Overview
An Animated Archive is a box cover redesign of three classic Philip K. Dick novels: Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Inspired by the aesthetics of retro-futurism, this project explores themes of life, death, and immortality (core ideas that run through each novel’s sci-fi narrative).
Concept & Cohesion
The three covers are designed to function as a cohesive set. They share complementary color palettes, matching spine designs, and a symbolic visual language. When viewed together, the spines reveal a continuous motif: a hand reaching toward a central object, representing life or mortality. This functions as a nod to each novel’s exploration of existence and humanity.
The box set packaging features a futuristic skyline that blends all three narrative worlds into a single, surreal cityscape. This cover illustration isn’t just a static image; it comes to life through augmented reality.
Augmented Reality Integration
Using the ArtiVive app, viewers can scan the skyline illustration and watch it animate into a dreamlike scene. The buildings dance to the beeps and bops of sci-fi drums, lights flicker, and the cityscape comes to life. This AR integration bridges the gap between traditional print design and digital interactivity, bringing a new dimension to the storytelling experience.
This feature pays homage to the ever-blurring boundaries between reality and illusion; one of Dick’s most iconic themes.
Stylistic Approach
A key inspiration for the project was the Retro-Futurist aesthetic: vintage paper textures paired with unexpected color combinations, bold vector illustrations, and nostalgic sci-fi motifs. The visual language strikes a balance between clean graphic design and expressive illustration, grounding the reader in both the past and the imagined future.
This project became a personal turning point in my development as a designer–illustrator hybrid. It challenged me to blend storytelling with stylistic consistency and to create immersive, multi-sensory work.
Symbolism & Storytelling
Each book’s cover features a hand holding a symbolic object that reflects the novel’s concept of “life”:
Ubik - An immortality spray
A Scanner Darkly - A pill known as "Slow Death"
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - An artificial eye
These symbols helped anchor the narrative visuals while preserving a unified look across the series.
Takeaway
The AR Boxed Set is a celebration of speculative fiction, retro-futurism, and experimental design. It transforms passive reading into an interactive experience and explores how we can extend storytelling beyond the page.
Project Specifications
Project Type - Publishing, Illustration, Animation
Original Art Direction - (2022) Prof. Scott Laserow for GAID Advanced Graphic Design
Addition Edits - (2025) Mockups Reimagined
Programs Used - Apple Procreate, Adobe Creative Suite, & the ArtiVive App
Resources - The Public Domain, UnSplash (Textures), Adobe Fonts, ChatGPT (Planning/Organization ONLY), Grammarly (Case Study Proofing)