Tipoeing into Different Visual Cultures with Intentional Informative Communication

The paper presents recent work developed at the animazionedesign research laboratory in the visualization of cultural tangible and intangible heritage through the moving image, focusing on genius loci, the spirit that landscape, environment, architecture and design convey about a specific place. Our research lies in the combination of two recent trends. First the emergence of a growing space for social communication based on networking and on the production/sharing of informative short films and videos. A domain in which various forms of graphic animation short films are increasingly being exploited. Secondly, as a consequence of digital convergence, the development of a ‘multi-media’ meta-language: a hybrid visual system that encompasses photographic, graphic and typographic elements. Interestingly these two emerging topics intersect with one of our key areas of investigation: the exploration of languages, approaches and technologies for making complex information accessible through design. The paper will discuss two recent short films developed by our laboratory in the area of tangible and intangible heritage connected with genius loci, in Marrakesh, Morocco and Jericho, Palestine. Being connected to local projects and aiming at activating a dialogue with the local population, both projects offered us the opportunity to engage with designing communicative projects for audiences whose visual background differs from typical western standards. Both experiences turned out as stimulating challenges, forcing us to reconsider our conventional communication approaches to find a balance between the solid intentional approach to communication that is one of the main traits of our design methodology and local visual conventions.