The whole team have been discussing the year ahead. Luckily for you, we thought we’d share this in a
roundup of the predictions that we’re looking forward to in 2024.
HAMISH MCWHIRTER
FOUNDER
Virtual Concerts
You've probably seen something like this before, like the Travis Scott Fortnite concert back in 2020. Well, get ready for more! We're talking about VR concerts, but not just any VR concerts. These are special, tailor-made VR worlds created just for specific artists or events. They can be live or pre-recorded, and they're not just about the music. Brands can jump in with interactive features, making money, learning about their audience, or helping artists get up close and personal with their fans. Plus, sponsors can get in on the action with their own branded bits in these VR spaces.
Image credit: Condense
Augmented Live Events
Picture this: Your favourite artist drops a new single, and you're watching it live – on your desk, at a bar, or in a park, all through your phone's camera. This is AR (augmented reality) in action, bringing live events right to your world. Sure, it's a techy challenge to stream live performances through a phone network, but companies like Bristol’s Condense are already making it happen. And guess what? This opens doors for more branded content, just like in VR events.
AI Generated Music Visualisers
Remember when music videos were the big thing? Not anymore. Now, it's all about music visualisers. Even big-name artists are going for these budget-friendly options, which let them share their tracks and lyrics on platforms like YouTube without breaking the bank. The downside? Music videos used to add depth to a song's story and emotions. But here's where AI steps in – it can create visualisers that really capture a song's essence, based on its lyrics. It's a smart way to keep the narrative alive without the hefty price tag of a traditional music video.
CHRIS REES
CREATIVE PARTNER
The way VR, AR, and AI are changing up the art and design is definitely game changing. We're seeing more and more of these 3D technologies popping up, laying the groundwork for some really immersive virtual spaces. But don't forget, 2D design's still important for making these 3D worlds look believable. The textures, colours, and layouts you do in 2D can seriously up the realism and charm of 3D spaces.
With all these virtual experiences on the rise, we might actually start valuing real, hands-on artwork and craftsmanship even more. Mixing old-school art skills with up-to-date tech like VR, AR, and AI could open up some wicked new ways to get creative. Artists and craftspeople could use these tools to go beyond just copying what's real – they could really push the limits of imagination and innovation.
For example: creatives might use augmented reality to give a new twist to traditional art, giving people a chance to interact with a mix of real and digital. AI could help artists come up with fresh ideas or even give them a hand in making stuff, leading to completely new kinds of art.
What's more, with tech making it easier to connect, artists and techies are teaming up more smoothly than ever. This partnership could spark some groundbreaking projects where physical art meets digital, kicking off a new wave of craftsmanship.
All in all, the rise of VR, AR, and AI isn't about pushing out old-school art. It's more like sparking a new kind of renaissance, getting artists to explore new ways of combining the real with the virtual. We're heading into an era of art and design that celebrates the best of both worlds.
AMY GETTINGS
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Not only will 2024 mark my official return to the office after maternity leave and some working in the background, which is huge in itself…
I also see 2024 as the year that the Music industry / immersive experiences and tech really start to look at utilising each others skills effectively to create ‘mega experiences’ there will be 1.7billion AR mobile user devices worldwide by 2024* the market is ready.
We’ve seen the impact of the VR style sphere IRL from the Sphere in Vegas and the huge worldwide traction this has gained from social sharing with a cheeky irreverent nature. When the world around us is tougher than ever before, we take solace in humour, escapism and surrealism. This is only proven by post covid years of immersive experiences becoming so popular and this style of experience will only continue to grow.
But is there a missing link that some sectors are not utilising fully yet? I believe 2024 will be the year we as an agency are asked to look at more than just motion graphics but more immersive, narrative and visually compelling solutions that transcends music and tech.
With so many of us constantly head down in our phones, we are looking for bigger, bolder experiences that excite, delight and amaze. Mega experiences at music festivals, live events and tourist attractions that utilise AR and VR as part of this experience will win out. We ‘might’ already be working with some industry leaders looking to bring this to reality too.
We are looking ahead at how we can push our research and development in innovation to support this and will be sharing more about our own adventures in 2024.
DAN KEALEY
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Motion design will continue to play a huge role in hitting target audiences, especially as we move away from old-school print formats and lean into screens. With the growing preference for consuming content in digital and virtual reality spaces, motion design is becoming the go-to for making a real impact. The secret sauce for grabbing attention and building brands with character.
