Welcome, To ME!!!! all Me aka Mari

The Brothers in Arms Memorial project, developed by myself (Amari Buck) and my team (Jenifer Quelali Evangelista, Qiao-Yi Chu, and Gregory Joyal), aimed to educate about the bravery of WW1 Indian soldiers and raise funds for a memorial. We achieved this through engaging storytelling, motion design, and interactive elements, including parallax effects, ink reveals, and motion graphics. A video created in After Effects further enhanced the narrative, while Vue.js and Lumen were used for the frontend and backend, respectively. The project’s goal was to honor the soldiers' legacy and inspire donations for the memorial.

This project was done by: Me, Jenifer Quelali, Gregory Joyal, Osarieme Ogbeide, and Qiao-Yi Chu

Market Analysis: Our market research showed that many people are unaware of the contributions made by Indian soldiers during WW1. The lack of recognition and understanding presents an opportunity for educational content that brings this history to light. With the goal of appealing to an audience interested in historical education and social causes, we wanted the Brothers in Arms Memorial to serve as a bridge between the past and the present. Our strategy was to blend historical imagery with modern animation techniques to create a respectful yet engaging tribute. The website's interactive design aimed to make the historical content come alive and encourage donations to fund the memorial. We also used Vue.js to create dynamic components and Lumen to handle backend functionalities, ensuring a smooth and interactive user experience.

Brand Strategy: In terms of brand strategy, we focused on creating a design that was both respectful of the subject matter and compelling enough to encourage action. The visuals were designed to resonate emotionally with the audience, using vibrant colors and cinematic storytelling to draw users into the narrative of the Indian soldiers’ bravery. The challenge was ensuring that the design was respectful, informative, and inspiring, all while aligning with modern web standards and user expectations. The project’s branding was carefully crafted to ensure it remained impactful without overwhelming the visitor with too much information at once.

Design Process: The design process involved integrating GSAP for animations, Vue.js for interactive UI elements, and Lumen for backend services to manage form submissions and dynamic content. The video created in After Effects was a key component of the storytelling process, using powerful visual effects and motion graphics to illustrate the significance of the memorial. The final product included a responsive design to ensure the content was accessible across all devices, and we paid special attention to accessibility features, including semantic HTML5 for a clean, navigable layout.

Challenges: One of the major challenges in the Brothers in Arms Memorial project was balancing the emotional and respectful tone of the content with the need to keep the design engaging and modern. The historical subject matter required us to approach the design with sensitivity, which meant that we needed to avoid any overly flashy or gaudy elements while still conveying a sense of vibrancy and urgency. Striking the right tone with animations and visual effects was a challenge, as it had to reflect the significance of the memorial without overshadowing the content.

Conclusion and learnings: The key takeaway from the Brothers in Arms Memorial project was the power of combining interactive storytelling with historical education. The integration of motion design, Vue.js, and Lumen allowed us to create an emotionally engaging user experience while ensuring smooth functionality. The project highlighted the importance of blending modern design principles with historical context, creating a user experience that was both educational and motivational.