Brief
Commissioned by the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS), with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to develop a multi-platform digital ecosystem. The objective: promote Italian excellence in "blue technologies" and polar research through the digital twin of the icebreaker Laura Bassi.
Problem Statement & Pain Points
The primary challenge was a lack of public "spatial literacy" regarding polar missions. Working icebreakers are chaotic, cramped, and inaccessible environments. OGS needed a way to clarify their mission and the vessel’s utility while the ship was physically moored thousands of miles away in New Zealand. We had to bridge the gap between complex oceanographic science and an intuitive, digestible user experience.
Strategic Angle
Our strategy focused on "Idealized Immersion." We bypassed traditional video to build a high-fidelity digital habitat across Web, Mobile, and Oculus VR. By recreating the ship in a digital vacuum, we allowed viewers to grasp the scale and purpose of the vessel without the logistical noise of a live mission. The goal was to democratize access to the Antarctic frontier through high-tech transparency.
Moodboard
The visual North Star was a fusion of minimalist architecture and advanced aerospace interfaces. We leaned into the "Laboratory of the Future" aesthetic—stripping away the grime of industrial seafaring to highlight the precision of the technology. Inspiration was drawn from high-end CAD visualizations and the functional elegance of modern spacecraft interiors.
Storyboard
he user journey was mapped to mirror a professional induction. We designed two distinct flows:
The Autonomous Explorer: For deep-dives into specific technical facilities.
The Guided Narrative: A curated voiceover tour that connects the ship's physical spaces to their scientific outcomes, ensuring the "mission" remained the central protagonist.
Style Frames
The UI/UX design utilized HUD-inspired overlays and digital navigation charts to provide context without breaking immersion. We maintained a "clean-room" aesthetic for the ship's facilities—achieving a level of visual clarity impossible to capture in real-world photography during an active mission. Every frame was engineered to feel like a high-stakes command center.
