Turning a utility plugin into a playful product experience.
Context
Boxer is a lightweight After Effects extension I built to quickly wrap responsive boxes around text.
For it's launch, I wanted a promo that gave the tool personality, not just a screen recording of sliders.
Process
It started with a simple idea:
What would Boxer look like in the real world?
Early designs leaned into a Moog-style synth look with dark metal and walnut trim, then a revision had a guitar pedal aesthetic.
Eventually I landed on a device with hints of Dieter Rams and hints of Game Boy.
Although the quarter-inch jack inputs survived from the original design.
The ad was animated as if the fictional device was real; sliders moved, dials rotated, and the display lit up. The goal was to make a demo that felt tactile and fun.
Outcome
The promo gave Boxer a distinct identity in a crowded space.
When it was released, the video made a small splash on Reddit; with many commenting that I'd gone "too hard" on a small product!
But that effort was the point: it helped Boxer stand out and created buzz around its launch, helping drive initial sales. People enjoyed the personality of Boxer as much as it's functionality.
Boxer's design has evolved with it's userbase but is still available from aescripts + aeplugins.
Gallery
Boxer's digital UI.