Circle of Time

Typographic Motion Study

Inspired by Joni Mitchell’s song The Circle Game, this series explores how typography and motion can visualize the passage of time. Using rhythm, rotation, and repetition, each piece examines how change, growth, and reflection are experienced through movement. Together, they build a conceptual narrative that translates emotional and physical motion into visual form, connecting design, sound, and human perception.

Role: Designer, Animator
Duration: Spring 2023
Tools: Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Photography

The Carousel

The first piece introduces the visual narrative. The typography rotates and re-emerges to represent time’s cyclical nature. Each movement uses motion as a storytelling tool, expressing the relationship between repetition and renewal.

This exploration established the foundation for the series, connecting design and movement into a cohesive conceptual story.

Motion Sick

The second piece deepens the story by exploring what happens when motion becomes overwhelming. I projected animated typography onto a moving subject to represent how time and emotion physically wash over us. The shifting type and fragmented light create a visual metaphor for disorientation and emotional growth.

This piece adds a human element to the series, showing how motion and emotion intersect in a more personal way.

Tick Tock Clock

The final piece brings the narrative full circle. It explores how time reveals itself through the unnoticed moments that fill our everyday lives.

To visualize this idea, I documented my daily walk in Chicago, photographing circular forms such as elevator buttons, wheels, and street signs. These repeating shapes became symbols of movement, rhythm, and routine.

The final sequence layers these images with a clock sound to represent time passing through ordinary experiences. It invites viewers to slow down, notice their surroundings, and recognize the small moments that might pass us by.

Process Photos

Bad Painters Club—Product Design

Photography