Museum of the Future
Tools for dynamic identity designs
The 2017 edition of the Museum of the Future proposed visions for the future in the United Arab Emirates, facing climate change in the year 2050. The Museum of the Future functioned as a scientific and technological incubator in setting strategies and possible solutions to avoid the extinction threshold by treating water, food and shelter as opportunities.
Overview of variations in shapes and patterns per exhibition room

The exhibition took place during the 5th annual World Government Summit in Dubai. The theme Climate Change Reimagined has been treated through three sections around water supply, food security and self-sufficient cities:

  1. Bio-Desalination Plant as a UAE based facility designed to filter locally saltwater into clean drinking water combining the genes of jellyfish with mangrove roots. In this first section, attendees were welcomed onto a projected viewing deck of an offshore bio-desalination plant in Dubai. 360 ° video projections took guests on an immersive journey underwater to see how the facility provides a local means of filtering saltwater into clean drinking water based on natural processes. This freshwater factory they visited is the result of combining the genes of a jellyfish, a highly absorptive natural material, with mangrove roots, one of nature’s best desalinators. In this future scenario, Dubai became pioneers in biomimicry and exports these bio-desalination plants across the world, making fresh water accessible to everyone.
  2. AutoFarm as a fully automated robotic urban farm that can grow fresh food indoors for entire neighbourhood warehouse. The lush space allowed guests to witness plant seeds being printed and plants, fish and insects being grown with incredible efficiency. Guests even enjoyed tasting samples created by the Food Bot: a machine that harvests produce the moment it is ripe and turns it into nutritious food items.
  3. City Kit Sales Center as a self-building infrastructure solution using biotechnology and robotics to build pattern of generative self-sufficient cities. Research suggests that over 375 million people will be displaced because of rising sea levels if global temperatures continue to rise. The “City Kit” Sales Centre showed attendees these self-building infrastructures that will assist and remedy this future massive displacement.  Summit attendees were asked to test out the Kit and see it in action using an interactive demo. The demo showed deployment from the sky and within seconds the Kit unfolding itself into a skeleton of a house. After evaluating local surroundings, it transforms local resources into building materials. As more Kits are dropped, they connect together to develop a fluid urban network that grows organically.
Countdown video used as start of the 360 degree introduction movie of the exhibition

For the development of the tools and the identity, we researched the concept of resilience and its key characteristics in natural systems focusing on recursiveness, scalability and efficiency. The core concept for the identity is the bin-packing system, that functions to create a coherent visual language for elements and typography in static and dynamic forms. 

The various grids have been treated as the playground to develop a unique series of modular geometric elements for the three main exhibition spaces. We reinterpreted the bin-packing algorithm enlightening some key principles: the potential reactivity among shapes and surface, the use of recursive shapes to create a progressive flow, and the flexibility to adapt to different scales. For every space, each set of shapes specifies a consistent visual vocabulary used to design all interfaces, video and print components, artefacts and (parts of the) architecture.

In the same manner, the typography comes together with the visual identity system. For both english and arabic typefaces, it is composed by a variety of shapes determined by the context of use. This connection between typography and space reflects the bin-packing system and its resilient behaviours. 

All end-products (graphics, videos, patterns, architectural elements) were generated through a custom tool that was made in OPENRNDR. If you are interested about the inner workings of this tool, we wrote an article on Medium. 

Impression of the exhibition
Typographic treatment example using the bin-packing system
Date
2017
Location
Dubai
Commissioned by
World Government Summit
Project lead
Architecture
Build
Projex,Neumann & Müller,Hypsos,PublicisLive
Graphic and identity design
Interactive media
Marshmallow Laser Feast
Sound
Idee und Klang
Foresight research
Changeist
Supported by
Dubai Future Foundation,du Telecom
Oracle
Visual design system and cover generator for 150.000 TU Delft publications
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OPENRNDR
Open source framework for creative coding
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Air Pollution in Europe
Interactive installation at the Clean Air Forum
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Growth maps of Amsterdam
150 meters long wall graphics for a new underwater bike parking
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Panartis conference
Identity for an online conference on authentication in art
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RoBoGo
Fully customizable 3D printed media facade elements
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Studio

RNDR is a design studio for interactive media that develops ‘tools’ that are only finished by how they are used.

To achieve this, we develop processes, create structures, design visualisations, code programs, and create interactions. The end result can manifest itself across different media, ranging from interactive installations, data visualisations, generative identities, prints and everything in between – often real-time. We are triggered by how information and technology transforms networks, cultures, societies, relationships, behaviours, and interactions between people. Our work explores and engages with hybrid space as it embraces both digital and physical realms.

RNDR was founded in 2017 in The Hague, (NL). Its main members have years of experience as partners, computer scientists, designers, art directors and developers at LUST and LUSTlab.

