Design Brief:
Generate a series of related images that form a visual story using AI tools of your choice.
Year:
Spring 2023
Academic Project
Design For The Future
Ideation
After reading The Library of Babel by Jorge Luis Borges, I was inspired to create a visual interpretation of the story using AI generated images.
Process
Prompting Styles and Techniques
I used the following prompts in DALLE-2 around important themes throughout the story like existentialism, chaos, infinity, surrender to the unknown, and the search for truth. I also applied the surrealist style of Salvador Dali to create a cohesiveness across the different images.
→ the library of babel in the desert, in a surreal Salvador Dali style
→ people navigating language barriers and struggling to understand the meaning inside the infinite number of books within the library of Babel, in a surreal style of Salvador Dali
→ information overload and confusion inside the library of Babel, in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali
→ a search for meaning and display of existentialism inside the library of Babel, in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
→ the library of babel in the desert, in a surreal Salvador Dali style, 3d
→ information overload, mass chaos, mass confusion inside the library of Babel , in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
→ someone experiencing information overload inside the library of Babel , in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
→ the inside of the library of Babel as a metaphor for the universe and its infinite knowledge , in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
→ surrender and acceptance to the unknown inside the library of Babel , in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
→ serene clarity and organization inside the library of Babel , in the surrealist style of Salvador Dali, 3d
Image Sequencing in runwayML
I started the scene with the outside of the library and slowly transitioned to the inside of the library irrupting into chaos. As time progresses the images slowly change from a chaotic nature to a more orderly one with symbolisms for divinity, universe, surrender, and clarity. I found this to be the journey Borges brings the reader on. It begins quite confusing describing a lot of chaos while slowly pulling us into a place of surrender to the unknown.
Reflection
I had a lot of fun working on this project and found the application of AI to be extremely useful for the concept I proposed. I find working with AI for creative purposes helps to create momentum and simulates a collaborative work flow.