Atelier Markgraph (2015 - 2019)
How did you start at Atelier Markgraph?
I started as an intern and then stayed on as a working student for several years while studying at h_da in Darmstadt.
What kind of projects have you worked on during your time there?
Markgraph visualizes all kinds of spaces. Mainly exhibitions, but also TV studios and outdoor events. Equally diverse were the projects I worked on.
My focus was on the creation of real-time tools. We used them to find and solve design challenges early on and speed up our iterative process.
ZDF Sportstudio Redesign (2015-2017)
The Media Fan Curve
One of the coolest projects I was involved in was the redesign of the ZDF Sportstudio, one of the two big german public service sports broadcasts.
Realtime Camera Tool
Starting in 2015, Atelier Markgraph took part in a competition for a contract to redesign Das Aktuelle Sportstudio.
​
While working on our design, we used an interactive real-time tool I created.
This enabled us to walk through the studio as a cameraman. It made it easy to explore different camera perspectives and ensure that all the critical shots worked. As for interactivity, the tool made it possible to control the most important camera attributes (FOV, Camera height, position, ...). It also allowed the user to place and rotate moderators and play animations inside the studio.
This tool was used during the design process and at the final presentation.
​
Atelier Markgraph won the pitch.
Year:
2015 - 2017
​
Customer:
ZDF
Team:
Atelier Markgraph
My Roles:
Development of real-time camera tool, studio design (support), modeling & rendering
Other Projects (2015 - 2019)
Markgraphs core business was exhibitions, however. And I got to work on several expos for various companies. Some of them are shown below.
Visualizing spaces with real-time graphics and VR
No matter if we are talking about Exhibition stands, TV Studios, or entire buildings. There are several advantages to visualizing spaces using real-time graphics.
Visualizations are usually needed during the design process and as a way to communicate with the customer. One of the more old-school approaches is building physical models for planning and producing rendered 'Beauty Shots' and animations for the customer.
​This process can be added to or partially replaced by using a real-time engine like Unreal Engine 4.
​
The only thing better than actually walking through space like an exhibition stand is walking through it in VR.
Of course, all of the arguments mentioned above also apply to Virtual Reality. But VR offers more natural interaction (using virtual hands), is much more immersive (the feeling that you are actually there), and makes it easier to judge sizes. There is a big difference between walking through an environment while looking at a screen and doing so in VR.
At Markgraph, I created several VR experiences, for example, for Viessmann (ISH 2017 and ISH 2019).
Building something in VR can also be a good and much cheaper substitute for full-scale test setups. This way, mistakes can be avoided, and iteration costs can be reduced.
Last but not least, Virtual Reality applications allow the customer to feel like they are inside the project they commissioned - Even before it is realized. This improves communication and customer retention.