Abstract to figurative, and everything in between: visual design approaches and linguistic codes of a traditional form of animated product

Animated artefacts are demanding and successful tools to face articulated topics concisely by embracing different codes and style of representation. Among different animation techniques, stop-motion, the oldest one rooted in George Méliès trick-films in late ‘800AD, has recently been recognised as a valid and immediate pedagogic tool since the production process of a stop-motion film is easier to understand and handle, and animated objects are tactilely manipulated. This paper describes theoretical premises, teaching approaches and design outputs of a stop-motion workshop held in Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) in September 2019. At the end of the workshop students were expected to produce a short film about a famous tragic event related to Sardinian prisons, choosing appropriate visual styles and languages. Artefacts are very different and reveal the technique as a communication design tool highly effective through both figurative and abstract stylistic approaches, and both descriptive and metaphoric narrative languages.