The challenge

How might we create impactful digital campaigns about online security and freedom of expression?

In 2013, advertising campaigns were heavily restricted to standard ad formats and placements, which didn't align with our vision for this impactful message. To overcome these limitations, we needed to think outside the box and forge unique collaborations with media outlets and their development teams. This partnership approaches created opportunities to bring our innovative concept to life in a way that transcended conventional advertising constraints.

The Result

The provocative campaign sparked widespread discussion across all media channels.

Together with Amnesty International, Publicis and Eyecatcher, we demonstrated how easy it is to manipulate online content by briefly replacing the homepage content of these news sites with our message about digital rights and censorship.

This provocative campaign sparked important discussions about online security, media control, and the need to protect freedom of expression in the digital space. The takeover lasted only minutes but left a lasting impression on the Swiss media landscape.

My Role

Lead Interaction Designer

As the Lead Interaction Designer at Eyecatcher AG, I collaborated closely with Publicis creative and art directors. While the main visuals were created by the Publicis team, I focused on translating the idea into animation and “user interface” design and the technical implementation in flash.

Team: Oliver Pell (Consultant), Tim Hopkins (Publicis), myself (Design/Animation/Coding)

Tools: Adobe Fireworks, Photoshop, Adobe Flash

What the project taught me

Co-creation, superpower for the right thing.

The close collaboration between development and design teams during the campaign execution proved invaluable. By combining our technical expertise in Flash development with creative direction from Publicis, we were able to create an innovative and impactful digital takeover that effectively conveyed Amnesty International's message about online freedom.

What I learned

• Design thinking methods can help break through conventional thinking patterns and generate innovative solutions.
• Cross-disciplinary approaches, like applying artistic techniques to programming challenges, can lead to unexpected solutions for complex technical problems.
• Involving clients directly in the design and testing process is more effective than theoretical arguments: hands-on experience helps them understand and embrace new perspectives.

What I would do differently

• Honestly, I have no idea: I gave my best to make the message tangible in the shortest possible time.
• The contributors list should include my role and contribution to the project.