Instructions
Yufan Zhao
Have you ever wondered about the invisible forces compelling us to get out of bed and live productive lives? Enter the world of Instructions, a project exploring the unwritten rules, silent expectations, and subtle codes that shape our choices and everyday actions. These instructions cannot be found in any text but are learned through observation, experience, and cultural norms. Picture them as the unseen script guiding our daily movements.
In this project, I chronicle every micro-action in a day in my life, from waking up to the moment I drift asleep. To universalize this experience, I utilized the graphic language of the "Helvetica Man," crafting hundreds of generic signs to describe the passage of time.
Making all these symbols was a painfully long and tedious task, but it forced me to reflect on the relentless mindlessness of my routine. Using the medium of graphic design I hope to defamiliarize the ordinary, to make you think about why you and I do what we do.
As a final touch for this project, my friend Mingrui Zhang and I have crafted a clock embodying the relentless spirit of each passing day, and by moving the pointers, this innovative timepiece synchronizes with four dynamic screens as in the sign presented by "Helvetica Man."