National Geographic: Case Study Art Direction

The challenge was to create a bespoke visual identity for a self-initiated case study that celebrated the creative process behind my work on National Geographic's WWII Skies from Above.

After spending six months designing and animating more than 90 scenes for the documentary using projection mapping techniques, I wanted the accompanying case study to be more than a simple showreel. The objective was to create a presentation that reflected the documentary's historical setting while providing a more engaging way to explore the design process behind the finished work.

Drawing inspiration from the strategic maps, planning tables and intelligence documents used in World War II operations rooms, I developed a series of styleframes that established a distinctive visual language for the piece. Layered cartographic elements, archival references and three-dimensional space combined to create an immersive environment through which viewers could navigate the project, moving naturally between finished scenes, production breakdowns and behind-the-scenes insights.

The project demonstrates how art direction can extend beyond client work, applying the same level of creative thinking to the presentation of a portfolio. By designing a visual identity specifically for the case study, the piece became a narrative experience in its own right rather than a conventional collection of project highlights.

Role: Personal Project – Art Direction, Concept Development & Styleframes