VCE VBlock
Enterprise Infrastructure UI/UX Design · Animated Desktop + Tablet Application
VCE contracted The Skins Factory to design a futuristic animated interface for VBlock, its hyper-converged infrastructure product family. Although the engagement centered on only two main screens, the project required eight weeks because the majority of the work went into designing the virtual VBlock constructs, building the surrounding interface platform, and developing the animation sequences that brought the experience to life across desktop and tablet environments.
The Challenge
Turning virtual infrastructure into a believable solid-light construct
The virtual VBlocks needed to communicate advanced computing infrastructure without looking like conventional servers, generic cubes, or decorative science-fiction objects. Early concepts revealed how precise that balance had to be. Some constructs felt too tall and visually flat, others were too sharp and boxlike, and several versions appeared either too bright and white or too heavily saturated in blue. The final form needed to feel futuristic and technical while retaining a more organic, dimensional presence.
Our Approach
Iterating on form, light, color, and movement until the construct felt alive
We modeled and rendered the constructs in Cinema 4D, then refined their shape, glow, color balance, and surrounding interface in Adobe Photoshop. Multiple rounds of exploration gradually softened the geometry, reduced excessive brightness, and established the right balance between white light and blue illumination. Pulse effects, animated transitions, scaling sequences, and motion graphics were then designed as part of the interface itself, creating a holographic environment in which the virtual infrastructure appeared active and alive.
A montage of the different animation sequences we modeled, rendered and animated.
The Early Constructs
Visual art is all about trial and error. We end up doing comp after comp until we get it just right. We knew early on that we wanted to design the virtual VBLOCKS as solid light constructs, drawing creative inspiration from such blockbuster movies as Tron: Legacy and the highly underrated Tom Cruise movie… Oblivion. Here’s a look at some of the early versions of the user interface design:
Above: We nailed the layout of the screen environment early on. The constructs however, took a few tries. The issue with this version was… well let’s face it, it was too tall & rather dull. We knew we could do better.
Above: These next versions were getting closer, though they still had some slight issues. The shape was a bit too sharp & boxy. It needed to have a more organic feel, while still portraying a futuristic, virtual data container. We decided the light mesh was too white & bright and needed to be more “glowy.”
Above Left: If the constructs before this were too white, these versions were too blue. It needed to be somewhere in the middle. Above Right: Color corrected. The organic nature of the constructs’ look & feel had began to take shape.
The Final Screens
This is the final shape of the VCE VBLOCKS Constructs. Not too sharp, not too round…just right.
