A better internet for readers
An app to take back your mind
The illustration ended up shaping the tone of both the article and the brand more than we anticipated. We later created a short video expanding on the idea of a quiet, peaceful corner bookstore amidst a chaotic street. One particularly touching user comment even reinterpreted the story beautifully in text, noting every easter egg we had hidden in the video.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of a world where fire-breathing dragons interrupt our bedroom reading, garbage-eating crocodiles rule the streets, and you can’t put an Easter Island statue outside your house without the neighbours burning your place to the ground. I’m tired of a world where you get mobbed and bystanders are too chicken to do anything, where you get attacked just for taking your duck-that-thinks-its-a-dog out for a walk, a world where someone new moves into the neighbourhood and everyone wants to bite his head off just because he’s a carnivore.
I want to live in a world where cranes are made of paper, lucky cat can wave to Buzz Aldrin, and all mushrooms are magic. A world where Earth is only one of the many books on the shelf, and it’s just a short step ladder to the moon. And, I promise you, when we reach this new land, we will hear the sweet sound of birds. And there, settled peacefully into our comfy seats, you will read my beautiful book of squiggles and I will read yours.“ — Mark McGuire
Read the full piece on Substack.
Community team│Bailey Richardson, Katie O'Connell
Design & Illustration│Joro Chen
Animation│Simo Liu