Why Star Trek's Graphic Design Makes Sense

Adam has the great pleasure of meeting Michael and Denise Okuda, designers and consultants who have been working on Star Trek shows and films for almost forty years. As the creators of the LCARS computer systems interface seen since Star Trek: The Next Generation, they guide Adam through a primer on Star Trek's graphic design and the logic of the fictional user interface affectionately known as "Okudagrams".

Propstore's Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: Los Angeles Summer 2024

Shot by Josh Self and edited by Norman Chan
Music by Jinglepunks

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Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman

Thanks for watching!

#adamsavage #startrek #props

[tested]

Propstore's Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction: Los Angeles Summer 2024

[kevinmurphy]

Star Trek wouldn't be Star Trek without the Okudas

[SO-ymzs]

The Okudas are heroes to any Trek fan. Great to see you interviewing them!

[aeonjoeyd]

The Okuda's are why I became a Graphic Designer. Okudagrams were my gateway drug, at age 6 I read in the Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual about what Adobe Illustrator was and who the Okudas were. As a 45yo Creative Director for a major company, I owe my career and a debt of thanks to the Okudas. I've had the pleasure of meeting them and conversing a handful of times in puerson and online, and am forever in their tutelage.

[thedoctor]

Wil Wheaton has said a few times that he took the Okuda's note to heart about it being designed for him. He had the layout of the buttons all worked out in his head, so setting courses and whatnot was always consistent

[PatrickTorsell]

The Okudas are not only legendary, they’re genuine and down to earth. I recall as an LCARS obsessed 14-year old, I stumbled upon Mike’s email address, and sent him a note never expecting a reply. He sent a delightful reply within 24 hours, offering some guidance on creating my own panels at home. Meant a lot to nerdy teenage me.

[Call_Me_David]

When I saw the thumbnail in YouTube for this video, my first though before I even clicked it was "I hope they can talk to the Okuda's someday."

[CalebTWilliams]

This is a beautiful example of "interested people are interesting"

[keab]

I'd happily watch hours of Adam and the Okudas talking shop.

[WUZLE]

The "User profile" part comes up in the Parallels episode, in which Worf complains that the controls have been changed.

[TheTiffanyAching]

"... They're based on YOUR user profile, so the button you hit is correct."

Shades of Galaxy Quest: "They designed those controls after watching YOU. Take her out."

[kellieevetts]

I remember Wil Wheaton, when touring the bridge for Picard, he sat down and still remembered what buttons he pushed!

[pisoprano]

As someone who uses dozens of custom macros in my job, the idea that the ship interface is customized for the user makes me salivate—like of COURSE each person would accumulate different shortcuts to make their workflow easier. It doesn’t even need to be fully consistent for the same person across the show, because they might have their own sub profiles for different tasks they can change between at will depending on the project they’re working on or as they decide to create new shortcuts.

[allendean]

The thing that makes the Okudas such great Trek Designers is that they are SUPER FANS

[indoorjetpacks]

as a vfx artist who worked on For All Mankind, seeing Adam chat with the people who likely created some of the interfaces we ended up compositing and seeing the actors using in our shots, is wildly cool to see that they put that amount of dedication to accuracy. as a space nerd myself i've thought that it was some of the most spot-on accurate and well-designed (when they were fictional) interfaces and displays i've seen in a scifi. and now i know why. this tickles me greatly.

[mikepetersen]

I can't upvote this enough. The Okudas are royalty in the Star Trek firmament, and to have someone like Adam chat with them is just.... <chef's kiss>.

The auction lots are lovely, but the real treasures here are the people. Adam, if you wanted to start a channel featuring interviews and discussion with some of the industry's unsung makers and designers, that would be well worth watching (for historical value as well as entertainment).

[bearimo]

Oh my God

The Video I have been waiting for all my life. As a 45 year old Graphic Designer/ Animator - this is absolutely my favourite Graphic Design of all time. Michael and Denise are my heroes.

[AdamMannD]

I was 15 when TNG finished. I was 100% obsessed with that show. I had the TNG Techincal Manual written by Michael Okuda. I took it to school with me, i read it at night. I loved that ship, and they did such an amazing job creating a believable lore and design. Fantastic video sir.

[raygrooms]

I love the idea that whatever button you push, it is the right button. This is directly reflected in our smart phones today. The app locations are specific to the user and change over time. I just rearranged mine because I added an app that I use more frequently than others. I can easily believe that button on a display would relocate from time to time.

[CaptainJonathan]

As a designer and massive Star Trek fan, this was a real treat to watch.

I should add that these "old school" ways of doing things for TV and film are often so much nicer. Comparing the LCARS from legacy, classic Trek to those used on Picard for example, the older ones look so crisp with deep blacks and popping colors.