Every year, Communication Arts chooses their annual winner for best of interactive. In this month's Digital Huddle, we decided to review their choices and select our favorites. There was a wide range of work so it was hard to select just a few. But, we managed. Here are the award winners that stood out to us.
Gravity (the movie)
Just like the movie that demonstrates what it is like to be in space, the Gravity website offers a virtual space walk experience. Leveraging WebGL, the developers of the site created a 3-D browser-based spacewalk. Users have the ability to explore 3-D models of the space shuttle Explorer, the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station, and the Tiangong space station. Each destination includes different points of interest that allows the user to click to explore in greater depth.
Traveling to these space craft can be achieved either by clicking on the destination's icon at the bottom of the screen, or by using your mouse to fly to the destination. On your way to each destination, you may encounter debris in space--which is nice reference back to the movie.
The site also does a good job of integrating a "helmet cam" that allows the users to take a picture from anywhere in their travels. This is a smart and simple way to let users create their own content and share it with their social connections.
OregonGridIron.com
Keeping in line with Oregon's reputation for innovation in the sports department, the website for Oregon football facilities needed to stand out, be unique, and leave a memorable impression. This website does that, and does it well. Beautifully designed and crafted, this website sets a high standard for athletic team websites, including professional teams.
This website relies heavily on video as a device to tell the story surrounding the facilities. The result is more engaging than copy and photos because it lets the user visit the location without having to actually visit. And since football recruiting is becoming a higher stakes affair, this experience may answer some of the questions a prospective student has, even if they can't get to Eugene, Oregon.
Glasses.com for iPad
One of the biggest struggles with shopping online is experiencing how you might look if you were to wear it. Glasses.com released Glasses.com for Ipad that features a sophisticated online product trial.
The premise of this app allows a user to display 3-D generated versions of glasses on their face in real time. The app, using the built in camera on the iPad, builds a 3-D model of the user's face, allowing users to try on thousands of glasses without actually trying them on. And, these aren't just blocky representations of the products. The app developers took into account lighting, shading, reflections and complex masking to truly simulate the product.
This is really a great app that is worth trying.
Sortieenmer.com
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be knocked off a boat with no life jacket? In order to survive, you have to try to stay above water for as long as you can. Sortieenmer.com will help you experience what treading water would be like if you are stranded at sea without a life jacket.
The premise of the website is to help educate users about the risks of boating without a life jacket. The website makes this point very clear when the user is knocked off a boat and is forced to swim for their life. The user is asked to "scroll" up the page to keep afloat. Warning: this site is not for the faint of heart. No matter how well you scroll to stay afloat, you will eventually tire and drown.
If this site doesn't convince you to use a life jacket, nothing will.
There was a slew of great work that Communication Arts selected as interactive winners. Take a moment and review them for yourself: CommArts.com/interactive
What ideas can you take away from these sites for your brand? Share them in the comments below.