Question

Help me concept a futuristic diving suit

Brenden Grove, Republic of Ireland

Answer

Tony replies

My first goal whenever designing something is to hunt down a mood. I’ll write out some choice adjectives that succinctly describe the feel I’m going for, then narrow it down to a short list of just the most important ones. In this case, we know it needs to read as underwater gear, and that it should have an advanced, otherworldly feel.

Since this is sci-fi, a lot of the decisions you need to make are going to depend on what sort of path this world has gone down. Is it a clean, shiny apple of a future, where everything is eggshell coloured and looks a bit like it’s made of, well, eggshell? Or is it more a grim, gritty dystopia where modern technology feels more like a strange Frankenstein of older parts scavenged and assembled by survivalists? Your diving gear’s design will tell that story, whether you want it to or not.

Beyond just reinforcing the narrative, you also want the outfit to look appealing and original. If it fits the adjectives, then the thumbnail stays. If it doesn’t, I’ll attempt to modify the silhouette in a way that makes the descriptors work. If the modifications aren’t helping, I just move on to a new design. Wash, rinse, repeat.

To give the diving gear that shiny look, remember that those highlights are simply reflections. The more glossy a surface is, the brighter and more sharp-edged the highlight will be.