Oh, AI. One thing is for certain and that’s there’s no stopping it. And I, for one, welcome our new artificial overlords.
LAURA BEAVEN
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Stickers! I’m not talking about the glue-backed kind you find slapped to lamposts (although, big fan of these), but a pack of on-brand small, distinctive illustrations and graphics which can be added to designs to add character, fun, and brand presence.
Clients who want to produce a lot of regular social content are increasingly showing interest in being able to create quick social imagery themselves using brand elements created by their design agency. Including a sticker pack as part of their branding means that clients have a flexible brand element at their disposal which they can easily use with our guidance.
Stickers are a good way of maintaining consistency across all outputs. They’re a recognisable POI and lend themselves to being used in a fairly free and loose way. Meaning they look great whether used across an extensive outdoor advertising campaign or a 10 second Instagram reel.
JONNY CROCKETT
DESIGN & ANIMATION
I predict that we’ll see a rise in multi-sensory/immersive briefs for both existing clients and from new ones: I think we can safely anticipate a demand for designs that go beyond the physical, incorporating multi-sensory and immersive elements for experiential products such as music events, festivals, tours, sporting events and general digital experiences.
I think that as the creative boundaries are pushed to meet the needs of clients that we’ll see a resurgence of surrealism/absurdism as the limits of emerging technologies are tested by creatives and artists - including using AI in streamlining visualisation at early stages.
In terms of specific design behaviours in programs like photoshop and illustrator, I expect to see a design shift towards highly saturated, bold clashing gradients or metallic textures, juxtaposed with hand-drawn elements and the incorporation of "physical" objects like buttons and stickers drawing inspiration from the mid-noughties, envisioning a tech-influenced aesthetic.
YEE POON
SENIOR DESIGNER
In 2024, Gen Z's influence will reshape branding and design, ushering in a departure from rigid brand guidelines toward fluid, dynamic logos and an anti-design ethos.
Embracing imperfections and adaptability, brands will pivot away from strict rules, embracing hand-drawn elements, irregular shapes, and organic textures in their visual identities. This shift embodies a more authentic and versatile approach, allowing brands to evolve alongside cultural trends and consumer preferences while fostering connections through relatable, humanised design expressions across various mediums and touch points.
Tomorrow’s clients will seek quicker content creation, embracing a rule-free, flexible approach. Accessible design tools like Canva will only become more popular — even for diehard Adobe users. AI tools like ChatGPT will become just another tool in our design arsenal, exemplified here in assisting me write this paragraph 🙂
JOE CRYSTAL
DESIGN & ANIMATION
Live video will continue to grow at a rapid pace through softwares such as unreal engine and the likes of TouchDesigner. These softwares help us simultaneously create whilst consuming the creation in live time with varying degrees of lag and output uses. We will see a large increase throughout the entertainment and festival circuits. VJ’s and production teams are able to generate and provide audio visual experiences on a better and more seamless level than what we have seen before. Through using real time data inputs we are now able to interact back with consumers on a far greater personal level.
PEDRO SOUSA
LEAD ANIMATOR
My predictions for the future of motion focus on how VR and AR will advance, with Apple finally taking the step to create its own headset. While VR has primarily been used for games, Apple is known for excluding games from its systems and concentrating on other lifestyle applications. The hardware is on the horizon, and it will require several developers to innovate how we interact with graphics within this new dimension.
Apple created the iPod Touch, which could only play music and video. From that, we saw the emergence of social media and various mobile applications. So, I believe the headset is just the first step towards a new dimension of visual design.
My other prediction is as new software develops, so does hardware. With larger displays becoming more affordable, we see certain shop displays featuring graphics in constant motion. Some shops have even incorporated cameras and motion sensors to capture the movement, providing data to recreate live visuals. This not only offers customers a different experience each time but also provides the client with constantly evolving content to use.
So there you have it; Hey! What?’s take on what’s to come in the next 12 months. Will we be right? Will we be wrong? Who knows, but we do know we’ll be looking to utilise these predictions and advances for the year ahead and have the most fun we can whilst doing it.
If you’d like to hear about more of these or put them in action for your own project then get in touch about how we can help you.