Synopsis & Context
The vanlife journal project aims to unpack the stories generated within the vanlife community. However, unlike finely curated Instagram feeds, this project’s objective is to tell the entire narrative and uncover the variety of stories present to highlight the diversity of experiences of living on the road. Whether it be young families, digital nomads running a business from their van, students finding alternatives to high rent in urban areas, couples or solo travellers; these stories have a common thread – the search for a more conscious, balanced, simpler, and (to many a) saner way of life.
This project seeks to engage with Vanlife not just as a social media trend but to critically explore its stories and as such explore the idea of Vanlife as a movement; away from traditional models of the debt-work-consume cycle and begs us to why…?
Why do we live the way we do?
Why do we use our time like we do?
Why do we ‘need’ the things we need?
However, it is important to be mindful of utopian ideals that can cloud a balanced inquiry into this topic and this is where the projects purpose differentiates itself from projects past. After all, this project isn’t really about a van, the van is merely a symbol. The project seeks to uncover the transformative nature of this broader movement occurring at the grass roots level – and so this is where it will take place.
Audience
Primarily, the project has a large focus on those already present within and/or interested in van living. Often these consist of millennials who have a passion for the outdoors and adventure, and travel. Thus, they are savvy with technology and digital media – particularly social media which plays a large part in sharing their lifestyles to a broader audience. For many in this audience, they work remotely as ‘digital nomads’ or as freelancers in a variety of creative industries. The project is thus an opportunity for those within the community to be exposed to like-minded individuals and their stories that they can connect with.
However, the project has a broader reach will face to a more public audience as well. By not focussing primarily on specific details (such as building the van and logistical matters); with an emphasis on the purpose derived from the lifestyle, as well as motivations and transformative change; the project will appeal more broadly to a public audience. In this way, the project is an attempt to lay bare the deeper meanings of van living to the public.
Interface Design
Aesthetics
The interactive documentary will use the visual theme or metaphor of a diary; to increase the emotional appeal of the project; to make it feel as if the user is delving into the personal memoirs of the person they are viewing. However instead of having the feeling like the user is simply reading an eBook, the entirety of the book itself is situated on screen with negative space on the exterior of the page. This skeuomorphic design enhances the intimate feel of the documentary whereby the way the content is experienced is keeping to the projects aims of delving into the untold, real stories beyond a purely social media frame.
Typography
The typography will represent written hand writing to remain consistent with the visual diary metaphor. Type will be limited to be coherent with the minimal design style and to not over clutter pages or contend with the attention of the users particularly as they navigate the audio-visual elements on each page.
Heading Font
‘Something Wild’ available free at …
https://pixelbuddha.net/freebie/something-wild-free-font
Regular Text Font
‘Over The Rainbow’ available free at…
https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Over+the+Rainbow?selection.family=Over+the+Rainbow
Visual Hierarchy
This project will not be using grid layouts for the interviewee landing pages; contrary to tradition of using grids to organise information (REF). To be consistent with the visual metaphor of a diary, elements will be arrange in a scrap book like manner over the page. Outside the book pages will be negative space drawing attention to the book pages itself. Here the use of size and contrast will suggest to users how to navigate the page.
Each landing page although similar in style wil vary slightly in how elements are composed between the two pages. This adds a degree of individuality and seeks to emphasise the diversity evident within the vanlife community.
Project Structure
The documentary will begin with the landing page which will fitting in the visual metaphor of the diary will be a front cover page of a book. It will appear as a book in a small compact bookshelf that would be featured in a van. Users click this book to enter it and take them to the home page.
The project will allow users to navigate through several different stories of real life van dwellers, each with their own unique story. To be coherent with the aesthetic of the interface design, the structure will be similar to that of a diary. In this way, the narrative will be following a linear structure that allows users to ‘turn the page’. Users will click to ‘turn the page’ which will initiate a time-lapse video of the journey taken between each interviewee. Over this will be some reflections about van life in general as spoken by the previous interviewees or generated by us the creators highlighting specific points drawn from the interview.
Users then ‘arrive’ at the next interviewees landing page whereby they can select to watch the interview, browse their van using a Google VR 360-degree tour or wade through photographic clippings. Some of these photographs, using skeuomorphic design suggesting actual photographs stuck onto paper, will initiate a speech sample explaining or analysing this experience from the interviewees perspective. The navigational features on each of these pages will be universal to increase the usability of the project.
However, user will also have a choice in viewing the content that they would like to view. This will be incorporated through an interactive map based on the location of where thee stories took place.
Structuring the content using a diary theme involving the turning of pages and scrolling through information featured within thus heightens the emotional journey of the user through as it is coherent with the aims of the documentary – to expose the real and intimate stories from this rich community.
Wireframe
Feasibility
The Vanlife – a Movement project explores the concept of van living through the stories of everyday individuals who have made a transition to this lifestyle. This makes the project reasonable and achievable for a small group of university students within the given time frame.
Much of the original content consists of photography, audio and video interviews of four or five participants in the project. The video interview process will only take approximately half an hour and during that time another group member will be conducting a 360-degree tour of their van (using Google VR Tour) while others take photos. The questions have already been developed however may be further refined and tuned for each interviewee. To fit with the outdoor theme, these interviews will be conducted in natural light negating a need for a formal photography studio.
I have two good friends of mine who currently live out of their vans and they have agreed to conduct video interviews as well as allow us to photograph themselves and aspects of their van. I also have two other contacts within my network who live in my suburb most of the time in vans, making it very convenient to meet up to conduct these interviews. The other interviewees I have been in discussion with over Instagram direct message, a number have responded saying that they would be comfortable conducting an audio interview remotely while also sending through some of their photography of their vans.
Regarding the technical feasibility, the project is similarly practical. After attending the Hype workshop, I am proficient enough to put together the original content using the software. I have also found a tutorial in aiding develop the animation of turning the page. Developing the content in post-production, specifically enhancing photos through Photoshop and editing video and audio content on Premier Pro are skills I have obtained through developing my own personal content within the previous 3 years as a hobby.
As listed below, I have access to or own all the resources that are required to conduct the interviews and collect the original content needed to complete the proposed project.
Equipment:
- Sony NEX-6 Compact Camera
- Sony 16-55 F4 lens
- Sony 70-210 F3.5 lens
- Tripod
- Rode Mic
Software:
- Tumult Hype 3
- proto.io
- iMovie
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Photoshop or Lightroom
- Premier Pro
- Google VR Tour
Animation tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OhiVjeVQsA
Future Potential…
The project has a large potential to build and transform it into a platform for user generated content. By extending the idea of the map view, users who currently live the van life could upload their own interview, photos with narration and a Google VR 360 degree tour of their van. This would help build a network and connect individuals of similar lifestyles through a real time geo-location plug in. In this sense, the narrative of the vanlife journal is dynamic, and never finished continuing to evolve and grow as does the community.
Related Links:
http://thevanual.com/is-it-for-you/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/24/vanlife-the-bohemian-social-media-movement
https://www.vanlife.com.au/the-meaning-of-vanlife
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-16/the-reality-of-van-life/8624170
the vanlife journal 
