Portfolio of John Snavely

Future Vision Video

John — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:43:49 +0000

Watch how future technology will help people make better use of their time, focus their attention, and strengthen relationships while getting things done at work, home, and on the go. (Release: 2011)

I was the creative director on this project, managing a team of interactive, graphic and motion designers. The teams were small enough that much of my work was actually production, not just art direction. Within the first week of launch, the video gained over 2 million views on YouTube.

Microsoft Building 4

John — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:29:53 +0000

Microsoft Building 4 is one of the oldest buildings on the Redmond Campus. It has a rich history and was once held the office of Bill Gates. As part of the Workplace Advantage Program, Microsoft Real Estate and Facilities funded a project to refresh the building.

I was the creative director on the project. I worked on all aspects of the project: from gathering input and suggestions from my 160+ colleagues that would be in the space, to choosing the architect (O+A Architects), to designing furniture and selecting finishes.

Microsoft Productivity 2019

John — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 23:45:16 +0000

Microsoft’s long-term productivity vision explores how we will create and share content; collaborate across teams, organizations and networks; and how we will gain contextually relevant and anticipative insights based on preferences and intent. All these scenarios are showcasing real, emerging technologies explored with various Microsoft product and research teams as well as at Microsoft partners and across the industry.

For the video, I worked all the way from concept development to finished product. From writing the script to interaction, graphic and motion design — even 3d modelling and fabricating the props, this concept video was an exercise in storytelling and world-building.

Outside of Microsoft, the video has had millions of views and won a number of awards, including a Communications Art Award for Motion Graphics. Inside the company, the video was the basis for “Metro”: the company’s design guidelines and principles.

Architectural Renderings

John — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:36:44 +0000

Working with Eric Cobb Architects, I designed a modular shelving system that could adapt to the many types of demos we had within the space. I rendered these images to show the shelving system and to visualize demo placement. The final design can be seen in the photos at the bottom.

Envisioning Lab

John — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 03:07:53 +0000

The Microsoft Envisioning Lab is a space designed to engage customers and partners in a conversation about our long-term vision for productivity. This interactive session explores the macro forces shaping our world, associated business challenges, and Microsoft’s aspirations and explorations responding to these emerging needs. Our most strategic customers are invited to experience prototypes and demos under development across Microsoft. The goal of the space is to share our vision, to gain a deeper understanding of our customer’s unique business challenges, and to get feedback on future productivity scenarios.

I directed the redesign of the Envisioning Lab. Formerly the Center for Information Work, the new space is a showcase for innovation at Microsoft and more importantly, a place where we can have more meaningful conversations with our customers.

Hardware Prototypes

John — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:23:55 +0000

Every vision video calls for hardware props. These are usually blanks that show how form factors might evolve in the future. I modeled all of these props in Rhino and then had them milled from acrylic and painted. Here are some early renders and a couple of shots of the blanks in use in the final piece.

Interface Studies

John — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 02:05:32 +0000

A study for a canvas interface. Exploration of your content, drilling into an item, and opening a communication.

A motion/interface study for a kiosk design in the Envisioning Lab

John Snavely
Art Direction, Graphic Design, Interface Design

Kevi Louis-Johnson
Motion Design

MIT Masters of Architecture Thesis

John — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:59:50 +0000

My Master’s Thesis in Architecture at MIT investigates the potential of opportunistic borrowing and blatant reference—a postmodern approach used by architects in the 70′s and 80′s—through a renovation that reinstates a movie palace into a 99 cent store in Williamsburg Brooklyn.

HP TouchSmart

John — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:13:18 +0000

As a freelancer for Invivia, I developed a functional prototype (written in Adobe Flash) for the new HP Touchsmart computer. The touch interface is a virtual whiteboard that allows users to jot down messages, exchange photos, and make voice recordings on “post-it” notes. Written, voice or image notes can be tagged, grouped, placed inside a calendar or shared.

WWWA at Art Interactive

John — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 04:48:05 +0000

One of three Turbulence Grant Award Winners in 2006 shown at Art Interactive, WWWA, a commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, is an interactive, pneumatic sculpture that users can communicate with via a web-based interface. Coordinated efforts between online users can produce unexpected choreographies.