Concept Art & Story Ideas

We created these concepts and story ideas for an explainer video about OpenInternet.Global’s “A Democratic Guide to Applying Internet Rights and Principles”. Rather than highlighting specifc real-world instances of undemocratic societies, we proposed a series of minimal, abstract fables: short stories that use metaphors to express universal truths.

In each brief vignette, a different citizen (designed in a unique, striking, colour to highlight their individuality) is affected by the actions of a group of powerful-looking government figures, their abstract shapes suggestive of soldiers/police/bureaucrats. These opressive characters are all identical, designed in a uniform grey, emphasising their conformity and coldness. The single colourful individual, surrounded by the crowd of faceless grey figures, creates a compelling visual metaphor for the difficulties faced by individuals in undemocratic countries.

In the conclusion, we see the nine individuals from the previous vignettes, now accompanied by a crowd of similarly colourful friends, coming together and protesting (peacefully!) against the opressive group of grey soldier/ police/burreaucrats. The previously powerful establishment group is now dwarfed by the colourful crowd…