Dreams Open Doors

“World without glass an unusual challenge has been.” That's how Yoda would have phrased it in his?atypical way of structuring sentences. The Jedi Master from Star Wars knows what the writers of SCHOTT's science fiction story were getting into. To kick-off the new solutions magazine, art director Juliane Herrmann and journalist Michael Thiem from Stuttgart-based communications agency campra had the opportunity to let loose their full creativity and let their imaginations run wild to realize the unusual science-fiction story “Anna and the more”. Take a deep dive into their minds and learn where their ideas for the story and visual worlds came from and which hurdles they had to be overcome. Because as Yoda would have said in Star Wars, "Do or do not. There is no try."

How did you come up with the ideas for your writing?

Michael: I could say that I studied a lot of literature and watched a lot of videos. But I don’t have to. I grew up with Star Trek and now I'm growing old with Star Wars. And many other science-fiction universes, too. With fantasy being this wonderful world inside all of us, what could be more beautiful than putting it into words ourselves?

Where did you get your inspiration for the illustrations?

Juliane: I can't really say for sure. It's certainly a mixture of images I have in my head – from movies, illustrations, color schemes. Most of the time, when I read a story and have to illustrate it, I quickly get a clear idea of what the scene should look like. Later on, I deal with the details. I like it when there is a lot to discover.

What was the trickiest part of translating stories into visuals?

Juliane: It's not that easy to depict an "everyday scene" that is immediately recognizable as being set in the future. Of course, you have a rough idea about how certain things will develop, but a lot is interconnected. What kind of clothes do people wear? How do they communicate? What does a normal breakfast look like??What's the point of illustrating space-y pans when you might be able to fry the egg right on the stove in the future?

Are you a sci-fi fan in general? Give us some recommendations.

Michael: I've been fascinated by science-fiction stories ever since I learned how to read. Before entering Disneyland, I was asked: Rebels or Empire? I had to choose Empire because there's a Darth Vader mask on the office shelf behind me. And in front of the house, incidentally, there's a car parked with the license plate number SW 1977, the year the first Star Wars movie was released in the United States. The car belongs to my daughter. I think I was a good role model.

What do you find fascinating about glass?

Michael: Let's put it this way: Foldable devices for communication already made an appearance in Star Trek at the end of the 1960s. What is perceived as science fiction today may be a new technical achievement tomorrow. Dreams open doors. This also becomes apparent when you think about the future of glass as a material. Thanks to its incredible versatility, it is perhaps one of the most significant door openers for future innovations.

What kind of a glass innovation do you wish you could have in the future?

Juliane: I would be excited by the possibility of drawing on glass digitally. Tablets prove how advanced we already are in this area, but I would personally find large-format devices particularly interesting. Perhaps it would be possible to draw on the surface from both sides. There would be a lot to experiment with, maybe imitating effects with water – and if necessary, undoing everything again. Since I draw a lot myself, I know that not everything always turns out the way you originally envisioned it. Being able to save a certain stage of progress and to try out different effects from there would be great.

??

Having all these insights from the creators, are you interested in exploring the full story? Then check out “Anna's Dream ” in our new #solutionsmag !