Utopian/Dystopian Letters (2018)

I was tasked to create a specific fictitious utopian/dystopian society and design 6 letterforms to be used in the specified environment. 

My chosen society is based in a virtual utopian/dystopian world where the inhabitants are the protagonists of video games. The heroes of the game are independent, meaning that they have control of their own actions and aren’t limited to one video game. The community of individuals immerse themselves in the computer-generated world by paying to partake in a wide range of games in order to survive. Temporary power boosts can be purchased and used to increase the possibility of one finishing a level. Players can attack levels individually or they can collaborate with other players and work together. Completing levels of a game is their occupation as the players earn virtual currency (VC) if successful. This new and universal currency is a luxury as it can be used to purchase goods and necessities. Without VC, players cannot complete levels, and if one eventually becomes bankrupt, the player is erased from the society and is pronounced dead. This, however, can be prevented with the generosity of the community, as players can express their weak status and can request for donations from other players to help them get back on their feet.

Technology is used to assist us in our everyday lives by making the process of completing a task much quicker and easier to do. The purpose of the Utopian Language system that I have developed is to summarise the process that the player has undertaken. These 6 symbols serves my virtual society as a simple visual tool that is easier to understand, spreading the message to the reader at a swifter rate and a more engaging manner. 

Each symbol in my Utopian Language system features at least one uncoloured circle which represents the player. This therefore demonstrates how each symbol parallels to the current social situation that the player is experiencing. Using a simple black and white colour scheme, the obvious contrast represents the fine line that separates a utopia from a dystopia. A players interpretation of a society is heavily influenced on their current social status, which is represented by the colours and shapes as the darker, box-shaped symbols suggests unpredictability and risk whereas the lighter, rounded ones signify stability and safety.

The Utopian Language symbols are delivered as brief phrases, as they have been designed to be straight forward and direct to the point. Each symbol is a summary of an individual’s position in the virtual world and is used as a symbolic language to connect with other players in the community. Like its corresponding action, each symbol is related to one

another and can be arranged together to form sentences. This can be used to further explain the current status of the player.

e.g.

I just failed the level -> now I am low on VC -> can someone gift me VC?  

-> help me so that I can reattempt the level and successfully complete it.

Each of the pictures depict a set of hands and a function that is inspired by the technology that is use today. Through this, I am emphasising that in the virtual world that my society is based in, individuals are required to remain independent and work hard in order to live a happy life. Despite technology being a tool to assist us, not everything in life is easy, and my

supporting images describes this similarity between our world today and my technologically-based society.