Connor Gilbert
Hi, my name is Connor Gilbert. I am a VISUAL DESIGNER based just outside of Seattle, WA. My focuses include information design, video, and illustration.
I am ready to create at a moment’s notice.
I am ready to work with others and cultivate new and exciting ideas.
But more than anything, I am ready to learn from my mistakes and from the people around me.
REALITY CHECK
In 2019, I was given the incredible opportunity to design the visuals for the AIGA Reality Check Event. Reality Check is an event designed to provide students and newcomers to the field of design an opportunity to receive constructive portfolio feedback from experienced design professionals. I was tasked with creating a set of posters that encapsulated the spirit of the event— Learning and bettering one’s own craft. My hope for this project was to create a visual style that was both professional and dynamic, with a vibrancy that made the eyes want to revisit. I chose to use a handful of different mixed media method (paint, photography, digital, analog) so that the idea of design was not limited to solely one avenue. Design is transcendent, and I wanted this poster to reflect that.
MIC
Mic is an app I designed that gives users access to a backlog of popular instrumental songs from all ages. Using those songs, alongside a database of lyrics, users would be able to record themselves singing history’s greatest tunes, while also receiving a social media platform where they can post their covers for others to hear. Mic features an ergonomic navigation design that rids itself of an overabundance of text, allowing videos to be viewed with less clutter in the way. Heavily inspired by apps like Musical.ly and Tiktok, I wanted to capitalize on an untapped audience, while improving on the shortcomings of my competitors.
SKYWARD
Skyward is my concept for a social simulation, RPG, sand box video game, catered to those struggling with the psychological drawbacks of quarantine and social distancing. In Skyward, the player creates an adventurer who has been tasked with cultivating a massive floating island. The player character’s goal is to propel both themselves and their island as high into the atmosphere as possible. This is achieved by gathering resources exclusive to their island biome, and partnering with other players to trade, link islands, and build soaring civilizations. The game runs on a clock that simulates the real passage of time, with resources replenishing every day, incentivizing players to hold themselves accountable to a real-world schedule. Players gain a sense of community and agency that they otherwise would not have in their real-life, due to the pandemic. Skyward allows users to be accountable for their time in game and out, while connecting them with other players working towards similar goals.
