IBM needed to reach out internally to its own community of employees in order to better define the value of its upcoming SMARTER PLANET campaign.
NOKIA DESIGN FICTIONS, VOL. 1
THE CHALLENGE
Nokia Design's Strategic Projects studio wanted new ways to promote dialogue about a project that is in the early stages of development. rather than rely upon power point presentations, they sought a more dynamic approach to presenting their work, with an emphasis on the values behind the project. they wanted their audience to feel an emotional engagement with what they were developing.
THE SOLUTION
in response, we created design fictions prototypes, i.e. short conceptual narratives which place the product in commonplace scenarios. we created prototypes and not fully-realized films, providing a strong direction for what a fully-realized film would offer. more importantly, the design fictions prototypes illustrated how the product would perform in real life situations. these enhanced visual prototypes are more than storyboards but not quite live-action films. in a true sense of the word, they are animations, created out of a vast number of still images, graphics, and illustrations, which are enlivened by a rich sound design.
THE RESULTS
as of april 2010, the films are being shown within the greater Nokia design and strategy community, as well as at conferences which focus on social media and technology innovation. they are helping to promote a vigorous dialogue about the project and its ongoing development. by participating in this dialogue in its early stages, the films have become a part of the design process.
on the precipice of launching a massive marketing campaign for its SMARTER PLANET initiative, IBM needed to reach out to its own community of employees in order to better define the value of SMARTER PLANET.
THE SOLUTION
a documentary team was assembled to create a series of films that would connect with influential IBMers, allowing them to communicate the brand message to the larger IBM community. the documentary team strived to uncover a genuine, unglossed over portrayal of IBMers, starting with its wide diversity of researchers and leaders.
the dialogue and insights that emerged from these interviews formed the first phase of the project, providing these aspirational IBMers with a platform to define what SMARTER PLANET meant to them.
further work from the documentary director included the creation of a series of portraits and short narratives that expanded on the themes of the SMARTER PLANET campaign.
THE RESULTS
the films functioned as an internal kick-off for the SMARTER PLANET initiative.
some of the films were shown to the IBM leadership at conferences, while others were broadcast on IBM's own websites. furthermore, the films and photographic portraits, part of a wider effort to reach out to the IBM community, became the precursor to the BRAND SYSTEM, a program that continues to this day.
all of the IBM ilms can be previewed via the director's portfolio, or click here for the first film in the series.
on a side note, both julia grace and dharmendra modha, who featured in several of the short portraits, went on to star in many of the SMARTER PLANET commercials (which were broadcast in 2009 and 2010, produced by OGILVY and directed by joe pytka).
additional information:
director: christian svanes kolding.
editor: megan bee.
agency: sy partners.
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