Untranslated

Untranslated is a playlist brand for artists who live between cultures, including identity, motion system, and the tool that generates both.

Inspired by Zygmunt Bauman's book "Liquid Modernity": identities defined by flux, not fixed structures. You don't understand the lyrics; you still feel the song. That gap is the brand.

This is the early version of the customize tool I built with Claude Code. Most case studies save behind-the-scenes for the end. But the first decision came before the project did: build a tool, not a guideline. In agencies I watched it happen again and again: brands ship static guidelines, and clients don't follow them or can't. So I bet on the opposite deliverable. A system clients can keep generating from, freely, but never outside the rules.

This video was recorded entirely using the audio-reactive function of a custom-built tool.

Using the Hide Border preset to generate artist name.

Some people have asked if I could add translations, but unfortunately, the very essence of this playlist lies in it being untranslated, showcasing lyrics in languages other than English.

I embedded 5 colors inside the tool with a randomized feature to make combos of 3 colors from the palette. Redesigned the tool's own interface between versions; collapsible sections replaced a flat wall of controls. The system has to be usable by someone who isn't me. That's the point of shipping a tool instead of a PDF.

Design: Yutong Hu, Connor Gravelle and Ann Tang Coding: Yutong Hu