Title: Desert Mirage — The Horizon Lies
Creative prompt: A scorching erg desert with three breathing dune ridges, a pulsing white-hot sun, and a false oasis lake that shimmers with heat. Wind streaks and sandstorms sweep the canvas while a tiny caravan marches marker to marker. The horizon bends light exactly like real mirage optics.
Design description: Warm editorial palette of sand, dune-orange, and rust on cream with brutalist black rules and ribbon metrics; side field-notes flank a central control deck with heat, wind, and time sliders plus tabbed storytelling.
Visual techniques:
- Layered sine-displaced dune ridges with heat shimmer wobble
- Radial-gradient sun with pulse keyframes and storm dimming
- False-lake mirage ellipse with flicker tied to heat value
- Wind streak particles, drifting grains, and click-triggered avalanches
- Caravan silhouette advancing across canvas markers
Interaction model: Heat, wind, and time sliders reshape mirage, streaks, and readouts live; tabs switch optics/log/survival text; buttons toggle mirage, summon storms, and advance the caravan; pointer drags ripple sand avalanches.