multiverse

A spatial, file-centric operating system concept.

Instead of having to click, scan for the folder you're looking for, click again, scan again, you just scroll over to where you put a group of files.

Instead of having to pull your files between apps and dealing with proprietary file formats, and having the same thing open in multiple apps at once, you change the tool palette around the file itself.

An image is just an image, a text document is just a text document, and you can manipulate them however you want. There are no specific filetypes, just files.

Modern operating systems are a mix of app-centric and file-centric concepts, with some apps that store files inside hidden folders you never see and others that you have to make a folder to put its files in if to organize your computer (Pages is the second, Notes is the first). This causes files to be over the place - maybe you have a set of notes for a project, but also a PDF that you have to put alongside other project files. Now everything except your notes live together, and you have to open the notes app as well as the project folder and find the note you need, instead of just having it alongside the rest of the project.

This project is an expansion of my universe concept.

2024

Sketch / After Effects / Photoshop

demo video

a student's day using multiverse, doing the assignments they need to do for the day

screenshots

changing palettes lets you have a more streamlined workspace when editing photos. you can use color adjustment tools and then switch to other kinds of tools, film emulation for example.

a painting is just a photo with a palette with painting specific tools. any photo can be edited with painting tools, and can still be edited with other tool palettes after. Focus mode blurs out any distractions and gives you your full canvas to work on without scrolling away.

a text document can be edited with word processor tools, or layout tools, or anything else a developer makes a palette to do. once you're done, you can share to other multiverse users or convert to a filetype and upload to cloud storage or anywhere else online.

controls and icons

The buttons, sliders, and other controls have subtle depth and tactility. File icons are playful, colorful, and bubbly, also with subtle depth. Glyphs are rounded but minimalist, to help the interface recede around the content.