Sören Flimm – Resonanz
This is the first Headline of the Case.
Our collaborator, the keynote speaker and author Sören Flimm, approached us to conceptually support and visually develop his keynote titled Resonanz.
Sören has travelled Germany speaking to thousands of people about how resonance (german: Resonanz) is an indispensable approach to raise the quality of inter-personal connection in private and corporate environments.
Ein wirklich herausragender Satz.
To initiate the project, we invited Sören for a day-long in-person workshop in our office. This is where we delved deep into understanding his persona and message and began conceptualizing possible representations of this abstract topic. It was clear from the get-go that our task was not to merely create matching high-quality visuals – it was about translating Sören’s personal identity and his take on Resonanz for high-stake public appearances. Our engagement with Sören was a testament to our approach towards brand development, showcasing our process’ effectiveness in elevating a personal identity with the same precision, scope and thoroughness as we have applied it towards corporations.
The uniqueness of this project not only shows itself in the following conceptual, technical and artistic solutions – but in how the project’s theme of resonance was palpable throughput the project. Our entire team and Sören quickly developed a truly inspired and vibrant connection that elevated the process and outcome significantly.
Resonance
visualized.
Drawing parallels to the physical phenomenon of resonance to describe dynamics of human communication, Sören illustrates how high resonance signifies a beneficial connection, whereas low resonance indicates the lack thereof. In his keynote, Sören employs two musical pitchforks of the same frequency to show how the oscillations of one evoke vibrations in the other without direct physical contact.
When collecting inspirations for the project we came across so-called Lissajous-Figures – which in essence depict the interaction of two perpendicular sine waves. We directly saw the potential as to how this could serve as the basis for an aesthetically stable yet diverse set of graphics. Digging into the naming of the mathematical figures we found the 19th-century experiment by French physicist Jules Antoine Lissajous (1822–1880), involving bespoke sine waves, their interactions, and the creation of the figures that now carry his name. Believe it or not – Jules used different combinations of two tuned pitchforks that he positioned perpendicular to one another, focused a light beam and reflected it from one pitchfork to the other and then caught the resulting beam on a photosensitive screen. When the pitchforks are played, the beautiful and highly informative figures representing the resonance-relationship of the two pitchforks appear on the screen. Yes, sometimes it’s this easy.
Custom Message. Custom Code.
We began our efforts to grasp the concept of resonance by essentially building a digital and interactive version of the 19th century experiment. To build it, we chose the 21st century equivalent candles and pitchforks: JavaScript. Our internally called Resonance Visualizer gave us full control over all relevant (and even more irrelevant) mathematical parameters that govern the aesthetics of the produced Lissajous-Figures and allowed us to export them as vector graphics for quick design tryouts. This piece of code clearly represents the deeply technical side of the project’s conceptual spectrum, serving as a stark yet useful contrast to the the personal, emotional and at times spiritual core of Sören’s message.
Carving out our way into the technical nitty-gritty of the project, we realized that the Lissajous-Figures are not limited to two dimensions and can also be created in 3D. So we fired up Blender and started recreating 3D figures from parameters we took from Resonance Visualizer. With this technique, we were able to create a collection of 2D and 3D assets for different chapters of the keynote that carried the message in an aesthetically subtle yet technologically sophisticated way.
You can clone the GitHub Repository for Resonance Visualizer HERE.
Abstract Imagery made personal.
To counter the technical physics of the project we also directed our attention towards personalizing Sören Flimm’s Keynote. In addition to some personal photos provided by Sören, we utilized collages created from meticulously crafted AI images. For the aesthetic of the gen AI pictures we chose an analog, retro feel – again using cutting edge technology to recreate vintage/historic aesthetics, just like we did with coding a 19th century physics experiment. This approach allowed us to create visuals that are unique to Sören’s identity and at the same time resonate with the audience on a personal level. The use of AI and photography ensured that each piece of imagery carried a sense of intimacy, making abstract concepts feel more accessible and emotionally engaging.
Animations
that resonate.
To bring the keynote to life we used the next piece of cutting-edge technology with an ancient background: PowerPoint. Pulling from our 2D & 3D assets of Lissajous-Figures and pool of specifically edited and created images we fused together a keynote that again meets the highest technical standards while feeling smooth, intuitive & familiar. 2D and 3D shapes move, rotate and morph alongside parallaxes of imagery as well as short but powerful video sequences. Additional sound cues connect Sören’s performance to the keynote beyond the visual domain.
Using PowerPoint, industry standard, commonplace software showcased our ability to produce results that demonstrate our commitment to making cool stuff and our ability to think outside the box – and our ability to then put it all back into the box.
Resonance
within the Project.
The collaboration with Sören Flimm was a journey of deep, productive & creative resonance among all participants. Throughout this project, we experienced highs and lows, bonded personally and professionally, and engaged in meaningful discussions that enriched our collaboration. Sören brought many specific ideas throughout the project and treated us as part of his team, as did we. Together, we conceptualized, designed, and programmed an impactful step up in Sören’s brand and identity. This process not only highlighted our design capabilities and technical depth but also underscored our successful approach to prioritizing compatibility and understanding towards the topic and our collaborators. The journey was a testament to the power of combining complex technology with abstract emotional concepts, resulting in a successful connection that, again, resonated with everyone involved.