Rounded Rect It

1'05''/Motion Graphics

The visual perception of human is base on the basic shapes as fundamental units. In our cognitive processes, basic shapes such as circle, triangle, rectangle and sector are rootedness in our visual memories. The overlaps between multiple two-dimensional shapes constitute our three-dimensional visual sense. However, its rate that we are face with a new created shape came into our life; and affected our visual cognitive constructions.

Apple established rounded-rectangle’s central role in the process of they establishing their particular design language. This unique visual element had been used multiple times in Apple products, either graphical way (like iOS’s icon) or three-dimensional way (the shape of Apple Mac Book Pro). Like many religions, this behavior can be considered as an apotheosis. It force implant a visual idol in our visual cognitions. The spiritual world has been infected.

In this artwork, rounded-rectangle repeats and animates multiple times as a simple visual idol. It reflects the plasticity of two-dimensional shapes. However, because flat shapes is simple and contain strong symbolic effect, they may bring more additive visual effects to us. These effects are three-dimensional and figurative. In this artwork I made many three-dimensional irregular forms and linars, and irregular motions. These visual elements seems lack law of motion, but they all been commanded by the rounded-rectangle in the image. These setting also reflect the dominant position of two-dimensional shapes in visual activities. I hope through this artwork I can scribe how design language and visual language affect the world by using graphical elements.


Motion design by Michael Zibin Yuan
Music copyright by Kamome Sano
Project Completed in Brooklyn, New York, March 2014