Time as material (pt. 1)
Beyond the clock
on time visualizations, going from abstraction of ideas to concept and building working interactive experiences. Rapid prototyping and concept ideation with Lov
Frame the core idea: time not as a neutral backdrop but as a material to be shaped, visualized, and experienced.
Brief critique of conventional representations (clocks, calendars, timelines).
Introduce the ambition: exploring multidimensional, alternative representations.
An endless flow becomes arrays.
Time as Graphic Composition
Inspired by Josef Müller-Brockmann’s Opera posters, time is treated as a dynamic visual composition. Instead of numbers on a dial, moments could be represented by expanding geometric forms, grids, or patterns that grow, overlap, or shift in density. This approach emphasizes visual rhythm and proportion rather than strict measurement, making time visible as an aesthetic field.
The opera posters.
Time as Dimensional Axes
Using the three spatial axes as analogues for seconds, minutes, and hours, time becomes a three-dimensional form. A day might emerge as a lattice, a spiral, or a crystal-like structure, where the passing of time produces evolving geometries. Unlike the flatness of a clock face, this method reveals the simultaneity and layering of durations, showing how short units build into larger wholes.
The fourth dimension becomes three.
Time as orbital system
Looking to planetary bodies and orbits, time can be represented as a set of relational cycles. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years become concentric or interlocking paths, echoing how planets orbit a sun. This cosmological metaphor emphasizes the interdependence of scales—how the fleetingness of a second relates to the vast swee
gravitational pull of orbiting planets
size/space/relation between planetary bodies
the circle and shadows in eclipses of the sun and moon
Circular meaning/symbols Ouroboros Scarab
Neheh/Djet
In the evening, the sun “dies” and sinks into the underworld, only to be “reborn” again the following dawn. For the ancient Egyptians, this was much more than just a metaphor; it was a process that Ra himself underwent day after day.
Time is viewed as being not linear but cyclical
To be continued.
Design for trust ︎︎︎
Patrik Castenbladh 2025