ICONOPOLIS – an 8 Bit HTML Experiment (2001)

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While at blue.Kryptonite, I played around a lot with design, illustration and HTML. Iconopolis was an experiment in the world of the then isometric-style desktop "icons", set in a three-tiered world.

Though no longer supported by modern browsers, it featured animated gifs and java layers animating elements across the screen. These included the right hand rocket lifting off, randomly fling diagonally down and back again, and landing. The bus leaving one bus stop and stopping at the next, then running back. The SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) billboard-sized TV screen test pattern fuzzing. The wooden crate icons top left, growing and shrinking vertically. The pale vertical tunnel, being a teleportation device taking people between lower levels. The public park fountain sprinkling. And there were clouds that moved right to left across the top. Two buildings featured are buildings from Durban, South Africa, at the time – SABC and the Lion Match Company. 

It was absolute fun working in a limited pixelated size, with minute detail affecting the slightest form.

VIEW HERE

Iconopolis (2001) Stephen Embleton

DETAIL:





THE ANIMATED GIFS


THE ROCKET (lift-off blast overlaid)






THE BUS DIRECTIONS











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