Pandorapedia Migration
( 2022 )
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Pandorapedia is a repository for fans to look up more information on characters, locations, and creatures from the films. What previously existed as a smaller standalone site, we were tasked with updating and moving on to Avatar.com. We did some exploratory work with Lightstorm Entertainment, the production company behind the films, to explore category cards, color systems, as well as the look and feel of the site.
Graphic Design Lead - Myself
UI Design Lead - Lauren Robertson
Product Lead - Charity Tran
Art Direction - Ricky Taylor
The initial version of Pandorapedia launched shortly after the release of the first film in 2009, which meant it was in desperate need of an update. With Avatar The Way of Water coming up at the end of 2022, the goal of the migration was to also prep for new incoming content.
One of our first elements to explore was category cards, and there was existing iconography and a color palette to work with. The first concept I explored had different iterations of the content popping out of the frame to create a sense of depth.
We then explored a faded poster frame concept that also tied in the colors in the existing iconography into the frame colors. Rather than isolating the content like the cutouts above, we tried keeping them grounded in their environment.
Our team also explored updating the icons throughout, and using a similar cutout motif for the character sliders as well. Ultimately we moved away from iconography to simplify the amount of extra visual information.
In the end, our partners at Avatar liked the poster frame concept the most and moved away from overcrowding the design with icons, and sticking just to the pastel color palette to help differentiate the categories and content.