Hasta La Ideas

Nexus animation director Celyn has created a lovely film using hand drawn 2D animation to promote the Map Table, a new product from furniture brand Vitra and designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.  

The Map Table is a flexible system that can easily re-configured: multiple tables can be stacked or connected in a range of formations, and Vitra says the product is designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of studios, offices and homes.

To highlight the product’s versatility, Celyn directed and designed a film that follows the life of a young designer who sets up her own studio. As the film progresses, the company grows and so does the number of Map Tables she needs:

The simple shapes and bold colours are inspired by picture books from Celyn’s childhood – in particular, Satomi Ichikawa’s A Child’s Book of All Seasons, which he recently re-discovered in a box in his parent’s attic.

“The beautifully illustrated book was elegantly unassuming. [It] captured the transition of the seasons in subtle detail, with a composition that implied limitless space, even within the confines of a room,” he says.

The film was commissioned with children in mind before market research revealed an older target audience, but Celyn says the picture book visuals remained a fitting concept, capturing “the process of joyful play for artists and children alike. We are all big kids at the end of the day,” he adds.

It’s the second film Nexus has produced for Vitra – Jonny Kelly used stop motion animation to create a film promoting the Tip Ton chair in 2011, below – and the latest in a series of charming productions from Celyn, who has directed music videos (including Wagon Christ’s Chunkothy, below) and spots for WWF, Coca Cola and the Guardian. See more of his work here.

Credits
Concept – Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby
Direction and Design – Celyn
Producer – Beccy McCray
2D Supervisor – Dave Walker
2D animation – Stuart Doig, Maki Yohikura, Manav Dhir & Luca Toth
Composer – Dan Arthure