mocean – hacking ocean science

In 2020 during the pandemic I organised, produced and hosted this international four-days design hackathon. From project management to promotion and finally the online live production I was able to gain a ton of experience off this event.

So what is “mocean” all about?

It is commonly known that the future of our oceans are at stake. Several man-made factors are threatening the fragile balance of the ecosystem. To tackle these threats from the view of a Communication Designer, Motion Designer or Animator I first needed to provide information on the topic. So I invited scientists from Ocean Summit, a pool of experts on the field, to create a theoretical basis on the starting day. To inspire and motivate the participants I had several experts on Science Communication, Animation and Design to talk about different approaches towards Science Communication throughout the four days. Also it was important for me to create an immersive and enriching experience as it was held fully online. So we had several icebreaker events in between the talks as well as mutual breakfasts, coffee breaks and online drinks, nibbles and networking.

After an intense and enriching first day of input the participants picked one of the three given topics and started to work alone or in groups in whatever technique they felt comfortable with. I provided several platforms for collaborations and communication so everyone could dive right into their creation.

On the final day after only 48 hours (!) the participants presented their work to the experts and the virtual crowd.

You can watch the recording of the live-stream here: www.youtube.com/channel/UCvB2nGwax-MM0JnshfzEBeQ

Designing the visuals

The fluid promotional design was obviously heavily inspired by the aquatic subject. The 3D animation for the key visuals illustrates the process of creatively “hacking” the ocean. Wave patterns textured with water photography is taken apart and revealing a colourful inside which should stand for the rich live and beauty of the sea.

The expressive font plays with the aesthetics of streaming water. This was enhanced by a subtle and again fluid reveal.

To provide a friendly and uplifting entrance for the participants and, on the final day, for the viewers I greeted the audience with different jazzy tunes such as “Beyond the sea” by Bobby Darin ︎.