One of our core projects, and basis for most of our projects, is OPENRNDR, an open source framework for creative coding –written in Kotlin for the JVM– with over 13 years of development. OPENRNDR simplifies writing real-time audio-visual interactive software. OPENRNDR is fundamental for the capacity of RNDR as a studio, as it allows us to realize complex interactive works. OPENRNDR was awarded the Dutch Design Award 2019

Fields of work
Interactive design (ui/ux), data visualisation, information systems, software tools, interactive installations, media architecture, immersive experiences, interface design, visual identities, generative video, creative coding, exhibition design, graphic design systems, hybrid spaces and platforms, machine learning and artificial intelligence (ai), code and design workshops.

People
Jeroen Barendse (NL), partner. Design and art direction. Former partner of LUST and LUSTlab. Awarded BNO Piet Zwart Oeuvre Prize 2017
Edwin Jakobs (NL), partner. Computer scientist, creative coder and visual artist. Creator of OPENRNDR
Boyd Rotgans (NL), partner. Creative coder & interaction designer
Viola Bernacchi (IT). Design & data visualisation
Els van Dijk (NL), office manager
Marco Dell'Abate (IT), Royal Academy for the Arts, The Hague, Creative coder, 2023
Nike Kuschick (DE), Munich University of Applied Sciences, Interaction Designer, intern, 2024
Previously at RNDR
Thomas McElmeel (US), College for Creative Studies, Detroit, intern, 2023
Marco Dell'Abate (IT), Royal Academy for the Arts, The Hague, intern, 2021
Rein van der Woerd (NL), Data Art Technology Arnhem, Artez, intern, 2021
Derrek Chow (CA), University of Waterloo, Waterloo, intern, 2021
Jon Packles (USA), Parsons School of Design | The New School, intern and freelance, 2021
Jasper Kamphuis (NL), Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, intern, 2020
Ferdinand Sorg (DE), Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, intern , 2020
Jaekook Han (KR), Graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program, NYC, intern
Gábor Kerekes (HU), developer
Amir Houieh (IR), developer
Łukasz Gula (PL), Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, intern
Noemi Biro (RO), Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, intern
Selection of exhibitions
Oracle unfolded @Highlight Delft Festival, 2023
Perpetual Beta; Encounters in open space, The Grey Space, The Hague, 2021
Open Highway, Raum, Utrecht, 2018
Typojanchi Typography Biennale Seoul, main exhibitor (as LUST), 2017
Cartographies of Rest, interactive installation at Mile End Art Pavilion in London (as LUST), 2016
Hyperlocator, What’s next, Future Tomorrow, 38CC Delft (as LUST), 2016
Type/Dynamics exhibition, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (as LUST), 2014
Selection of lectures
Creative Coding With Kotlin and OPENRNDR, online presentation for Jetbrains, 2023
Cloud Salon presentation at Parsons Design & Technology, New York
Experimental Data Visualization for Master of Arts in Interaction Design, SUPSI, Mendrisio, 2022
Lecture Information Design masters. Design Academy Eindhoven, 2021
Talk for Graphic Days Turin, Eyes on the Netherlands (IT), 2021
Lecture for TAAALKS conference, Munich, 2020
Presentation at GitHub Satellite, 2020
Lecture at Britisch Library for Central Saint Martins' Form, Reform, Perform: futures of writing, 2019
MiXit conference, Lyon, 2019
Google Span conference, presentation and demo, Helsinki, 2018
JFuture conference, Minsk, 2018
Creative Coding Utrecht, Launch of OPENRNDR, 2018
Selection of workshops
Workshop OPENRNDR for Graphic Days, Turin (IT), 2021
OPENRDNR workshop for Digital Society School, Amsterdam, 2020
Weeklong workshop OPENRNDR @Politecnico di Milano, 2020
OPENRNDR x Machine Learning workshop @ KABK during Tech Week, 2020
Two week OPENRNDR workshop at Tumo, Armenia, 2019
Workshop OPENRNDR at Artez Interaction Design, Arnhem, 2019
Processing Community Day 2019, CCU and Sensorlab, Utrecht, 2019
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), Techweek, The Hague, 2019
Utrecht School for the Arts (HKU), OPENRNDR workshop, 2018
La Scuola Open Source, 1-week workshop, Bari, Italy, 2018
Two-week workshop at TUMO foundation, Yerevan, Armenia, 2019
OPENRNDR x Machine learning workshop @SUPSI, Mendrisio, CH, 2022
Teaching
Information Design, Master program Geo Design, Design Academy Eindhoven, 2023
Creative coding, Master Non-linear Narrative, KABK, The Hague, 2023
Interaction Design, Design Art Technology Arnhem, Artez, 2008
Generative Design, Bachelor Man and Communication, Design Academy Eindhoven, 2019

Contact

RNDR

Paviljoensgracht 20
2512 BP, The Hague
+31 (0)70.3635776

info@rndr.studio


INTERNSHIPS

We are mostly looking for interns that have a background in interactive design. Some experience in coding is preferred. 

interns@rndr.studio

OPENRNDR
Open source framework for creative coding that simplifies writing real-time interactive software

info@openrndr.org
openrndr.org