Johannes Geier translates thoughts into forms in his identity for ‘THOUGHTS OF PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW’

Mind readers may be a thing of superstition and fantasy, but Ben Miethke’s ‘THOUGHTS OF PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW’ deftly puts the viewer in the mind of others. This immersive audiovisual series transforms internal monologues – of fleeting thoughts and mundane musings – into tangible experiences, and US-based designer Johannes Geier’s identity system perfectly captures its essence. The identity’s core strength lies in its use of rhythmic fragments of text and concrete poetry to visually represent thoughts. As Geier explains, “The films invite the audience into quite intimate moments – through the protagonists’ verbal narratives.” This is also reflected in the colour palette, which features a duel between blue and red, symbolising the interplay between intimacy and the mundane. The development of the identity was an organic process, with Geier revealing that there was no real brief. “It just started with ‘Hey, would you want to do the title?’” To become familiar with the look and feel of the project, he watched several rough clips that were available, paying close attention to the pace and sound of the videos. “I watched all the shorts that were shot in Berlin,” he adds. “The sound design and grading were already in progress. While the identity was being made, the NY and Massachusetts clips came to life and were already seen in the identity system.” This flexibility allowed for a dynamic approach, as Geier describes, “We built the plane while flying and figured we needed a system that shows that it’s an ongoing series that can technically be endless.” The choice of Arial Narrow as the identity’s typeface was shaped by visual and practical considerations. “The vast amount of protagonists in the cast forced us to have justified text, mimicking a classic film poster where space is often at a premium.” This constraint led to a visually striking and efficient use of typography that became a defining feature of the identity. “It maintains a neutral presence,” he says about the choice of typeface, “which makes it versatile for various content and contexts, but it also has subtle quirks in its letterforms that keep it from feeling too sterile or overly mechanical. We were looking for a sense of authenticity and personality without overshadowing the content.”