character says or does.
Source: Japanpowered

UI/UX designers work within frameworks in order to create seamless experiences for users but also for ease of development. Why try and reinvent the wheel for every step of the journey? We can think of expression by design as broad, through photography, shapes, tone of voice, fonts, colours and more. However, what's important is how they work in harmony and contiguous to each other. Take Duolingo for example, and how they use cartoon imagery as a way of conveying a lighter touch to UI elements and throughout the content.

Risk-taking

Expect the unexpected, always. Japanese anime shouts and screams ‘risk-taking’ because it’s always trying to bring new wild new concepts to screen with no complete understanding of ‘if it will work’. Take for example, Attack On Titans, Angel Beats, Physco Path.

Just about all anime series I've watched present themselves within a framework that's established early on, then have the audacity to break those core foundational principles upon which it was built. We're not only presented with twists but also weird concepts that just somehow work such as; Saiki Kusuo, One Punch Man and Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto.

I guess taking a risk doesn't always yield good results or customer experience however, it's the willingness to think differently and every so often, take the leap of faith. So how can we as designers create little moments of magic to surprise those consuming our work fueled with excitement for what’s next?

We’ve by now all seen what Google Chrome did with their 'could not connect' pages. Most browsers or even 404 web pages lead you to a boring static image prompting you to check/reset your internet or return to the previous page. Instead, Google gave us T-Rex Runner, a simple 4-bit 2D black and white game like old skool Mario whilst we simmer in frustration awaiting the return of connection. Jumping over cactus trees and ducking, narrowly missing oversized sparrows seems far more attractive somehow.

According to Chrome designer Sebastien Gabriel, it’s a play on going back to the “prehistoric ages,” before the existence of ubiquitous Wi-Fi. While this will undoubtedly be alien to some of our younger readers, others will remember only really being able to get online in certain places: home, school, work, and specialist Internet cafés.
Source: Thenextweb

Build of character and heroes

If there's anything that anime delivers incredibly well (consistently) is character development. We've seen some leading protagonists capture screens with memorable scenes and relatable circumstances. Take for example, Mamoru Oshii's Motoko Kusanagi from Ghost in a Shell or Shinichiro Watanabe's Spike from Cowboy Bebop (both badasses I do say). Japanese anime doesn't shy away from making its lead characters 'different' from what others may deem obscure or unpopular, which is why it connects & connected so well with those seeking alternate heroes from Hollywood.

Through design, we can inspire character by creating an environment in which users lean on the aspects of character in order to guide, motivate and enlighten them. This can be delivered in many for from tone of voice to mascots.

Being images far from abstract and having human-like features, mascots tend to take everything from the abilities of human memory: we catch them fast, easily remember them due to particular associations and recognize them faster than abstract images seeing them again.

Source: TubikStudios

If you've never watched anime, new to it, or a seasoned J.A consumer. Let's all enjoy it together.

Watching Anime Can Inspire Different Design Approaches

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